Why would you want or even need a shop assistant on your website? Quite possibly for exactly the same reason that you’d have a shop assistant in a physical store. In some instances the shop assistant in a physical store is merely there to take the money and stop people taking goods without paying for them. The sort of store that springs to mind is one where the purchase a customer makes is both familiar and regular. A dairy, or a supermarket for example.
For most stores however the shop assistant is there to do just that. ASSIST. To direct the customer to the product that is suitable for them and to make the sale. Sales don’t just happen. The sales process requires a degree of engagement from the Sales person. This engagement starts with a greeting to develop rapport, following this the shop assistant will ask the customer what product type that they are after and ask questions around usage habits and skill levels. From this knowledge the shop Assistant can recommend the product most suitable to the customer. Assuming that the customer feels comfortable with the shop Assistants recommendation, the sale is made.
Think back to the last time you walked into a hardware store, like Bunnings. Seldom do you walk in to the correct isle and grab exactly what you’re after…unless of course you’re buying something that you’re familiar with or you underestimated the quantity required on the first trip.
More often than not you’ll find the aisle with the product category that you’re interested in and be overwhelmed with the selection available…at which point you gaze left and right for a shop assistant, that you promptly grab by the arm and brief them on your predicament of having no idea of what product is best for you.
In my instance I was after paint sprayer to make handy work of 70 metres of wooden pale fence, using an acrylic stain, and also had a shed to paint with acrylic paint at some stage, and am happy for mates to grab at some stage. Given these requirements I was pointed to a medium priced sprayer that was easy to maintain, that had a large reservoir and could be used for a variety of paints.
My requirements were ascertained and understood and a recommendation made…culminating in the sale, with no post purchase doubt/aggravation.
If it wasn’t for the shop assistant I would have bought the cheapest sprayer, being the only attribute that I could understand, and I would have cursed Bunnings every metre of fence, given that the cheapest sprayer wasn’t fit for purpose…my purpose.
If I had gone to an online store to buy the paint sprayer, it would have had a similar outcome as if no shop assistant had helped me at Bunnings. With me not buying a sprayer or buying the incorrect sprayer.
So if you’re happy with your customers not having a helping hand on your website, consider for a moment what would happen if you really trimmed expenses and got rid of your shop assistants. Surely your customers know exactly what they want? No?
Maybe I can help. Find out more about having an online shop assistant in this whitepaper or call us (0064) 3 377 8460.
Photo by Bogdanhoda, iStock.com