8 customer service tips every retail employee should have - TheJobNetwork

8 customer service tips every retail employee should have - TheJobNetworkDealing with sometimes demanding, sometimes ornery, sometimes outright hostile customers may be the biggest challenge any retail employee must face. Retail places all employees in a veritable public relations position because the way employees handle customers reflects on the business as a whole. Thats why management is generally adamant about all employees possessing ace interpersonal skillseven if those employees dont spend their days behind the customer service desk. So no matter if youre a stock clerk, cashier, or floor manager, you may learn a thing or 8 by perusing these customer service skills every retail employee needs to know to succeed. googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.display(div-gpt-ad-1472832672400-0) ) 1. Be patientThis one is Customer Service 101. Simply being patient may also be tougher than it sounds. A customer, especially an agitated one, can really try your patience with demands or c omplaints. Just remember that your customers needs and emotions come before your own. Take the time to listen to your customers herausforderungs without allowing him or her to dominate the conversation or distract you from your duties. When you figure out the problem and how you can solve it, politely wrap up the conversation so you can take care of your customers request. Most customers will appreciate a swift end to their ranting if they think their needs are about to be met.2. Remain positiveno matter whatDont wait for the customer to platzdeckchen the tone of a discussion, because a disgruntled one probably wont be gearing up for the most pleasant exchange in the world. Greet all comers with a smile and a cheerful, How may I help you? Hopefully your positivity will rub off on the customer so that the tone of the conversation doesnt go south.3. Be ready for anythingOne thing any retail worker learns quickly is that the workday is unpredictable. Things can be going smoothly for ho urs, but all it takes is for one sourpuss to bust through the door for the workday to take a wrong turn. So always be ready for any eventualities. Remember that you are at work, and you must deliver quality customer service on a dime regardless of your own state of mind.4. Know your businessFew things will frustrate customers in need more than the notion that they are talking to someone who cannot help them. Whats more, few things are more frustrating or bewildering for retail employees than feeling as though they dont know what a customer wants. Prevent those situations by knowing the ins and outs of all aspects of your business. For example, you may not work in layaway, but you should still know what it is in the event a customer wants to pay for an item at a later date. Having an answer to any question will set the customer at ease and keep you in control of all situations.5. Hone your communication skillsAnother key to staying in control is communicating well. This does not just mean speaking audibly, confidently, and properly. It also requires you to be aware of your own body language. Maintain eye contact with the customer. Uncross your arms. Stand up straight. These traits convey the air of confidence that will make your customers feel as though they are in good hands.6. Find the problemWhile it is your duty to always communicate well, you cannot always expect the same from your customers. Yet it is still your job to help them. So you may have to sift through some irrelevant or confused talk to figure out what exactly your customer wants. That should be your goal, no matter how angry or garbled the language thats coming your way.7. Read between the lines if necessaryUsually, you dont have to be a body language expert to read your customers effectively, as customers tend express their moods clearly. Some may be tricky though. For example, a customer may ask for help with a particular work-related issue, but the real agenda is that he or she is lonely and just wants to talk to someone. In such cases, be polite, be sensitive, but bring the conversation to as quick of an end as possible so you can get on with your duties. In other cases, customers might just be looking for a fight. Never take the bait. Bring the confrontation to as quick and polite a conclusion as possible, and if necessary, just walk away and allow security to step in before things get out of hand.8. Stay coolNo matter what the customers tone or problem may be, you must always greet them with professionalism. Dont let them rattle you. Keep your cool. Get into character as if you are playing the role of the worlds greatest customer service representativeeven if your main job is to stock shelves or work the register.Always remember that you are an important member of the organization and it is your job to represent the company positively, competently, and calmly whenever dealing with its customers.

