Customer Service

Ninety-eight percent of today's food market customers say they choose where they're going to shop based on produce. What they're looking for in their produce department is freshness, variety, quality, and customer service. And an essential component of that customer service is knowledgeable, courteous, and professional clerks and managers.

Today, most produce departments carry more than 200 different items. The majority of produce customers are unfamiliar with many of them. They have questions about what the items are, how to use them, how to prepare them, and how to store them once they get them home.

Consumers often feel uncomfortable buying some of the produce in our departments, UNLESS they are made to feel welcome and comfortable by friendly, knowledgeable produce staff. Making them feel welcome and comfortable is critical to produce sales and profits because most customers DO NOT ask questions or seek help unless they feel that sense of friendliness and comfort. If they don't, they'll just pass up buying products that they don't know enough about.

Effective customer service can be expressed as a four-step process. Here are the four steps:

STEP 1: KNOW YOUR PRODUCT. The first step is to study and learn as much as you can about your products.

STEP 2: REACH OUT. The second step is to reach out and greet each customer who appears to need help, and then to respond politely, enthusiastically, and knowledgeably to his questions and needs. Remember to always complete the interaction by telling the customer to come back and let you know how he liked the product.

STEP 3: BE ALERT. The third step is to be alert to your customers' needs. Since most customers won't ask directly, you've got to be able to sense when they need help. One way to do this is to be aware of customers' facial expressions and body language.

STEP 4: GET HELP--FAST. The fourth step is- if you don't have an answer- know how to quickly get help from the experienced people in your market who do have the knowledge.

Many customers say that they can sense friendly, customer-oriented produce staff almost from the time they walk into the market. But it isn't always just the way the employees notice them. The cleanliness and readiness for business of the department, and the care and beauty that the merchandising of the department conveys, all contribute to that sense of welcome and comfort that is communicated to the customer. And all are an integral part to customer service.

The professional produce clerk not only welcomes requests for information, but uses customer complaints as an excellent opportunity to help win over customers. Handling complaints well requires application of the basic techniques of good customer service. In most cases, the anger or frustration of a dissatisfied customer will be diffused by being treated in a way that shows you care about the customer and their problem.

When a customer approaches you, greet them with a friendly smile. Listen attentively and sympathetically while the customer describes their problem, and don't interrupt until they have let out all frustration. Ask questions (if necessary) so that you can find out exactly what happened.

When you understand the problem, apologize sincerely and then provide a solution or alternative, using your product knowledge. Avoid any sense that you are being critical of mis-handled or mis-stored product.

An excellent way to provide this kind of information is just to begin by saying: "Next time…," and then proceed to give the correct or missing information. Your manager will explain your policy on replacing product. Call your manager immediately if you cannot handle the situation.

Don't forget that it's harder to satisfy a customer who has a complaint, or who has had a bad experience. But when you do, you have created a loyal customer, one who will continue to shop your department not only because of the quality of your merchandise, but because you care about your customers as individuals.

John Berry, Agricultural Marketing Educator
Penn State Cooperative Extension
4184 Dorney Park Road, Allentown, PA 18104
phone: 610-391-9840,   jwb15@psu.edu

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