Clothing Boutique Blog

Elements of Effective Customer Service

admin — Mon, 14 May 2012 06:16:09 +0000

1) Be ready to help. You, as a customer service professional, should always be “easy to access”. Keep yourself available to customers without being pushy. Give them some sort of signal that you’re willing to help without making a big speech. Customers go through a process of pros and cons in their heads when they walk into a retail “situation”. You don’t want to interrupt their process and inadvertently add to their “cons” list. A simple nod or greeting is usually sufficient.

2) Be honest. If you work in a retail setting, especially a smaller setting, like a boutique, then customers may, from time to time, ask your opinion. If you work in a specialty store, like a boutique specializing in hiking gear, then people will naturally assume that you’re knowledgeable about the products. If you have an opinion and someone asks for it, feel free to give it. Even if it results in something not selling, you’ve gained the trust of the customer and that can go a long way.

3) Listen to your customers. Hear people out. They don’t complain or come to you with problems simply to hear themselves talk. Interrupting is rude and off-putting. Let someone say their peace before you respond. Think about your answers carefully before giving them. Don’t accuse or ask questions that sound like you’re leading up to refusing to help. A lot of times, customer issues can be resolved simply by listening and offering a solution to the problem.

4) Be genuine. People can sense when you’re being sarcastic or talking down to them. Don’t assume that you know a person’s circumstance based on how they look or dress. Treat everyone as an equal and give them the benefit of the doubt. Be friendly, but not overly friendly.

5) Keep the company brand image in mind. Whatever you do, make sure that you are representing your company in the light that they wish to be represented. Keep an eye on the top sales people and managers. Take note of how they interact with other employees and customers. Keeping yourself in line with how the company wants you to appear can help you to appear how the company wants you to, to the customers.

6) Be helpful. Apologize if someone has a problem, instead of making excuses or placing blame elsewhere. Immediately follow the apology with a solution to the problem. If the customer is not happy with your suggestion, ask them what would make it right for them. If you are unable to comply, let them know that you would still like to help and ask for managerial assistance right away. If people feel that you are genuinely trying to help, they will be more likely to compromise if it is necessary.

About the Author: John Garvey is on the staff of Only Garment Racks, a leading online source of clothing racks including garment racks. Find a high quality clothing rack or garment rack at http://www.onlygarmentracks.com.

Design Display Elements

admin — Mon, 07 May 2012 05:37:56 +0000

A good retail design should cover everything from price to unspoken brand image. Everything, and we mean everything about your retail design will affect your customer loyalty. From the second they lay eyes on your store your display elements are already at work. Are yours doing everything for you that they could?

Take a little time to really assess what each element of your store portrays. Ask yourself “if this display were speaking, what would it be saying?” If you can’t answer that question or if the answer doesn’t fit right in line with your business plan, then you have a problem. The lighting, the color scheme, the spacing, the depth and the definition of the initial glance are all important.

There are a few elements that you should consider when you are approaching this task of evaluating that “first impression” look. In other words, there are parts of a person’s mind that you will need to immediately capture to achieve your goal of drawing them in while building their confidence in your brand.

1) Curb appeal, in the sense that the front of the store should be alluring and inviting. Garment racks, tables and other displays should be angled so that a person has room to walk in and evaluate for themselves before being trapped in the middle of an overwhelming amount of merchandise. You want the front of your store to have a funnel effect.

2) Quality and price questions in the customer’s head should be immediately apparent. The quality of your décor and displays should directly reflect the price range and quality level of merchandise that you offer. You don’t want the customer to be shocked by a high price or wonder about quality because of a low price. Make sure that everything is representative of what is actually there.

3) Personalize the experience for your customer by using models, mannequins, and mannequin forms for clothing. Once someone feels invited, they’re attracted to the clothing style, and the quality and price fit what they’re looking for, the next thing they’ll want to know is “how will these products make me feel?” Within a split second of looking at a storefront, we are already thinking about whether or not we’ll like what this store can do for us. This is why window displays with mannequins have been the most effective way to draw in customers for over 150 years.

Keeping these elements in mind as you move through your store will help you to come up with arrangements and display elements that will satisfy the secret questions going on in your customers’ minds. The more you hone in on satisfying these shoppers’ urges, the more successfully you’ll be able to meet your customers’ needs.

About the Author: John Garvey is on the staff of Only Garment Racks, a leading online source of garment racks including clothing racks. Find a high quality garment rack or clothing rack at http://www.onlygarmentracks.com.

Customer Service Tips for Boutiques

admin — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 06:06:57 +0000

Boutiques have a lot of advantages over large retail stores and chains, although it may be hard to remember that in hard times. Boutique owners generally are very creative people that are smart enough and driven enough to start a business with little money and big vision. In the midst of all of your planning, calculating, decorating, and choosing suppliers, you may not have given much thought to how your customer service style will affect your brand image.

