12 Good Retail Customer Service Examples and Tips (2023) - Shopify (2024)

Learning from positive customer service examples can help you provide a better customer service experience at your store—something that’s vital for retail businesses to succeed. In fact, according to Shopify research,58% of consumerssay excellent past customer service influenced their decision to buy.

As you already know, there are many factors that contribute to thein-store experience, includingmerchandising,training retail staff, and the overall atmosphere. But shoppers’ perception of your business is highly influenced by how good your customer service is.

That’s why it’s important to always strive to provide the highest level of service and wow your customers each time they interact with your business. The best part is, you have full control over the quality of service you provide.

But how exactly can you improve the customer service experience?

Ahead, get inspiration from 12 real-life customer service examples and the difference between good and bad customer service, to help you on your way.

12 retail customer service examples

1. Add a personal touch
2. Be transparent and educate customers
3. Respond quickly to all customer feedback
4. Use creative and unexpected return policies
5. Find a workaround when items are out of stock
6. Build a connection with local shoppers
7. Remember and reward repeat customers
8. Proactively address online store shipping issues
9. Offer “try before you buy” for online shoppers
10. Perfect your in-store greeting
11. Send a handwritten thank-you note
12. Streamline customer service across all channels

1. Add a personal touch

Your advantage as a local retail business is that you can offer a level of personalized service that ecommerce giants like Amazon can’t. Customer service is an opportunity to add a human touch to your business.

Putting personalization into action

Give more attention to customers in need by helping them find the right product.

For example, if the customer is looking for a pair of black skinny jeans, walk with your customer to the table where they are displayed instead of just saying, “They’re over there on that table.” Then you can hold up the various options and talk through the different product features to help them compare the jeans and make a decision.

2. Be transparent and educate customers

Providing education about the products you sell can also help you cross-sell orupsell products.

At first, it might feel pushy or bad for customer service, but if you’re transparent and spend time educating shoppers before they buy, they’re likely to leave happy. Starting a conversation can also help you adapt your recommendations to their needs.

You can use the “FAB” formula. FAB is an acronym for features, advantages, and benefits, and can help you and your sales staff easily recall the details of each product you sell.

• Featuresare the characteristics or components of a product.
• Advantagesrefer to what the features can do.
• Benefitsare what the customer can get from the product and its features—it’s the most important part.

To achieve the best results, make sure you pitch benefits that are unique to each shopper.

For example, if you’re selling a raincoat, the features could include the material and how water repellent yet breathable it is. The advantages could be durability and easy care instructions compared to other raincoats. And lastly, the benefit could be staying dry on the rainiest of days.

Putting transparency and education into action

First, make sure you’re knowledgeable about the products you sell. If you’re not designing and manufacturing them, ask the brands you stock forproduct knowledgeguides explaining the features, advantages, and benefits of the merchandise. Getting familiar with your products and bestsellers will ensure that you always have items to recommend.

Then, when a new shopper comes into your store, you can pay close attention to their body language. If it looks like they want to engage with you, it’s a great time to ask what they’re looking for and then educate them about the products that match their needs.

Be transparent about how and where the products are made, as well as the benefits of each item. Showing the merchandise that can be used together is a great way to cross-sell or upsell.

By educating customers, you’ll avoid coming off as pushy, and instead be helpful.

By informing customers about exactly who made their product, how it’s made, and how long it’s going to take to reach them helps them connect better to the production process. In the handmade world, things work slower, and while people don’t mind waiting for their products, it’s important to educate them as to why it takes that long.

3. Respond quickly to all customer feedback

Responding to positiveandnegative feedback in a timely manner shows that you’re listening to customers and value their opinion, regardless of whether it’s good or bad.

Respond to all customer feedback, and even faster to the negative comments. People value it if you reach out to them quickly when they have trouble, have a question, or need a solution. If you can prioritize your customer queries into levels of importance and reach the most urgent ones within two hours—those experiences which are likely to have an impact on your brand—you have a winning formula.

