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Junior floor staff in the retail sector make a big effort to exceed customers' expectations

JUNIOR FRONTLINE winners at this year's Hong Kong Retail Management Association Service & Courtesy Award  proved that customer service standards are at a new high.

They all agreed that effective service no longer meant polite professionalism delivered by well-groomed sales employees, but encompassed significantly more than that.

Senior sales adviser at The Body Shop outlet in Sheung Shui, Sam Yau Suet-fun, who won in the beauty products/cosmetics category, said customers were no longer just buying a product but were looking for great customer service, too.

In her more than two years as a sales associate in the luxury department of The Atrium of Nuance-Watson at the airport, Annie Chan Yuk-yim, who won in the department stores category, said she had noticed the same trend.

'The trend is to provide a service that exceeds a customer's expectations,' she said.

It  involves a range of activities, from offering professional advice on products to making a special effort to ensure children  and the elderly are well taken care of in the store.

Lily Suen, who sells clothing at YGM Trading's Ashworth store, believes good customer service  lies in the personalisation of the service.

'We are not only providing a selling service but are also advising customers on the mix-and-match of outfits, fabric information and clothing care. This doesn't mean that sales service is not important, but quality customer service can help boost sales,' Ms Suen said.

She won in the fashion and accessories category.

TSL Jewellery's senior salesman, Sam Ho Siu-wai, who won the specialty stores award, said he offered each customer an all-round service package, from acting as a consultant to providing professional jewellery knowledge and market trends to help customers make decisions more easily.

At Maxim's Cake Shop, Hung Pui-man, supervisor of customer relations, said her relationship with customers was a partnership - one from which she could also learn about behavioural patterns of people and about life in general. A first-time participant this year, Ms Hung won in the food shops category.

'Most memorable was when a customer took out her tissues and started to wipe me dry, telling me not to catch cold because I had got wet from the rain after collecting a cake that had been transferred from another store,' she said.

'I was really touched by what she did because it showed me that if we serve customers with our hearts, they will care about us, too. It's a two-way relationship.'

Customer services assistant at Gourmet, Candy Lo Lai-man, who won in the supermarkets/convenience stores category, agreed with Ms Hung. Her success lies in the ability to empathise and understand the psychology of the people she is serving, whether it be handling complaints or inquiries.

'If you picture yourself in the customer's shoes, really think about the type of service they want and listen intently to their request, you will be able to give them the solution they want,' she said.

The winner of the electronic and electrical appliances/telecommunications category, Fortress senior sales representative Lam Shuk-fa, said his participation in the competition generated much excitement at his store.

'I received more than 100 SMS text messages from my colleagues on the final day of the competition,' he said.

LZ LifeZtore customer service supervisor Woody Lee Chi-fai, who won in furniture and home accessories, said the award was a personal confirmation that he had made the right decision in switching to a frontline role after  10 years as a hotline customer service representative. 'I gave it much thought and it has paid off,' he said.

Bean Chan, from Pedder Group - On Pedder, won the fashion and accessories - high fashion category.

The winner in the fast food/restaurants category, Kerry Chan Ka-wing from Pizza Hut Hong Kong, also won the best team performance award.



Smiling faces in the forefront