It’s clearly a problem when you have customers who are afraid to come into your store. So Jennifer Downey makes sure that when she does get a brave soul who walks through her door at Ambiance Inc., that customer is treated like gold.
The self-labeled “Store for Lovers” offers products that are very personal in nature and can cause anxiety to buy. But Downey, the retailer’s president, is committed to hiring employees who can put customers at ease and remove any ounce of embarrassment that they might feel for coming to her store.
The company’s standards are clearly stated during the hiring process to ensure that the applicant will fit in with the Ambiance culture. Once hired, a trainee goes through a four- to six-week training process covering every aspect of dealing with customers and selling the products that they are looking for.
The training culminates in a 22-page exam that helps ensure the employee has an understanding of what is expected. The standards that the company lives by are a crucial part of the whole training process and must be met completely before an employee is allowed to ring up a sale.
By implementing such a rigorous process, Downey ensures that her customers have a comfortable experience in her store — one that will encourage their return in the future. In addition to the individual training, she also employs a secret-shopper program to make sure that the company’s 13 customer service standards are being followed to the letter.
Stores that have perfect secret-shopper reports are rewarded for their efforts. In the rare instance that a customer does have a bad experience, generous discounts and gift certificates are given to remedy the problem.
It’s all part of Downey’s effort to make her store a place to feel welcome.
How to reach: Ambiance Inc., (440) 234-6996 or www.ambiance.com