Brand image is everything for a small boutique. Individually owned retail stores, unfortunately, can also translate into a small margin for error. Down times in the economy can make times hard for store owners who don’t have much budget flexibility for lowering prices or paying for extra advertising. This is where you can turn a disadvantage into an advantage.

Not having a lot of business means that you do have a lot of time. If people aren’t coming into the store, then you have time and space to make plans, change your views, and train employees to do things differently. Take this time to contact your customers through whatever means you’ve accumulated throughout the time that you’ve been in business. Do you have social web site connections or e-mail addresses? Do you have a little money to send out mailers or to flyer parking lots? Let your customers know that you are still here and are ready for them to come back.

This may surprise you, but many customers aren’t just drawn in by crafty and convincing advertising. They actually consider the contact a personal invitation to continue or rekindle a relationship with the store that they love. If you have a list of customers that you know haven’t been into the boutique in a while, contact them with a special offer, letting them know that you miss them and want them to come back. This is a very effective sales technique, but also is considered good customer service to many shoppers.

Train your employees how to better handle situations that may have gone wrong in the past. Be careful not to accuse or make public a mistake that an employee made. Try to use yourself as an example and explain how you could have done something differently. Use worst case scenarios to make the exercise fun and memorable. This allows employees to blow off some steam and relax with their peers while improving their customer service skills.

Is Your Promotion Working?

admin — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 05:48:25 +0000

Have you ever felt like you put your heart and soul into a promotion for your boutique only to have it go unnoticed by your customers? You can waste a lot of time and money on elaborate promotions that go nowhere. Or, you can spend just a little money and have a drastically different result. Sometimes it just boils down to getting a different view. As the boutique’s owner, you may have a better understanding of the vision and concepts that made your dream a reality. However, this can also cloud your vision, giving you grand ideas that may be impractical. Learn how to use your customers and your employees to determine how they would like to be advertised to, regardless of your own personal agenda.

Newsletters are a great way to get information out to your customers on a regular basis without constantly contacting them. Most customers agree that once a month is not too much when it comes to being contacted by e-mail. Let your customers sign up for newsletters for a discount while they are in your store. Make sure that the newsletter is attractive, helps to brand your store image, gives interesting information, and highlights promotions that will be going on in your boutique that month.

Keeping up with your customers on social networks is also very valuable, doesn’t cost anything, and doesn’t take up much time. Just make sure that if you set up accounts like this that you check in several times a week to answer questions and check messages. You don’t want to get them hooked only to turn them off by ignoring their comments and questions. Post interesting things about your town, your merchandise, local charities, and the importance of supporting local businesses. Have contests and other interactive events that will get your customers to spread the word about your business for you.

Aside from the internet, there are some tried and true ways to get some visibility for your promotions. Signs are always effective, if they can be seen from far enough away, are eye catching, and briefly communicate exactly what the promotion is. Simply moving garment racks outside of the door will draw in more customers than you imagined. People see a garment rack on the sidewalk or outside of the store and they’re automatically drawn to it in expectation of a good sale. Just make sure that you deliver what the customer expects when you do this.

Boutique Promotion Displays

admin — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 05:10:31 +0000

Boutiques have a certain appeal that attracts customers to them. They emit an ambiance that makes people feel comfortable while they shop. They make people feel like the items they are finding are unique and even exotic. The atmosphere is so important because people don’t shop at boutiques to find the best deals or to have loads of merchandise to choose from. They go there for the experience. They like how the boutique experience makes them feel. As a boutique owner, it is up to you to create the atmosphere that will keep your customers returning, time and time again.

1) The décor in a boutique is a large part of what makes it unique. People love to browse the merchandise and admire the furniture, rugs, and art. Even though these things may not be for sale, they still show the customers what type of style you have and how much you care about creating a boutique that caters to shoppers like them. The more you can feed this desire to be somewhere beautiful and unique, the more your shoppers will enjoy their experiences there.

2) Many boutiques take it a step further and use furniture around the shop to encourage customers to hang out, have coffee and cookies, or simply relax when they are tired of shopping. Not only does it encourage people to shop longer, but it gives you another way to make the customer feel like you care about their comfort. Vintage or upscale furniture pieces are like works of art that customers can appreciate and admire, adding to the mood experience of the boutique.

3) Another form of décor in your boutique is the lighting. Imagine the difference between a shop lit with fluorescent bulbs and one with soft spot lights, natural light, track lighting, and unique chandeliers. You want to encourage your shoppers to use all of their senses while they’re in your store. You want them to have a “whole body” experience and open their minds to new ideas, products and even price categories. Using creative lighting will help to put them into the mood to do just that.

