Customer Service
Retail service skills needed to drive customer experience
The top retail employee skills are communication, teamwork and critical thinking. But that's just the tip of the list when it comes to working in a retail environment.
July 31, 2024 by Judy Mottl — Editor, RetailCustomerExperience.com & DigitalSignageToday.com
When looking at career opportunities in retail the employment scenario is robust — over half a million jobs are available each year, according to federal labor statistics.
The retail service skills required to work for a retailer or brand are just as robust. The list includes everything from customer service skills to leadership to time management to empathy as today's retail worker is not just a cashier or a floor worker straightening up inventory and displays.
Just consider this statistic: 84% of shoppers claim they would return to stores with a pleasant atmosphere.
Clearly, the more engaged store associates are with customers, whether in-store, online or across social media channels, the better the customer experience they'll provide to a brand's customers.
"While a frictionless, phygital experience across all retail touch points is the modern-day equivalent of the shop windows of the past for brands, a fundamental (and often overlooked) element of delivering top customer experience lies squarely with store associates, ergo, the happier and more engaged your store associates are, the better the customer experience they'll provide and the happier the customer will ultimately be," wrote Robby Dewling, director, product management, Manhattan Associates, in a blog post on RetailCustomerExperience.com
Top three retail service skills needed
Direct interaction with customers is one of the most critical elements of retail customer experience, according to Barry Rosen, CEO at Interaction Associates.
"Retail is a unique sector, balancing in-person customer service with other responsibilities like merchandise arrangement and store cleanliness," he wrote in a blog post on RetailCustomerExperience.com
In fact, consumers want and expect a personalized experience, whether on an app, on a website or in a store. The trend, according to Shopify, is a win for retailers. Personalization programs yield up to 15% higher conversion rates and 20% higher customer satisfaction rates.
Today's consumers know it's possible to order and receive almost any goods within 15 minutes in many areas and within an hour or two in most metro locations, and they are taking good advantage of the opportunity, according to a DoorDash report.
"On-demand digital commerce is growing exponentially, and consumer shopping habits and expectations have shifted as a result of having nearly any product available for delivery within minutes," Toby Espinosa, VP of ads at DoorDash, said in a press release regarding recent data research. "But it's not just how consumers shop that's evolving. How they discover, interact and engage with brands has changed dramatically over the last few years, so brands and advertisers need to shift their approach, too."
So it's not surprising that the top three retail service skills are communication, teamwork and critical thinking, according to HireVue's 2024 Early Careers Hiring Report.
But there are also several other retail services skills brands and retailers are looking for, according to Sibyl McCarley, senior vice president of people success at HireVue.
"Problem-solving skills, the ability to work in a team, written communication skills, and a strong work ethic are the top attributes employers seek," she said in an email interview with RetailCustomerExperience.
The skill list is long
While communication, teamwork and critical thinking are crucial — communication is the one skill that typically stands out as most essential. Communication with customers plays a strong role when it comes to a customer's in-store or online experience and so it often stands out as the most essential.
"This is because effective communication is fundamental to interacting with customers, understanding their needs, and providing excellent service," said McCarley. "Without strong communication skills, teamwork and critical thinking may not be as effective in a retail setting."
Along with communication the retail services skills which brands and retailers are looking for include:
- The ability to multitask.
- Product management.
- Multitasking.
- Responsibility.
- Leadership.
- Working under pressure.
- Problem solving.
- A mix of soft and hard retail service skills.
Need for soft, hard skills strong
Retailers and brands are seeking employees owning all the soft skills, as well as hard skills (think inventory management, budgeting, accounting) due to the ever-changing consumer shopping in the store, online or via a social media channel.
Today's consumer isn't very patient, for example, as just over half, 54%, would choose dealing with slow-moving traffic than having a poor customer experience.
More than half, 62%, would rather have a personalized customer experience over one that would take less time and 60% of consumers indicated that they would "suffer through'' a bad customer experience rather than pay one or more paychecks to guarantee a good customer experience while 55% said that "nothing excuses a bad customer experience."
The retail and brand employee plays an exceptionally strong role in driving brand loyalty and retail growth. As the front-line ambassador their retail services skills are critical given that half of shoppers are quick to break up with a retailer when dealing with incorrect online information, such as wrong store hours, inaccurate contact details and other inaccuracies.
About Judy Mottl
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