Amy N Kaplan

Our goal is to create a strong base of loyal customers by providing appropriate recommendations, friendly and low-pressure service, and a clean and welcoming space. To facilitate this, it’s highly important to review and follow the outlined best practices, policies, and guidelines whenever you interact with customers. All of our products can be found somewhere else for less money, and what sets us apart from the rest of our competition is customer service. Please keep the customer experience at the forefront of your mind! It is statistically easier to keep customers than to find new customers. Please work hard to keep those already coming through the door happy.

Best Practices

• Greet customers when they enter the store and when they approach the register. Say Hello, how are you, let me know if I can help you, etc. This lets them know you are available to answer questions, and it also is a loss prevention technique. (People are less likely to steal when they are given great customer service)
• Please do not use the phrase Can I help you find anything? (or anything similar that puts pressure on the customer giving you a direct answer). This is proven to put customers in the mindset of not making a purchase because the most common response is just browsing. Let me know if I can help you is a much better alternative. Exception for someone clearly confused or in need of help.
• Have a positive and professional attitude. Yes, this is a fun place, but this is also work and it’s important to display a high level of professionalism as well as positivity and fun.
• Be available to customers at all times. If you are cleaning, restocking, receiving, talking with regulars, etc. your priority is still the customer. Be sure they know you are available to them. This might include stopping something in the middle of completing a task; customer needs are more important.
• Physical interaction with customers through items is important because it shows a level of respect. It’s more respectful to hand a credit card back to them than to put it down on the counter, even if it means waiting if they are distracted. By making this practice commonplace, you also have the personal assurance you gave them back their card when it’s very common for people to misplace their card or ask if they received it back from you.
• Make an effort to educate customers when appropriate. For example, if a customer is purchasing a Cardfight Vanguard deck and Katana sleeves, ask if they will be used together. If yes, advise that the Cardfight Vanguard cards are a smaller size and don’t fit on that product. We may lose the sale of one or both items, but the customer will appreciate the information more than learning it on their own. Other examples include being sure someone knows they are purchasing an expansion, or that some Games Workshop figures require tools and glue. These touches go a long way towards a positive customer experience.
• If you don’t know the answer to a question, make an effort to find out. Ask a co-worker or search online (BoardGameGeek is your friend!). The more we can be a source of information, the more reliable customers will find us and they will appreciate that. Ultimately, be honest. You don’t have to make anything up just to satisfy someone’s question – this could hurt long term if you are wrong in your assumption. It’s okay to say “I don’t know”. You’re giving them information so they don’t make a purchasing decision they later regret (and then don’t want to come back to the store because someone said something incorrectly on their last visit).
• Respond to customer comments even if they aren’t addressing you. (like if you hear a rhetorical comment or question, “I wonder if they have Dice Masters here”). This is strong customer service because a lot of times people are uncomfortable directly asking for help so if you put the duty on yourself to help them with their needs it means you’re paying attention to them…sometimes I’ll preface this with “I couldn’t help but overhear” so it doesn’t seem like we’re eavesdropping.
• Simple language with friendly disposition goes a long way. Specifically saying “You’re welcome” is an impactful message that shows we care about the experience we’ve provided for them. A happy customer is likely to return! If there is a problem with a product, do your best to make it right.
• Make it a priority to circulate around the store, it helps indicate to customers that you are available, and you will notice more opportunities to improve the space through straightening, restocking, re-merchandising, cleaning up spills or trash, etc.
• Announcing the purchase total to the customer. Indicates you are ready to take payment and so they know how much they are spending.

Policies

• Special order forms need all of the information completed fully, regardless of the customer, so we can reach out. This is especially important during a busy, time-sensitive time of year. Even if the customer is a regular or they come into the store every single day, please complete all fields of this form where applicable.
• Refrain from extended conversation with guests, including/especially regular customers. If you are engaged in a conversation, a customer that needs help is unlikely to interrupt you to ask. You may chat casually for a few minutes but do not allow that to become a habit.
• Restocking is a form of customer service and needs to happen both from the list and from sight.  Items will be missed if you use only one method.
• Please be attentive to your body language when helping customers. For example, stand up instead of sitting when ringing customers out. From a body language perspective, sitting is not showing that you are engaged in the interaction.
• Although our advertised return policy is 30 days unopened, occasionally we are willing to take in most things for store credit, even if it doesn’t fit our guidelines. This helps us build rapport with customers.  Just ask your manager for help here.

Customer Interactions

• If a customer asks where a specific product is or has questions about products, please answer questions by walking with the customer and showing them the product physically; while maintaining social distancing. Please don’t point from across the room or give general directions unless there is a reason (i.e. you’re with another customer)
• Read the room – pay attention to customers when you’re talking with them. Their body language, words, attention levels, etc. will help you gauge if you are being effective. If they seem disinterested, aren’t looking at you, etc. you have probably lost them.
• Especially during busy shopping days, look for customers with full hands and offer a shopping basket or to hold their items at the counter so they can continue to shop. They will appreciate the help and with free hands they can make more purchases! Ask for their name and be sure to note it at the register so whoever is checking them out can find their stack easily.
• Don’t rush your interactions. Be mindful to spend an appropriate amount of time with each customer but when you’re with them, be present. Focus, give them your attention, etc.

Recommendations

• Please keep in mind that many customers are unfamiliar with the hobby and cater your recommendations accordingly. New gamers should be shown games that will help ease them into the hobby and provide better experience – lighter games with easy-to-learn rulesets and a lower price point are good options. Have a few in mind that you are excited about so you can easily recommend these. Common best-sellers are a good place to start: Catan, Ticket to Ride, Pandemic, etc.
• Think about what questions you ask when a customer is looking for a recommendation:
  • Number of players
  • Age range
  • Price point
  • Length of game
  • Style of game – Cooperative? Deduction? Dexterity? – be careful here, many people are not familiar with what these terms mean; you may need to ask these questions in layman’s terms or with common game comparisons (Do you prefer to work together or against each other? Do you like to solve mysteries? Do you like dexterity games such as Jenga?)
• What is a good recommendation for a guest might not be very interesting to you, and that’s okay. Tailor your suggestions to their tastes, not necessarily what’s new or popular.
• Keep your explanations brief – you don’t need to explain how to play the game, just the general concept. Give an elevator pitch – 30 seconds or less.
• Keep the number of recommendations you give limited – suggest 2 to 4 games, and then give them some space to look over what you discussed. This both prevents them from being overloaded with information and allows you to help other customers or attend to other tasks.

Merchandising

• Merchandising is a form of customer service; having a clean, well-organized space allows customers to browse on their own and find what they are looking for without requiring additional assistance.
• Please be aware of your surroundings – holes, empty shelves, empty hooks, straightening, fixing displays, etc. This needs to happen at all times.
• Product needs to be accessible to customers. This means keeping displays at a reasonable height and stock level, making sure shelves aren’t too full, single copies of games should be on the shelf instead of at the very top, copies of games should be with demos, demos with no product in stock should be removed from the floor, etc. The interaction should be easy for customers.