Artists Frame Service

It’s been a while since I’ve last blogged. Time flies.

For those of you who have been in retail shopping mode lately, you might – like me – be yearning for the days when more sales people knew more about their product than you did. With the Internet so much a part of everyday life, I find myself telling store salespeople (whether it’s a car or a watch) things about their product they didn’t know. Back in the “olden days”, people working in stores could be counted on to give advice, direction and council.

What’s changed? Some very subtle things in the marketplace have contributed to this lowering of customer service expertise.

First of all, many companies only hire part-time employees as a way to not pay health insurance. As a result, the employees are not at work to learn things and the turnover is much higher.

Another reason is that many stores have gotten so hooked on the constant sales that price is the main tool they use to get customers in the door. As a result, they can’t afford or recognize that giving service is worth something to people – even if it means paying 2% more.

And lastly, businesses used to be run by merchants – people who had it in their blood to deliver great products and service. Now the people at the top of these organizations are just generic business people. They are not retailers. They do not have an appreciation for the nuances of retail and their name is not on the door. There is little passion for the product, only for their pay package. There are certainly exceptions to this, but they are becoming far and few between.

It’s getting to the point that just having product in stock, delivering it on time and having quality control makes you stand out from the crowd. Add to that someone behind the counter who knows and cares about the product, and you are in retail heaven. It’s actually becoming a niche.