Guest Service

Question 1

Greeting (Good)

Answer 1

The ultimate goal of the greeting is to open the door to a relationship.

Without a solid beginning, you may not have a chance to assist the guest in meeting their pet’s 4
Basic Needs with both products and suggested care routines.

Question 2

Communication

Answer 2

During your greeting, you are telling the guest a lot about yourself.

Com is
• how we walk, talk, dress, and behave.

There are 3 types of communication:
• Vocal
• Verbal
• Non-verbal

55% of communication is non-verbal
38% of communication is vocal
7% of communication is verbal

Only 7% of the message that the guest receives is the words that you’ve chosen.
93% of what you’re saying has nothing to do with the words you choose.

Question 3

Guest Resistance and open ended Questions

Answer 3

_{People tend to react negatively to being approached by a store’s staff because so many of them have had bad experiences in the past.}

What happens when you ask a guest “Can I help you?”

90% of the time the guest will respond with “No thanks, I’m just looking.”
So never say, “Can I help you?”

The key to creating conversation is to establish a person-to-person relationship, and you can do this successfully by asking open-ended questions, that will create small talk between the two of you.

Question 4

Conversation Starters

Answer 4

Should be open-ended questions to encourage conversation

Must be unique, sincere or different enough to start a conversation

Should not be business related

Use words like Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How to create an open-ended question

Ex:
Children, sports, curiosity, pet talk

Question 5

Engaging Guests in Conversation

Answer 5

It may be called “small talk,”

The idea is to follow-up on your conversation starter with appropriate comments or questions that will capture the guest’s attention and interest.

Question 6

Verbal Contract

Answer 6

The verbal contract is used to politely greet new guests when you are still helping another.

Step 1: Ask your current guest,
_{“Would you do me a favour?
Do you mind if I check if that guest needs a hand? They may just need to know the location of their food, but if not then I will grab another Pet Counsellor for them”}

Step 2: Greet the guest and ask what brings them into Pelland today. _{Sometimes they just need to find the location of what they need but usually you will want to offer to grab a Pet Counsellor to assist.}

Step 3: _{After paging a Pet Counsellor or showing the location of the product, thank your first guest for waiting,}

Question 7

Determining Guest Needs

Answer 7

To help your guest, you will need to find out what the guest is shopping for.
You will also need more information what size, style, colour or function is important to them.

Next, you need to find out why they want the item with those particular features.

By finding out the why you can tailor your demonstration and match the correct merchandise to the guest’s desires.

Question 8

QAS

Answer 8

Question, answer, support = trust

A great way to encourage your guest to share more information with you is to give supportive responses following their answers to your questions.

The supportive response is what builds trust between you and your guest by showing the guest that you’re listening.

Question 9

Tips for determining needs

Answer 9

1. We should be asking at least 3 questions

Regardless of what your guest is shopping for, you will need more information before vou can proceed with a recommendation.

2. Be wary of asking the guest “How much?”

Asking a guest how much money they would like to spend may hinder your ability to show the item that best suits their needs.
This is especially true of the guest that has little experience shopping for that item.

Question 10

Demonstration (Deserves)

Answer 10

The demonstration is the time for you to share your knowledge with your guests.

These are the “teachable moments” where vou match vour guest’s wants and needs with the Features, Advantages and Benefits of a product based on what vou discovered while determining the guest’s needs.

Question 11

Getting the Guest Involved

Answer 11

Urging guest involvement in the demonstration is essential. Have the guest hold or try the item and encourage it.

Many times, our words cannot
describe the item as well as the guest’s senses can.

Question 12

Do We Have What They’re Looking For?

Answer 12

If the product is one that we regularly carry, you can call other Petland locations to find out if they have it in stock.

If the item comes from a vendor we regularly purchase from, we may be able to special order it.

Question 13

Finding a Comparable Product

Answer 13

1. Ask why the guest is looking for that particular brand
2. Support their response
3. Explain why your store doesn’t carry it
4. Ask permission to show an alternative

Question 14

What Might a Guest Value?