Putting quick response time into action

Let’s say you sell activewear and you recently added a new brand to your retail floor. Customers buy it up with excitement so they can be the first in your area to rock the new gear. But when they go to their next yoga class, the inseams of the leggings unravel, and in a few more wears they’ll be showing off a lot more than they’d like during their next downward dog.

You start to get calls, emails, and online reviews about this issue. The best thing you can do is respond immediately. Even though you’ll lose money accepting all the returns, it’s the right thing to do. And you can respond to public online reviews by saying something like, “Thank you for the feedback. We value your support, and we are addressing this issue with the vendor right now. Check your email for return and refund instructions.”

This shows that you’re responsive and willing to correct issues quickly.

In a case like this, you can also go back to the supplier and tell them about the issue. Hopefully, they’ll let you return the stock and refund your money.

4. Use creative and unexpected return policies

If a customer makes an order online and then decides they don’t like it or it doesn’t fit, recommend that they give it to a friend or family member and offer to send them a new product for the same value. This way, you’ll make them happy, and you’ll get your products in the hands of another potential customer. Or the customer may decide to use the item anyway.

Also, this tactic is unique and likely will result in the customer telling other people about the experience.

A great example of a brand using this type of return policy isThinxperiod panties. This is not the brand’s standard return policy, but it’s worth mentioning.

Thinx benefits because itdoesn’t have to pay for return shipping, plus it’s building brand awareness and customer loyalty.

Putting creative return policies into action

You may decide to only use this strategy for your most loyal customers, or first-time customers to promote loyalty. Or you can pick a random shopper each month to test this strategy to avoid spending too much money.

Whatever you decide, you can put it into action by creating an email template that gets sent to certain customers who contact you for a return. Or if a customer is making areturn in-store, you can explain it then.

Your email could read something like this:

5. Find a workaround when items are out of stock

If a customer is shopping in-store or online and runs into anout-of-stockproduct they really want, here are a few recommendations to work around this issue:

1. Recommend an alternative but similar item.
2. If you have more than one retail location, see if you can find the stock at one of your other stores.
3. If the product is from a brand you carry, contact them to see if they have extra stock for immediate delivery so you can fulfill your customer’s order.
4. If you manufacture and also wholesale your products, see if one of your retailers has stock available of the particular item.

Another out-of-stock issue that can happen online is when a customer places an order, but you don’t actually have the stock available to ship. This happens when online inventory isn’t updated or synchronized with your total available stock.

💡 PRO TIP:What do you do if a customer wants to buy a product you don’t have in stock? Use Shopify POS’buy in-store, ship-to-customerfeature to complete transactions in store, ship orders to shoppers from your warehouse, and give your store credit for making the sale.

6. Build a connection with local shoppers

You’re more likely to remember a cashier that strikes up a conversation with you versus store staff that don’t say a word. Finding something that you have in common with shoppers is a great way to build a connection and offer a memorable experience. Even if it’s something small.

Putting relationship building into action

Be observant when you’re chatting with or ringing up customer orders at thecheckout counter. Look for commonalities so you can find a way to connect with people. Then start a conversation based on those commonalities.

For example, if you notice at the checkout counter that the customer is carrying a tennis racket and you also play tennis, ask them where they play and also talk about your favorite local courts. In this type of scenario, the customer is ready to pay, but you can still make an effort to chat with them. It shouldn’t only happen when you’re trying to make a sale.

Connecting with shoppers during all stages of their buying journey is a great way to build relationships.

7. Remember and reward repeat customers

Add an element of surprise and delight by remembering and rewarding repeat shoppers. Keeping the80/20 rulein mind can help you grow your business—80% of business generally comes from 20% of customers. That’s why encouraging customer loyalty is key.

You can do this by letting frequent customers know you’re grateful for their support.

Putting rewards into action

Use aPOS softwarethat lets you keep track of repeat customers, build customer profiles, and synchronize data so you can offer personalized shopping experiences. You’ll have quick access to notes, past orders, and the total amount a customer has spent with your business.