Fairygodboss Of The Week Dr. Jennifer Kherani

Fairygodboss Of The Week Dr. Jennifer Kzu sichbeiani As Medical Director and a founding member of Summus, a cutting-edge and uniquely personalized healthcare service, Dr. Jennifer Kherani is developing a global network of medical professionals who are changing the game for both physicians and patients. And if you think thats rad, then you havent seen her tennis serve. Check out some of the fabulous insight she recently shared with Fairygodboss including her 1 career tip belowFairygodboss of the Week Dr. Jennifer KheraniMedical Director of SummusNew York, NYFGB Tell us a little about your career. How did you get to where you are now?JK My road has been a bit sinuous and punctuated with eclectic destinations. I began in sales, immediately realized I had taken a wrong turn and landed myself a waitressing job in the middle of Times Square. From there, I somehow ended up in Guatemala volunteering with a community outreach group, which included a medical team. It was during that trip th at I genuinely began to develop a love of medicine. I returned home, went back to school to complete my pre-medical requirements and began working in a cardiac physiology research lab, which is where I met my husband. That was followed by a near-decade long endeavor of long hours and humbling experiences in both medical school and residency. I came out the other end an Emergency Medicine physician and educator.I was mom by day and ER doctor by night when my husband and a college friend of his introduced an idea a solution that would transform the healthcare experience for patients and doctors alike. Summus was born and I distitelblatted my next mission and new passion. We connect families all over the world to leading physicians in the US to help them understand their diagnoses and treatment options, manage ongoing health issues, and discover cutting-edge insights on preventative care. Our transparent marketplace brings together the best minds in medicine and the people who need to access their talents and wisdom conveniently and quickly.FGB What is an accomplishment that you are proud of?JK Personal evolution. I have been physically and mentally taxed at many times throughout my career. Finding my way to and through medical school and residency has had many peaks and valleys. Likewise, finding my way to becoming a founding member of Summus has been an incredible journey. I havent always done it perfectly, but I can honestly say that I have learned from every single one of those highs and lows. Ive come out the other side stronger and a bit wiser. It is the upside of aging. That is something I can be proud of and aspire to continue achieving.FGB What is a challenge that youve faced and overcome?JK Balancing my personal life as a mother and my professional life has been the most difficult challenge of my life. My entire personal definition and life structure changed when I had my sons. Up until that moment, my career had been my constant focus. My colleagues ha d known only that professional version of me. Maintaining the respect of my peers, advancing my career and being truly present for my children was the most difficult goal I had ever set forth on. I dont think there is any way to truly have it all but weve reached a happy, successful and manageable balance (for now). I sincerely look forward to growing my career while guiding my children as they become more independent and engaged in their own journeys. It is an ever-changing balancing act.FGB Who is YOUR Fairygodboss? and Why?JK My mom, without a doubt. She built her company from nothing to a successful national presence having no formal education to do so. She has been my role model since before I can remember and built my foundation with life lessons that have permeated every personal and professional experience Ive had. She taught me strength, work ethic, perseverance and positivityno matter what the circumstance. I still remember the mantra she recited repeatedly to my brother a nd me Be the task big or small, do it well or not at all. That has been a constant in my mind whether I was taking out the trash, learning to intubate or building a company from the ground up. I admire her greatly.FGB What do you do when youre not working?JK I am completely dedicated to time with my family. We have a 5 and 3 year old and I love seeing the world through their eyes and exploring it with them. It is hands down my favorite thing to do when Im not working. I also love running, cooking, and sinking into a great book (next to the ocean whenever possible). I will never complain about lunch or a quick trip to the spa with my girlfriends and I have just discovered tennis. Im mildly obsessed and love stealing every moment I can to get out on the courtFGB If you could have dinner with one famous person - dead or alive - who would it be?JK Marie Curie. Despite the fact that she lived in a time which was anything but supportive of professional women, she was a quiet storm. Biogra phers describe her as dignified and unassuming, yet her spirit was obviously tenacious. She was a wife, professional partner to her husband, mother and scientist all in one and had an adventurous spirit that drove her to accomplish the seemingly impossible. She was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and the only person to win the prestigious prize in two different fields. She and her husband built the foundation for X-ray technology and through this endeavor she transformed medical diagnoses for the injured during WWI.Lightning RoundFGB What is your karaoke song?JK I have to admit, I dont sing often, but its always fun to belt out Fleetwood Mac Dreams with a few great friendsFGB What is your favorite movie?JK Pride and Prejudice.FGB What book would you bring with you on a desert island?War and Peace. I admit, it probably seems clich after the countless infusions into popular culture Tolstoys masterpiece has achieved. I have a varied taste in reading experiences (my iBooks library ranges from The Kitchen House to Shantaram to Killing Lincoln). Ive not yet read War and Peace cover to cover but it has been on my list for some time. I would imagine my presence on that island would finally afford me some time to dig inFGB What is your shopping vice? What would you buy if you won the lottery?JK Dresses..of all kinds and for all occasions from beach cover up to gala. If I won, I would donate the vast majority and split it between improving access to education and to medical research. However, I do have to admit that I would portion off enough for a home on the water. I would have no complaints about waking up to the ocean every morningFGB What is the 1 career tip youd like to share with other women who want to have successful careers like you?JK Always set lofty goals for yourself and be 200% in, but remember to be flexible. Keep yourself open to new opportunities. Handle constructive criticism in a way that allows you to grow both personally and professionally th is will strengthen you. Also remember to seek out great mentors whenever possible. They are the best source of guidance, wisdom and inspiration and can help to expertly steer you as well as advance and transform your career.FGB Why do you love where you work?There are so many reasons I love Summus. It is a passion and a labor of love to everyone there and thats palpable the moment you walk in. We have a mission to transform the healthcare experience for patients and doctors alike. I am learning every single day and Im doing so from my colleagues in the office, from our members and from the best and brightest doctors in the world. Our physician network spans every field of medicine and includes more than 4,000 exceptional doctors from the most prestigious academic medical institutions in the country. I have occasion to discuss a variety of diagnoses and medical questions with them and enable them to share their insights based upon years of dedicated study and research with our memb ers. Our members are motivated, inquisitive and are forever challenging my understanding of life, disease and its cures and remedies. Im building something I believe in alongside intelligent and motivated people who feel more like a family than coworkers.Fairygodbossis all about women helping other women. So each week, we celebrate a woman who makes a difference in other womens careers. Is there a woman who has made a difference in your career?Celebrate and thank her by nominating her here.