Answer 14

Value is a matter of personal opinion.

•What is the product made of?
• How is it made?
• Where is it made?
• Does it have a warranty?
• Is it long lasting?
• How is it used?
• How many are in the package?
• Is it economical?
• What colour is it?
• Does it have multiple uses?

Question 15

Demonstration Techniques

Value - Price Connection

Answer 15

Value can be defined as the total benefit a customer derives from making a purchase.

• The greater the value seems, the more reasonable the price seems.

• As value goes up, price resistance will usually come down.

• During your demonstration, you have the opportunity to establish enough value so that price seems appropriate.

Question 16

Demonstration Techniques

Good, Better, Best

Answer 16

Helps make better buying decisions:

• It’s a credible, fast way to explain differences between options

• Shows how the price changes when different features are added or subtracted

• Removes the assumption of what your guest can afford

Typically it is best to start with the BEST option in your explanation, because we want our guests to have more time to consider it and mentally compare all other products to its benefits, instead of comparing all options to the “Good” product.

Question 17

Demonstration Techniques

Feature - Advantage - Benefit

Answer 17

features, advantages and benefits are facts that make merchandise either appealing or unappealing to guests.

Merely reciting the features is often not enough information for the guest to understand its value.

Guests need to understand why having that feature is better versus not having it.

As a result, it’s what we say about the features that is more important than the features themselves.

Question 18

F.A.B.

Answer 18

A feature is a physical part or characteristic of a product or related service: what it’s made of, how it’s made, the colour, design, style, shape, size, warranty, and so on.

An Advantage: Explain to the guest why it is better to have that feature versus not having it.

Benefit: Explain what the advantage will do for the guest. How will the guest or their pet benefit?

“One of the nice (great, terrific, special, etc.) things about this (item) is…

Start at the Feature of the product. After stating the Feature, insert the phrase, “which means”. Do the same for Advantage.

Question 19

Demonstration Techniques

Adding On is Good Guest Service

Answer 19

adding on often helps the initial item work better.

Blood stopper with nail clippers, brush with a comb for the face, feet and bum, water conditioner with a betta, timothy hay with pellets

Resist the urge to impose your own personal boundaries or financial considerations on your guests. Let your guests decide if they want to buy or not.

Question 20

Conclusion (Cookies)

Answer 20

The conclusion will ensure that your guest is satisfied with the merchandise they are buying, and their experience in your store.

Question 21

Work with the Guest

Answer 21

If the guest seems a little overwhelmed with the number of options you’ve shown them, you may offer a third-party reference anecdote to boost their confidence.

Let them know that they are not the first to purchase the item and that others who have made the choice have been satisfied.

Question 22

Assessing Your Guest’s Level of Enthusiasm

Answer 22

When in doubt, simply asking your guest “So what do you think?” is often enough to get your guest to weigh their options out loud so you can help them make a choice.

Question 23

Buyer’s remorse

Answer 23

Guilt or regret over a purchase

We can help prevent buyer’s remorse by simply saying something such as:

“Mrs. Smith, I think you made an excellent choice. Your cat is going to love his new scratching post. Thank you and I hope to see you again soon.”

Question 24

Responsibility to Guests

Answer 24

Guests don’t know about all of the products that we have in the store or why we have them.

It becomes your job to educate the guests about their pets 4 basic needs.

Question 25

Call Backs

Answer 25

Call backs are great opportunities to show guests that we care about them and their pet, even when the animal is no longer at our store.

It also opens the door to conversation if the guest has any questions or concerns since the adoption.

Call backs should be done within 48 hours of an adoption.

Question 26

3 Areas of Presentation

Answer 26

Store
Animals
Pet Counsellor

Question 27

Store Presentation
Operational Tasks = Guest Service

Answer 27

The self-guided guests value an easy-to-shop experience. Ensuring that operational tasks are completed (ie. tagging, merchandising, cleaning) is a great way to provide service for those guests.

