A few years ago, my wife and I took a short vacation in Michigan on Mackinac Island. We visited a gift shop that had a nice array of clothing. I found a nice-looking sports shirt in just the right color I was looking for, but it was not in my size.
I asked one of the owners if he had another in stock. He replied, “Not here, but if you give me a few minutes, I will run over to our other store on the other side of town and look.” A little while later, he returned with the perfect shirt, which I still have in my closet today.
Have you ever stopped to think about your shop’s customer service rules?
Some of the areas you might have rules include the hours you are open, the types of extra services you provide, the type of merchandise you sell, staff training and how you handle special requests.
Every gift shop owner has a built-in set of rules they use to run their business. Some rules are practical and helpful, while others are not.
Every gift shop owner has a built-in set of rules they use to run their business.
You be the judge of some of the following customer service-related rules as they apply to your business. Review the following statements and decide if you agree or disagree with each one:
- No refunds or exchanges to customers.
- Exchanges only, no refunds.
- Always explain the refund policy.
- If a customer breaks an item, they must pay for it.
- Personalized service is a must with our customers.
- Acknowledge all customers entering and leaving our gift shop.
- We welcome all customer and employee suggestions.
- Never argue with a customer.
- Store hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., no exceptions.
Hold a meeting with your entire team and list all the rules, both written and unwritten, that you observe in your gift shop. Discuss which rules are no longer valid or do harm to your relationship with your customers.
Finally, discuss any rules that you need to make that would support your vision as a small gift shop enterprise.
