Footwear Insight

28 • Footwear Insight ~ November/December 2021 At your service: Alan's Shoes, Tucson, AZ. Greeting customers with a smile: Lombardo Comfort Shoes, Ocala, FL. footwearinsight.com 1. BE A GOOD LISTENER "We train our employees to never ask, 'Can I help you?' but instead engage the customer in a conversation that will lead to gaining more knowledge about what the customer really needs. We find that our customers oen know what their issue or need is, but they don't have much of an idea of how to resolve it because they don't know our inventory or product the way we do." — Adam Griggs, So Shoe "I like our team to ask the right questions that will get the customers to really communicate what they need. Also, it's really important to set the right tone as the customers enter the store. We have to manage a lot of foot traffic, so we use a floor coordinator who drives the sales floor and connects the customer with the right salesperson. ey use an iPad and the app Waitlist to create a queue for customers to be helped when busy." — Troy Dempsey, e Heel Shoe Fitters "We talk to our staff about leading with curiosity, asking thoughtful questions and listening closely to the customer's responses to help get the product/fit right. We define our customer service by paying close attention to the details. It's trying to do all of the little things right that help create a great overall experience. e concept of customer service is ever-changing, its a fluid concept that you should always be striving to improve upon." — Dillon Dardano, Dardano's "We greet our customers with a smile and ask, 'What can we help you find? And what are your footcare needs?' We always listen to the customer and hear what their needs are first. We found that our Pedorthic education has helped during the pandemic. We educate people on proper footwear and support devices to aid in their ability to walk more, work longer, and improve their overall health and wellbeing." — Giuseppe Lombardo, Lombardo Comfort Shoes 2. BUILD RELATIONSHIPS "Our goal is to make a friend with every customer that comes into the store. We push relationships, not sales. Naturally through getting to know someone you better understand what they need and look forward to them coming back and asking about their trip, grandkids, surgery, et cetera." — Julie Pierce, Valley Sole "For us, it is about developing relationships and helping our customers and patients find what they need. Our staff all know the importance of what customer service means to our business and we regularly discuss ways to improve. If anything, the last two years have shown us that when hardships come, good customer service is more important than ever." — Brett Boger, Boger's Shoes "Customers come into our stores because they not only want to find great products but they want to be helped by friendly and competent staff. Our staff acknowledges that people want to do business with people that they enjoy spending time with. Instead of pushing sales we GOLD MEDAL SERVICE AWARDS FOR OUTSTANDING CUSTOMER SERVICE 2021 HOW THEY DO IT Gold Medal Winning Retailers Share Tips on How to Deliver Outstanding Customer Service in Today's Ever-Evolving Marketplace. By Cara Griffin & Bob McGee

• Cover