For the guests thinking about asking for our assistance, working on operational tasks makes you approachable. Guests find it less intimidating to ask for help.

_{Following the 10/10 Rule}

Question 28

What Kinds of Operational Tasks Can You Do?

Answer 28

Putting out stock that has just arrived
• Front facing of all products
•Dusting of all products, shelves, and displays
Cleaning the glass on the inside and outside of the
front doors and floor pens
• Making sure our pets have clean water and required food
• And more!

Question 29

Tagging Products

Answer 29

It can be very frustrating for a guest who is interested in a product but cannot find a price for it.

It is even more frustrating when they go to purchase the item and find out that it was tagged incorrectly.

Tagging should be done regularly to ensure they are the most up to date prices

If a label is older than 6 months then it needs to be replaced

Every Wednesday a set of tags are “pushed down” that have recently been updated. This is a priority task that must be completed that day

Question 30

Tagging Products info on the tag

Answer 30

The two asterix symbols indicate that the product expires.
— This means it must be rotated when replenishing.

Occasionally a tag may have “DISCO” in the corner.
— This means the product is discontinued and will not be available to reorder from that vendor.

The date allows us to know how current the tag is.

The vendor number.
— This allows us to know who the product comes from so we can order more.

“SPL-160” is the item code.
— This code is another way to order a product and look it up in our computer system.

The “4” is the ida maximum quantity that can fit in that facing.
— This number allows for more accurate ordering to ensure we do not accidentally order a surplus if it is not necessary.

This long number is the UPC.
— This is often how a product is looked up in our computer system.

Question 31

Rolling Stock Baskets

Answer 31

• These baskets are sorted by department so that pet counsellors can put the merchandise out efficiently

• When we appear busy, we are more approachable by guests who might have a question

• Putting out stock is a priority for all of us, so that our guests have access to the items they need

Question 32

Front Facing

Answer 32

In order to keep a well-presented store, all products are to be front faced regularly.
Front Facing is when all products on pegs and shelves are pulled forward; it gives the appearance that your store is fully stocked and clean.

Question 33

Adding Aisle Invaders

Answer 33

Aisle invaders help to highlight products for our guests in the aisle.

They mark products that may be new, on sale, or discontinued with a clearance price.

The correct type of aisle invaders must be used at all times.

Additionally, they need to be removed when they are no longer needed.

Question 34

Blow Out! Aisle invader

Answer 34

This aisle invader is used on products that we have listed at a blowout price.

These items are usually discontinued, and we use these to show the guests our low prices to help sell the product.

These aisle invaders should be used on products that have a price reduction of $1 or more from their previous retail price.

Question 35

Sale Aisle Invader

Answer 35

This aisle invader is used on items that we currently have on sale (flyers, specials, promos, etc.) Typically this item is on sale for a selected timeframe.

Question 36

New Item Aisle invader

Answer 36

This aisle invader is used when new product is received in the store.

This shall be placed on the label for about a month (4 weeks).

When your monthly promotions change, you need to remove these from items you received a month ago.

Question 37

Made in Canada Aisle Invader

Answer 37

This aisle invader is placed on items that are Made in Canada only.

For an entire list of which products to place this on, please go to G:Drive - Purchasing - Merchandising - Signage

All items on this list must have a Made in Canada aisle invader on them.

Question 38

Pet Counsellors’ Responsibilities

Answer 38

To succeed as a pet counsellor, you need to:
• Know your products
• Know your competition
• Walk the store before and during your shift

Question 39

Measuring Effectiveness

Conversion rate:

Answer 39

The ratio that measures the pet counsellors’ ability to effectively assist a guest and the guest making a decision to make a purchase.

Question 40

Measuring Effectiveness

Average sale (Average ticket):

Answer 40

Measures the average dollar value of a sale you make.