4) Your displays should also all be interesting and easy to access. Don’t overfill your garment racks, making it difficult for shoppers to see what you have. A neatly organized garment rack is much more attractive. Use open pieces of furniture, like an armoire, to create displays. Hanging things facing out towards the center of the store also helps to entice customers to browse. Use mannequins or hanging forms to show customers how pieces look when worn because sometimes you can’t tell how appealing something is when it’s simply on a hanger.

Use these ideas and come up with more of your own to have your boutique décor represent you and give the customers what they’re there for, a unique shopping experience.

Considering Starting Up a Boutique?

admin — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 04:12:58 +0000

Boutique ownership is the dream of many self-starters and entrepreneurs. It can be the perfect job if you’re interested in being creative, being a manager, and throwing yourself into your work. It’s exciting to start something on your own, especially when that something demonstrates your own personal style and taste. But, before you get caught up in the fun, there are some basic guidelines you should follow to make sure that you accomplish the number on goal, making a profit! Use this list to make sure you’ve thought of how you will lay out your business before you begin.

Think of what you’re going to sell and how it will be unique or different from your competitors. Do some research and make sure that you’re not repeating a venture that is already in place, or that has already failed in your area. Owning a bait and tackle store may be your dream, but it’s not likely to make much money in the desert. So, once you’ve figured out what will make you unique, it’s time to lay out a plan.

You want to make sure that customers will see what you see at first glance. For instance, you may see your store as a great place to get rare brands of bohemian style clothing and accessories. Then the customer walks by and thinks, “clothes”. Communicating what you want the customer to see, hear, feel and think is the most important aspect of your branding and marketing. Before you decide, “I want shelves full of t-shirts here and a hat rack over there”, consider what you want the customer to think, feel and do. What will convince them to buy something in the long run? What will make them want to come back? And perhaps most important, what will make them want to talk to their friends about you?

When someone glances at your store they need to instantly have an idea of what you carry, why you’re special, your price range, and what feeling your merchandise will give them. There is a very complex process going on in a shopper’s brain. Understanding it and catering to it will put you one step ahead in the game. The first set of retail displays a person sees should alert them to style, price, promotions, and the feeling that you want to evoke. Garment racks and other displays after that should lead them on a journey of discovery through the store, luring them deeper and deeper inside until they’ve seen everything that you have to offer. This gives you the best chance at making a sale and a long-term customer.

Trade your Way to Success

admin — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 19:48:15 +0000

Have you ever thought of trading or bartering as a way to advertise and promote your business? Trading services, inventory or time for something that you need is a great way to get ahead as a small business without investing a lot of money. Most small business owners, like boutique owners, do not have a lot of capital to work with. However, they often have things to donate or services to provide that other businesses need.

Bartering and trading is a lot more common than you may realize. There are sites out there, like lassobucks.com, where small business owners post services that they offer in hopes that someone looking for those services can help them out with something that they need. Best of all, using this service is free and businesses from all over the world participate. If you have a boutique, you may be able to offer photos of outfits, accessories, your garment racks, and more in trade for a free banner for your store, radio advertisements, free carpet, or whatever else you need.

Besides investing time instead of money, you can build some solid business relationships with the people that you contact. Even if you don’t strike a deal with the person on the other end, at least they are now aware of what you have to offer and can refer other businesses that they collaborate with to you. Even if you’re competitors in the same industry, search engines place a lot of value in collaborating with your peers. Companies that work together and help each other out online, mentioning each other’s blog posts and following each other on social sites, generally rank higher than companies that keep to themselves.

Start thinking of your time and inventory as leverage that can be used to get things that you need in trade. Constantly work on trying to get ahead, even if you’re already ahead. Never pay for anything that you haven’t already tried to get for free or in trade. If you’re thinking that you don’t have time or inventory to spare, think again. As a boutique owner, you probably have a sense of style and imagination that other business owners may lack. You can show off your retail design ideas and organization skills to those who could use it. Perhaps that sign print shop could use some sprucing up to attract more customers. Use your imagination and come up with ways that you can trade your way to success.

Managing Retail Inventory

admin — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 02:45:24 +0000

There’s a reason that larger retail stores hire inventory management companies to come in and do their inventories for them. It can be a really huge undertaking that takes too much time away from your employees or causes you to have to shut down the store during business hours. If you have a smaller store or a boutique and neither of these things is an option for you, then you may end up doing it yourself. Use these tips to help the process run more smoothly. Being prepared can make the process go a lot faster, you can get more accurate results, and you can save some money too. Also there are tips for daily management of inventory that will help you to reduce theft year round and stay on top of things before they get bad.

One problem for boutiques is that there are usually only a couple of people to manage the whole inventory. They get tired of all of the counting and categorizing and start to make mistakes. If the store is not clearly sectioned off, employees can get confused and not remember if they’ve counted that display or not. Larger stores have a lot more employees and each one can be in charge of just one small section of inventory. This makes it easier for them. Clearly section off the clothing racks into different sections so that employees don’t get confused. Making the sections fairly small will make the job seem like less of a chore and people will do a better job.

