The holidays are crazy by nature; there are gifts to buy, meals to cook, relatives to pick up and parties to attend. There are simply too many things to do in a short period of time.

A salesperson cannot give a customer more time but they can do things that might save some time. Customer service has a lot of different meanings but one of the basics is making things better for your customer.

If a salesperson can take even one thing off of a customer’s to do list during the holiday season, then chances are pretty good that you have established a repeat customer. So what are some of those things? I think you will be surprised at how simple most of them are:

Gift wrapping: A lot of stores offer this service, but too many salespeople forget to mention it during the presentation. If a customer can get one gift wrapped while they do some more shopping, then that may save them some time later in the day. If your company offers gift wrapping as a service, then make sure you are offering it to your customers. You will probably be surprised at how many people take you up on the offer.

Add on: We discussed this in a previous article, but adding on can save your customers a ton of time. Maybe they were coming into see you to buy one thing on their list but if you can take three things off of their list, then you have saved them time and provided a great service. Don’t be afraid to ask a customer, “Who else is on your list that I can help you with?”

Delivery: Not all salespeople work for a company that offers home delivery, but if yours does, then offer it to your customers when appropriate. If a customer can go to their next stop without to taking what they just bought from you home, then you have saved them some time. Even if there’s a cost, customers may be willing to do it in an effort to get everything done. Not every customer will say yes but offer it whenever possible.

These are only three examples of how a salesperson can save their customers some valuable time during the holidays. It’s a customer service and your customers will remember it long after the decorations are put away.

FINAO - Brad Huisken