The January Return Blues: Turning Returns into Opportunities

The word ‘return’ can make even the most seasoned sales associate quiver with fear. Yet the returning customer presents a golden opportunity for luxury associates to foster the customer relationship. Your mindset can play an important role in cultivating customer relationships. If you view “returns” as a hassle or something that causes you stress, then customers will sense your aggravation. But if you treat the return as an occasion to build and strengthen the connection you have to your customers, you will have laid the path for them to return again and again. Below are some tips to help you avoid the “January Return Blues.”

• There’s a customer in front of you!
  Here’s your chance to distinguish yourself through your grace and elegance, and ensure the customer remembers you above all the other sales associates they’ve seen today. Being warm and welcoming when handing returns shows how much you value your customers. That in turn, will keep them coming back.
• You now know what the customer doesn’t like!
  What a great opportunity you have to explore what your customer didn’t like about the gift and what they might fancy even more. Offer some suggestions on items that might they might find more appealing.
• Suggest ways to make sure it doesn’t happen again!
  Offer options for sharing their “wish list” with a friend or loved one to ensure they receive the perfect gift next time.

Remember, it takes about nine times as much as to make a new customer, as it does to retain an old customer.  So to help you develop on positive perspective of the word ‘RETURN’, consider this acronym:

Readiness – Expertise – Trustworthiness – Understanding – Responsibility – Nurturing

Readiness – Be ready for your customers by preparing open-ended questions in advance to help you establish an emotional connection. Be prepared to take note of important dates, celebrations, preferences, and personal details. Ensure you are practiced on how to present your contact information to the customer gracefully.

Expertise – Be an expert on your product and services. Share what new items or features may be debuting that might be of interest your customer. Offer to be available to answer any questions or concerns they may have in the future.

Trustworthiness – How many times has a sales associate asked to you provide a phone number or email address without first establishing a level of trust? If you take the time to create an emotional connection, customers will be more likely to share their personal information. In addition, if you explain why you’re asking for contact information – for example, to keep them informed of new products, upcoming events, sales, etc. – you will provide an incentive for customers to share their data.

Understanding –  It’s not the number of questions you ask, but rather the kind of questions you ask that will help you build trust in your customer relationships. Asking open-ended and strategic questions will not only increase your warmth factor, you’ll also learn what your customers like and what features are most important to them. This earlier post will help you learn what questions to ask: “Good Salespeople Have Great Answers, but Great Salespeople Have Great Questions.”

Responsibility – As a luxury associate, you are responsible for cultivating the client relationship. Consider all the reasons you may have to reconnect with a customer once you’ve made the sale: a handwritten thank you note, a follow-up call to make sure everything is working, a check-in to ensure the gift was delivered, a service reminder, or an invitation to an event.  Additionally, clienteling software can help remind you of upcoming service appointments, special dates, and what’s on customers’ wish lists.

Nurturing – Any relationship requires nurturing and attention in order to grow. Luxury associates need to demonstrate genuine care and concern for their customers. Care needs to inform everything a luxury associate does: caring about the customer, caring about the customer’s needs, caring about the luxury experience, and caring about the presentation. Recently a Gartner Group study found 80 percent of your sales will come from just 20 percent of your existing customers. This is why it’s so important to continually nurture the customer relationship.

If you keep in mind that every return presents an opportunity for you to connect with a customer, you can turn January into your favorite time of year.