If you have multiple associates working on the job, put them on teams. For a small boutique, losses can take a major toll. Getting an accurate count is imperative. Have one person count while the other records and then have them switch places and repeat the process. Offer rewards, store discounts, snacks, gift cards, bonuses, whatever you can think of to make the employees happier about doing this sort of task. A lot of employees actually like doing inventory. They get to play around with their coworkers, play music in the store, and you may even allow them to wear pajamas or some other fun incentive.

You may have to have your “inventory party” early in the morning or on a day when you are normally closed, so offering incentives is important. Most companies make inventory days mandatory. If someone is unable to attend due to another job or school, then let them do something different for you during their normal shift. They can analyze your daily inventory lists or help to organize the store’s garment racks into categories to help get ready for inventory day.

Effectively Stocking Displays

admin — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 02:52:57 +0000

There’s more to the strategy of stocking your garment racks than filling them up. There is actually a lot to think about and consider. Your customers’ can be affected by how much you have out, either positively or negatively. Consider how each display might make a customer feel and react. Use these tips to help you decipher what your customers might be thinking and what might encourage them to make a purchase.

Overly stocked garment and clothing racks can make people feel like they would have to dig through everything to maybe find something they would like. Or, it can make them feel like it’s a waste of time. Alternatively, it could make them feel like there must be some good deals hiding between all of those clothes. It depends on their mood. In general, customers only want to hang out long enough to dig through stuffed racks if they’re going to find a heck of a deal. It’s usually a good idea to reserve these types of displays for your clearance section.

On the opposite end of the spectrum is an understocked garment rack. This can make people feel like the clothing displayed might be of a higher quality and therefore, they are expecting a higher price. It can also make people feel like the items are “exclusive” or rare, encouraging their interest to bloom. On the other hand, it may make them feel like you are unlikely to have their size, and they don’t want to waste their time shopping for something that they fall in love with and then can’t have because of the unavailability. Find a happy medium. If you feel that the message of your store brand necessitates lightly stocked garment racks, be sure to inform your customers that you have more inventory if they are unable to find their size.

People generally want to find things conveniently and with ease. They don’t want to feel like they will have to ask for help just to pick out a pair of pants. They also want to feel free to leisurely shop and try on clothing without having to announce their size or constantly having to dig. Make sure that the shopping experience they’re having matches the tone of the store’s brand image. If you have a high end, exclusive brand with unique items that are in limited supply, it is perfectly acceptable to have scarcely populated, spread out garment racks. If you’re a discount bargain basement type of place, it’s okay to stack those display tables high and crowd in the merchandise. Just make sure that your image matches the expectations of the customers.

Silent Encouragement to Buy

admin — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 21:54:36 +0000

Learning what motivates your customers to buy could change your mind about everything from what you carry to how you arrange it on the sales floor. It can be nearly impossible to determine what someone is thinking and what might motivate them just by watching their body language. People can give signals, but you just don’t know what is going on in there. So, the key is to be “prepared” for whatever it is that might push them to make a purchase. That doesn’t mean that you need to carry every type of product that there is, but it does mean that you can consider certain categories when ordering inventory and arranging your sales floor. Use these ideas and apply them to your situation whenever appropriate and you could see your sales begin to soar.

People generally buy what they need and these types of purchases are rarely emotionally motivated. Make sure that the entrance to your retail space has at least one display that would satisfy someone looking to fulfill a basic need. For instance, if it’s summer, make sure you have a display of tank tops and shorts where people can easily see them when they pass by. Mannequins are great for grabbing attention and displaying something that might seem “boring” upon first glance, like solid colored t-shirts, in a way that makes them seem versatile and interesting.

Beyond just our basic needs, we are generally looking for some type of quality for a good price. Make sure that your basic needs section has a price or promotional deal clearly displayed. You might choose to include a quick description on the sign that helps ensure the customer that, although cheap, this is not junk. “100% Cotton” is sufficient to give people warm fuzzy feelings inside about a t-shirt.

Another section at your store front should be aimed at satisfying those shoppers looking for rare or unique items. People tend to decide to buy more quickly if they think that they will not be able to find an item like this again. Use a clothing rack or display to show some of your more unique items. Brands that aren’t found everywhere could be used in this instance. Collectibles or a highly sought after gift at Christmas products can either be displayed here, or you can have a sign directing people towards the display counter that says something like, “We Carry Hot Chili Brand Sunglasses”.

Figure out what your customers are looking for and then make sure that your clothing racks and display tables are aimed at fulfilling these needs. Getting them into the store is the first step. From there, let your displays and your retail design lead the way.