Role Play –Customer Interaction

Objective – the CSAs should able to use the important 5 points during the Customer
Interaction at the Store.

 Hoshiyar - Alert and Attentive on the shop floor.

 Acknowledge their presence.
 Approach at the right time.
 Assist if needed
 Thank them for their visit.

PROCEDURE

Select one of the Scenarios given below:

 Customer interaction at the till / aisle – Customer asking for a price of a product
 Customer interaction on the shop floor – asking about a particular product
 Customer interaction at the store entrance
 Confused customer
 Customer is looking for some help

Preparation and Warm Up

 Tell participants that they will be given a Scenario in which they will have to play a
role of a CSA and other as a Customer
 Alternately play the role of the customer and the customer service associate

Select Participants

 You can ask for volunteers or you can nominate

 Please get CSAs into pairs
 Decide who will play the customer first

Conduct the Role Play

 Pick one of the scenarios

 Start role play – Customer Interaction
 Please switch roles once you have completed the first scenario
 Use a different scenario for the second role play

Debrief

Typical debriefing questions include the following – ask questions like:

 How did you feel about the role play and each of the various roles?
 Was the role play realistic?
 How was it similar to or different from real life?
 Was the problem solved? If so, how? If not, why not?
 Did you cover all those points that need to be addressed?
 What, if anything, could have been done differently? What other outcomes were
possible?
 What did you learn from the experience?
Role Play –Questioning and Listening Skills

Objective – the CSAs should able to demonstrate questioning and listening skills while
interacting with Customers.

PROCEDURE

Select one of the Scenarios given below:

 A Customer walks into the Store asking for buying a Pressure Cooker
 A Customer explaining about his favourite colors in buying a Shirt.
 A Customer explaining about his job.

Preparation and Warm Up

 Tell participants that they will be given a Scenario in which they will have to play a
role of a CSA, the Customer and other as an Observer
 Alternately play the role of the customer and the customer service associate and
Observer

Select Participants

 You can ask for volunteers or you can nominate

 Divide into groups of three
 Speaker (customer)
 Observer
 Listener
 Decide who will play the customer first

Conduct the Role Play

 Pick one of the scenarios

 Start role play
 Please switch roles once you have completed the first scenario
 Use a different scenario for the second role play

Debrief

Typical debriefing questions include the following – ask questions like:

 How did you feel about the role play and each of the various roles?
 Was the role play realistic?
 How was it similar to or different from real life?
 Was the problem solved? If so, how? If not, why not?
 Did you cover all those points that need to be addressed?
 What, if anything, could have been done differently? What other outcomes were
possible?
 What did you learn from the experience?
 After each round the speaker will give feedback to the listener, followed by the
observer by saying what is positive and not.
Role Play – Handling Queries

Objective – the CSAs should able to demonstrate questioning and listening skills while
interacting with Customers.

PROCEDURE

Scenario

 Mrs. Sonia wants to buy a particular type of cooking masala. She approaches Raj
who is stacking shelves with newly delivered toys. Sonia asks Raj where she can
find the spices she wants. The masala is not very common and Raj has not heard
of it. He is sure that Ravi will know about the masala as Ravi works in the
Grocery department and is very experienced. He knows everything about the
Grocery and FMCG products that Choupal Saagar sells.

 A customer in a store wants to buy a new brand of ITC shampoo. She asks the
Customer Service Associate whether Choupal Saagar stocks the product.

 A customer tells you in conversation that she is disappointed that a particular

product is out of stock.

Preparation and Warm Up

 Tell participants that they will be given a Scenario in which they will have to play a
role of a CSA, and a Customer.
 Alternately play the role of the customer and the customer service associate.

Select Participants

 You can ask for volunteers or you can nominate

 Divide into teams of two
 Decide who will play the customer first

Conduct the Role Play

 Explain the Scenario

 Start role play
 Please switch roles once you have completed the first scenario
 Use a different scenario for the second role play

Debrief
Typical debriefing questions include the following – ask questions like:

 How did you feel about the role play and each of the various roles?
 Was the role play realistic?
 How was it similar to or different from real life?
 Did you cover all those points that need to be addressed?
 What, if anything, could have been done differently? What other outcomes were
possible?
 What did you learn from the experience?
Activity – Importance of Communication: Verbal and Non-Verbal

Procedure:

1. Explain that the reason for doing this simple exercise is to illustrate the
importance of Verbal and Non-Verbal communication.
2. Distribute a blank sheet of paper and pencil to all the participants.
3. The task of the person with the handout is to give detailed verbal instructions to
the drawing participants so that they can create a drawing that looks the very same
as the shapes/figures on the handout. The drawing participant listens to the
instructions but is not permitted to ask questions or respond verbally in any way.
Obviously, neither is permitted to look at each other’s paper during the exercise.
4. Allow 5 minutes for the participants to work on the drawing exercise and then
have everyone stop at the same time. Have the participants compare the drawing
that the drawer "heard" with the images on the handout.
5. Take time as a group to talk about the experience of doing this exercise with
CSAs. How accurate was the drawing? What were the challenges? Frustrations?
How attentive to detail was the person who was giving instructions (e.g. to size,
dimensions, shading, position on the page)? How helpful would it have been if the
drawer had been permitted to verbally interact with the partner? How does this
illustrate the difficulties of communication in our daily selling?
Activity – using the right words

Objective – CSAs should be able to use the most convincing and influential words while
interacting with Customers.

Procedure

1. Tell them that they will be given a product that needs to be described using the
given 13 words.
2. Display the 13 words on the PPT.
3. Given random products to the CSA – their own category products
4. They should construct statements that will make customers to buy those products.

