LESSON 14: CUSTOMER SERVICE

A customer is the lifeblood of the Deli and every department in a grocery store. Greet. Share. Thank!

Greet customers with direct eye contact, a smile, and a personalized greeting.

Appreciatively welcome back frequent customers, “So glad you’re back!”
New customers deserve a, “Welcome to our deli. We make many of our foods fresh daily. What looks good to you today?”
Warm, friendly greetings and personalized services keep customers coming back.
Providing great service is about three simple words: Greet, Share, and Thank.

Greet

A good greeting engages the customer in a conversation.

One of the best ways to begin a conversation is with an open-ended question. Open-ended questions can’t be answered with a simple yes or no.

Try a few open-ended questions for yourself:

“What looks good to you today?”
“What can I help you find?”
“Which meat, salads, or entrees have you tried?”

Share

After a friendly greeting, you and your customer should share a bit of information with each other. First, take note of nonverbal cues. Is your customer:

In a hurry?
Irritated or upset?
Shopping with a small child?
Holding the store ad or coupons?

Right off the bat, these visual cues can tell you if the customer needs fast service or items that save time or money. Ask clarifying questions that they can answer quickly:

“What’s the occasion?”
“What have you tried before?”
“How many people do you need to serve?”

Then, move on to more probing questions:

“What do you like?” or “What do you not like?”
“Do you have any dietary restrictions?”
“What are you making?”

Finally, make two suggestions and share some information about each. Let the customer make the final decision.

Suggest new items, recipes, or signature items from your store.
Now is a great time to offer samples.
Check with your manager on your department’s sampling policy.

Thank

Finally, warmly thank the customer and don’t forget to smile!

TAKE LESSON 14 QUIZ