Managing director of Falmec UK Sean Drumm says a warm welcome, ongoing communication and putting on a show are key ingredients for successful retail customer service

Have you ever walked into a shop or showroom and not felt welcome?  Or perhaps you were even made to feel like you were disturbing the staff?

That is exactly what I have found as I go about my daily life travelling around the UK visiting kitchen showrooms.

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No big cheery ‘Hello’ or ‘Good morning’ expressed with a smile.  In fact, the most that some receptionists can normally muster is to ask: ‘You ok?’

What sort of a greeting is that? You have already made the prospect feel bad by the lack of acknowledgement, so why make it worse by adding meaningless words?

Create a welcome

In my opinion, there is nothing like being greeted by a big smile and a cheery ‘hello’, followed by a little bit of enthusiasm and interest.

After all, it costs absolutely nothing; more importantly, it always makes a huge difference to the recipient.

I have visited a local restaurant where the owner does not ask ‘Do you have a reservation?’.  Instead, he says ‘Good evening, did we know you were coming?’ with a big smile on his face.

And if, for whatever reason, no reservation has been made in advance, he will go out of his way to make it possible for you to eat there.

In other words, I think it’s imperative to remember that first impressions count in every situation.

It costs nothing to be courteous to anyone who decides to walk through your door.

That’s why I believe in setting the bar high, with customer service, by always trying to treat people as I would like – and expect – to be treated myself.

Customer communication

‘The customer is always right’. We know full well that this is just not true. Let’s face it, we have all experienced the client who is totally unreasonable.

There is only so much you can do for a client like that, by being positive and proactive, but at some point, you already know that there will come a time when you must draw a line.

In my experience, the best plan of action is to deal with it head-on.

By keeping the client informed all the way through, they will feel that you are on their side (whether you are or not!) and that their issue, however trivial in your book, is being addressed.

Whatever the scenario, it’s all down to effective communication. We have all wasted time waiting in for that delivery or tradesperson who just never turned up; put yourself in their shoes and always show empathy.

Make a show

I advise putting on a show for any potential client who makes the deliberate – and usually well-considered – decision to walk through your door to visit your showroom.

They are worth the effort. And I think that a relatively easy and effective way to do this is by visually demonstrating working appliances.

With cooker hoods, for example, I suggest having your initial chat with the client around an island fitted with an overhead extractor.

Sound levels are so low on renowned brands as to not be intrusive, allowing you to point out the many benefits with ease.

In this way, the client becomes aware of useful, additional facts that might just carry them ‘over the line’ when the time comes. And they will remember your enthusiasm and sparkling customer service.