Words

Easy Free Safety Save

New Money Proven Guarantee
Health Results You Your Beautiful

Activity – Imagine you are on a slow day (not many Customers in the
store), what you can do on such days?

You get into pair of two and work together to list at least 10 top things you do on these
days.
Some of the activities could be:
1. Plan an event. 
2. Call your customers. 
3. Put an employee near the front door and invite people in personally
4. Ask (or politely tell) your customers to tell their friends and family about store
specials or events. 
5. Change your store around.
6. Move out merchandise that hasn't moved to increase your cash flow.
7. Get the store in tip top shape for when traffic picks up in the season.
8. Call your vendors and see if there are any extra good deals being offered to
freshen up your merchandise.
9. Keep music playing throughout the day. 
10. Pick a product or product category and offer demonstrations
11. Offer water for every customers who walk-ins into the Store
12. Offer the customer a free service
1. mini tune-up on the phone by polishing the display & cleaning the camera
lens
2. offer to change out the shoelaces in their customer's shoes
Caselet - From Stranger to Superhero to Friend

While wandering in and out of stores in Lucknow last week I became aware of the
unusually different attitudes retail employees present to customers.  In just one hour I was
treated so differently I started to develop a personality complex.

Some retail associates treated me like a complete stranger, doing every thing possible to
avoid eye contact.  It was almost like we were meeting in some dark passage, not a well-
lit mall surrounded by people.  At least when our eyes did (accidentally) meet they smiled
and then went about their business.  I followed their lead, left their store.

Other store employees treated me like a superhero - if the superhero was Invisible Man. 
I'm not complaining because at least they weren't avoiding me and I could see they were
extremely busy.  Busy talking on phone, playing games on mobile, gossiping across the
aisle or checking phone messages.  I didn't want to interrupt them so I disappeared from
the store, which is easy to do when you're Invisible Man.

I'm happy to say that some associates treated me like a visitor.  They acknowledged me
when I walked in to the store and politely offered their assistance if I needed any.  I
appreciated their attention but because I didn't need anything I didn't buy anything.  It
was a nice visit, though.

In two stores it was much different.  I wasn't a stranger, I wasn't Invisible Man, and I
wasn't a visitor. Instead, I was a new friend.  In both of these stores I felt like those
salespeople were glad to see me. They were happy, smiling, and interested. As friends do,
they asked where I was from, and if I was enjoying Lucknow.  Never once did they ask to
help me.

If you were the CSA of one of these Store, how do you interact with your Customers.
Caselet - Every Customer a Sale

Good retail associates sell much more than just products.  They sell their customers
on talking to them, they sell them on trying something out or on, and they even sell them
on coming back.  Some associates don't sell at all; they just hope, ask, or wait for the
customer to decide to do something themselves.

For some reason, many retail associates have a negative view of selling.  They equate
"selling" with being pushy and horrible. 

How do you handle Selling?

Naturally, being pushy and horrible is not going to work.  Selling means, as it says in
the definition, to "convince" or "persuade." The best associates do that by smiling, by
taking a genuine interest in their customers, by being passionate about the products they
sell, and by believing that the most satisfied customers are those that make a purchase.

So let me ask:

Do you persuade (sell) customers to engage in conversation with you or do you just hope
they'll start talking to you?

Do you convince (sell) customers to try out a product or try something on, or do you wait
for the customer to do it him/herself?

Do you persuade (sell) customers on the value of sharing their contact information, or do
you just ask for it?

Do you influence (sell) customers on coming back for a future visit, or do you just hope
they do?

Do you induce (sell) a customer to have their friends and family come visit your store, or
do you just hope they'll put in a good word for you?

Do you persuade (sell) your customers into buying products they like and are right for
them, or do you just show them something and hope they decide to buy it?

Selling requires action.  The exact actions depend on the relationship between you and
your customer.  "Hope" and "wish" are feelings, not actions.

Actions create happy customers.  Actions create sales.  Are you selling every customer?
Role Play – Customer Interaction

Preparation and Warm Up & Scenario

Recently, my friend and I had the opportunity to visit some stores throughout the local
area. I was especially excited to visit one store in particular because I have been a loyal
fan of their product and brand for many years, and had yet to visit their store.

Upon entering, I was struck by the awesome assortment of product, most at very
reasonable prices relative to other brands in the industry. I felt like a kid in a candy store.
My immediate thought upon entering was that if I had a larger house I could easily spend
more in the short time we would be there. I found things I didn't even know this store
sold. I found great impulse items. I even found stuff I didn't know I wanted or needed
until I saw it!

But what kept me from going on a crazy spending spree was the staff. The behaviors and
attitudes of the three or four employees who stationed themselves behind the cash wrap
completely turned me off. Here I was, picking up products, commenting on things,
remarking on the great prices, and the staff remained completely unfriendly and
uninterested in my desire to spend money. There was no attempt to build rapport, apart
from a cursory and well-worn "How can we help you?" Instead they discussed lunch,
talked among themselves, and sat on the back counter.

Select Participants

 You can ask for volunteers or you can nominate

 Please get CSAs into pairs
 Decide who will play the customer first
 Ask them how they would behave and interact if they are in that situation

Conduct the Role Play

 Start role play – Customer Interaction

 Please switch roles once you have completed the first scenario
 Use a different scenario for the second role play

Debrief

Typical debriefing questions include the following – ask questions like:

 How did you feel about the role play and each of the various roles?
 Was the role play realistic?
 How was it similar to or different from real life?
 Was the problem solved? If so, how? If not, why not?
 Did you cover all those points that need to be addressed?
 What, if anything, could have been done differently? What other outcomes were
possible?
 What did you learn from the experience?