Then put your customer data to good use by adding loyalty apps to yourpoint-of-sale system. You’ll be able to reward customers for shopping with you, both in-store and online. And you can take it a step further by personally thanking them at the checkout counter or sending a personal note with their next online order (more about handwritten notes below).

8. Proactively address online store shipping issues

Naturally, ecommerce businesses face occasional problems with shipping and delivery. Whether it’s a missed delivery, delay, lost package, or damaged goods, there’s a handful of issues that could occur.

In most cases, these incidents are not your fault, but you’re still responsible for providing a good customer experience. That’s why it’s crucial to carefully track customer orders and guarantee that the package arrives on time and intact. If something goes wrong, be proactive by getting in touch with the customer immediately to fix the situation. Don’t wait for them to contact you.

Putting shipping best practices into action

If you also have anonline store, create a system that helps you closely track the status of online orders and shipments. If you see any red flags, get ahead of the situation by taking initiative to contact your customer instead of waiting for them to reach out to you because they never received their order.

9. Offer “try before you buy” for online shoppers

If you’re able to manage the logistics, letting customers try on items at home before they buy is a great way to build relationships with them. Also, once you take the extra step to provide an outstanding shopping experience, they’ll be more likely to purchase at least one product from the merchandise you sent them to try on.

You may already know companies likeStitch FixandBirchboxthat are pioneers in creatingtry-before-you-buy programs, but you can also test this strategy on a smaller scale.

Putting “try before you buy” into action

Remember the example I mentioned earlier about out-of-stock workarounds? During that same situation, my customer also wasn’t sure which size would be right for her, so I offered to ship two sizes to her to try on at home. I also included a return shipping label, so she could easily return the size that didn’t fit.

This made the buying process easier for her and also meant that I didn’t need to ship the merchandise back and forth twice. I started the conversation by sending her a direct message on Instagram after she commented on a recent post. Then we continued the conversation via email. In the end, it cost me more to acquire her as a customer, but she became a repeat buyer and also spread the word about my brand via her Instagram profile. It was worth it.

10. Perfect your in-store greeting

Excellent customer service starts the minute potential customers walk into your store. Coming up with aunique in-store greetingwill help you make a solid first impression. Steer clear of expected lines like “What can I help you with today?” by testing different greetings to grab attention and get to know shoppers better.

You could say hello, ask for the customer’s name, introduce yourself, and offer to place their bags behind the counter so they’re more comfortable as they peruse. Try to make every customer feel special with a friendly greeting that isn’t immediately associated with making a sale.

Putting in-store greetings into action

To get started with improving your in-store greeting, create a list of five to 10 unique ways to greet customers and test a few each day. Make sure your sales staff are familiar with the greetings and approach customers in a friendly and welcoming manner.

Here are three options to get you started:

Option #1

You:Hi, welcome to [store name]. My name is [your name]. We have a lounge on the left side of the store, so feel free to take a break from shopping and have a glass of water. I’m here if you need anything.

Option #2

You:Hi, welcome. My name is [your name]. And what’s your name?Customer:Hi, my name is Jane.You:Hi, Jane. Nice to meet you. Would you like me to store your bags behind the counter while you look around?

Option #3

You:Hello! How are you doing today?

Customer:Great, thanks.

You:Lovely. Take your time looking around. I’m here if you need anything.

11. Send a handwritten thank-you note

Sending handwritten thank-you notes are not only a kind gesture, they’re also a surefire way to stand out from other retailers (particularly larger ones). It may feel like an antiquated way to greet customers, but it’s a memorable experience. Case in point, I still have this handwritten note I received after making a purchase fromComme Ça Skincareover a year ago.

