The rise of online shopping has meant that your customers are less likely than ever to regularly visit physical retail stores. But make no mistake; while a growing number of customers indeed appreciate the convenience and choices offered by e-commerce, most still enjoy the uniquely close emotional and sensory connections offered by brick-and-mortar shops. Whether you’re running a brick-and-mortar store as your main sales channel or as part of an omnichannel experience, here are some important dos and don’ts that will help you maximize your shop’s customer service potential:
Customer Service Dos:
1) Do Accept Digital Payments
The past several years have seen the Philippine market move away from traditional cash in favor of payment cards and digital wallets like Maya and GCash. To address this shift in preferences, your store’s payment terminal has to be able to process these and other emerging payments.
Thanks to its business-friendly rack rates and ability to process all digital payments, the Maya Terminal has become the preferred payment terminal machine for brick-and-mortar stores throughout the Philippines. It also replaces old swipe card payment terminals, giving your store the ability to accept modern tap-to-pay and dipped credit and debit cards. If your store also has an e-commerce component, you can also use Maya Checkout as a virtual payment terminal or online payment gateway to accept any digital payment online.
2) Do Assist Customers That Need Help
Exceptional customer service goes beyond just selling a product or service. It involves being there for your customers when they need assistance, even if they may not necessarily purchase a product right away. Whenever there are new products, services, or other developments at your store, take time to update your staff so that they’re ready to address queries and resolve issues promptly.
3) Do Train Your Staff
Your frontline staff members serve as the face of your store, and their performance reflects directly on your business. As such, make sure to provide comprehensive, ongoing training to ensure they have a deep and up-to-date understanding of your store’s products or services. In particular, ensure that they’re equipped with the skills to handle customer interactions effectively so that they can help create an environment where customers feel valued.
4) Do Offer Quick Responses
You and your staff must be prepared to quickly address questions and not leave customers hanging when they’re at your store. With proactive training and delineating clear areas of responsibility, you and your staff should be able to speed up the time it takes to address customer concerns.
Customer Service Don'ts:
1) Don't Avoid Accountability
Mistakes happen in any business, but how you handle them speaks volumes. Avoiding accountability damages trust. Do your best to openly acknowledge mistakes, provide sincere apologies, and take swift action to rectify any mistakes you or your staff may have made that impact your customers’ experience.
2) Don't Show Favoritism
It must be acknowledged that regular customers are usually more valuable, especially for brick-and-mortar businesses. However, open favoritism in favor of regulars can create a sense of exclusion among other customers, reducing the odds of earning their loyalty. To get around this issue, create a formalized loyalty program that even new customers can join.
3) Don't Lose Your Composure
Customer interactions can sometimes be challenging, but maintaining composure is crucial. Avoid reacting emotionally to difficult situations, as this can harm your reputation. Instead, focus on finding workable solutions and maintaining professionalism. Keeping a level head will not only help diffuse tension but it should also showcase your commitment to providing exceptional service.
4) Don't Forget to Thank Your Customers Warmly
Whether they’re done verbally, with handwritten notes, or with gift cards, expressions of gratitude can be a great way to inject a human element into your customer interactions. Showing appreciation in these ways can enhance the sense of connection that only traditional storefronts offer.
Accept All Payments and Delight Your Customers with a Maya Payment Terminal
Maya Payment Terminals give your physical store the ability to match your customers’ rapidly shifting payment preferences. Whether your customers prefer Maya, GCash, credit cards, or other cash alternatives, choosing Maya ensures you’ll always be able to offer a seamless payment experience. Sign up for Maya Business today to order a Maya Terminal for your store.
Signing up immediately qualifies you for the Maya 1-2-3 Grow bundle. Maya 1-2-3 Grow gives your business a 1% MDR (merchant discount rate) discount on all QR Ph transactions for 3 months after signing up. With this offer, your business will save PHP 14,600 for every PHP 1 million in QR Ph sales.
The Maya 1-2-3 Grow bundle also entitles you to a Maya Business Deposit account for your settlements. It comes with an exceptional 2.5% per annum interest rate, which is 20-25x faster than other business savings products on the market. With Maya Business Deposit, your fund will earn PHP 25,000 each year for every PHP 1 million deposit. And with zero maintaining balance and free transfers via InstaPay and PESONet, Maya Business Deposit ensures you’ll also get even more out of your everyday business banking activities.
The bundle also puts you in line for a Maya Flexi Loan offer of up to PHP 2 million in just 3 months—just what you need to update your customer service processes at your brick-and-mortar store. For an improved loan offer, just regularly use Maya as your primary processor for all wallet and card payments.
Sign up for Maya Business today to enjoy Maya 1-2-3 Grow and to order a Maya payment terminal.