Thank you notes are most commonly used to thank customers for an order, but there are more reasons why businesses should send handwritten notes, including:

• Improvingresponse rates
• Making customers feel special by saying happy birthday
• Recognizing a milestone like a wedding or graduation
• Building a stronger connection with customers

Putting handwritten notes into action

Use a printing company likeMooorVistaprintto create branded thank you cards, or you can usedirect mailservices to automate sending postcards with a handwritten message. Then, each time you ship an online order, include a brief handwritten note. Chances are, people will keep your note and it’ll boost loyalty and turn customers into brand advocates.

12. Streamline customer service across all channels

Time spent online by the average US adult has decreasedsince the pandemic, from roughly 16 hours a day toless than seven hours. And in Canada and the UK, the average adult spends around six and a half hours and nearly six hours online per day, respectively.

This decline hasn’t changed the fact that consumers have grown to expect more from businesses, including a consistent customer support experience across all platforms. According to our 2023 Commerce Trends report,41% of consumerswant live chat while shopping online.

To successfully build lasting relationships with your customers, it’s crucial to deliver a steady customer service experience via email, phone, live chat, social media, your website, and your store.

Putting omnichannel customer service into action

Here are three immediate ways to streamline your customer service communications.

1. Send direct messages via social media.If a customer leaves a comment on one of your Instagram posts asking for more information about your products, respond directly in the comments section or send them a DM to answer their questions. You can also provide your business email address and let them know they can email you if they prefer.
2. Add live chat or a chatbot to your website.Live chat is a great way to engage with site visitors while they’re browsing. It’s also helpful for customers who want to buy online and pick up in store. You’ll be available to answer questions quickly while they’re shopping online, which can improve customer experience and conversion rates.Visit the Shopify App Storeto discover live chat plug-ins that you can easily add to your online store.
3. Create a customer service email address.Email is a quick and easy way for customers to contact you with questions. It also lets you respond when you have time, although it’s best to respond within 24 hours. You can use a general company email address, likehello@yourcomany.com, or create a dedicated customer service email address, such ascustomerservice@yourcompany.com, and list it on your website and social media channels. This way, customers know they can contact you anytime via email.

PRO TIP:If it usually takes you 24 hours to respond to customer emails, make it known. This way, when a customer tries to contact you via email they have a rough idea of how long they can expect to wait before they hear back from you.

Here’s an example of a simple automated email response that will only take you a few minutes to set up:

Good customer service vs. bad customer service in retail

Now that you have 12 real-life customer service examples to help you develop your customer service strategy, let’s quickly review the key ingredients for good retail customer service (note, these may vary from one retail business to another):

• Providing a quick response when customers ask a question or bring up a problem, showing them that their opinions are valued
• Empathizing with the customer to show them you understand their perspective and appreciate them
• Offering self-service options so customers can find solutions to their problems on their own time (for example, an FAQ page on your website or a tablet where they can look up information in-store)
• Streamlining customer service across all channels, including social media, live chat,email, and phone number on your website to make customer service convenient
• Going above and beyond customer expectations to provide a positive experience and encouragecustomer loyalty
• Serving multiple customers at the same timewhen you get a surge in visitors without sacrificing the quality of each interaction

The consequences of bad customer service might be obvious, but it’s still worth noting:

Failing to meet customer expectations for response time, service quality, and the overall service experience can damage a customer’s opinion of your retail store. And it can lead to lost sales—58% of consumerssay the ability to easily reach customer service on the channel of their choice influenced their decision to purchase.

That’s why it’s important to avoid doing things like making a customer wait too long for help, using negative language, being rude, and offering no empathy.

Apply these customer service examples at your retail store

Consumer behavior is constantly changing. This includes marketing preferences, buying habits, how people interact with businesses, and more.

Your customer service strategy may evolve too, but customers’ demand for good customer service and support is constant. That’s why it’s crucial to always come up with the best ways to deliver an outstanding customer experience and adapt to meet your customers where they are.

To recap, this includes:

• Making sure you and your staff are knowledgeable about the products you sell
• Being available for customer questions and responding promptly (even to negative feedback)
• Doing what you can to go above and beyond and make customers happy and feel special
• Winning at customer service by using an easy-to-understandPOS system