Guest Services Tips: Assisting Customers & Monitoring Assigned Areas with Intention

Guest Services Tips: Assisting Customers & Monitoring Assigned Areas with Intention

Why This Matters

Customers appreciate attentive service — they want to know someone is available if needed but don’t want to feel pressured, watched too closely, or profiled. Striking this balance helps create a welcoming environment, boosts customer satisfaction, and supports theft prevention discreetly.

Core Principles to Keep in Mind

  1. Be Present, Not Pushy: Stay approachable and visible but respect customers’ space.
  2. Use Open Body Language: Smile, make eye contact, keep arms relaxed — show you’re ready to help without looming.
  3. Respect Privacy: Avoid following customers closely or lingering unnecessarily near the same person.
  4. Stay Engaged with Your Area: Keep your eyes and ears open but stay relaxed and natural.
  5. Use Friendly Conversation Starters: Engage naturally to build rapport and offer help without feeling intrusive.
  6. Trust Your Instincts: If something feels off, alert your team calmly and discreetly.
  7. Keep Personal Cell Phone Use to a Minimum: Phones can distract you from being fully present. Use personal devices only during breaks or slow times away from customers.
  8. Customers Always Come First: When customers are nearby, your focus should be on supporting their needs or standing by ready to assist — even if you are in conversation with merchants or team members.

How to Monitor Assigned Areas with Intention

1. Be Visible

  1. Position yourself in a spot where you can observe the area easily but not block aisles or exits.
  2. Walk your area periodically, varying your path to stay natural.

2. Use Subtle Observation

  1. Observe customer behavior casually — friendly smiles, relaxed posture, and natural movements help you blend in.
  2. Avoid staring or fixating on any individual. Shift your gaze naturally.

3. Engage When Appropriate

  1. Make eye contact with customers as you walk by. A smile or nod is often enough to let them know you’re available.
  2. If a customer looks uncertain or is looking around, offer a gentle approach:
    1. “Hi there! Let me know if you have any questions.”
    2. “Looking for anything special today?”

4. Prevent Theft with Tact

  1. Keep high-value or easily stolen items within sight or closer to the counter.
  2. If you notice suspicious behavior, alert a teammate quietly rather than confronting the customer directly unless necessary.
  3. Use general announcements or “store check” moments to keep awareness up without singling anyone out.

5. What to Do During Slow Times

  1. Use slower periods to tidy and organize your assigned area, always ensuring customers aren’t nearby when doing so.
  2. Review product knowledge or current promotions so you’re ready to assist with confidence.
  3. Walk the floor to check on displays and customer areas, maintaining visibility.
  4. Take care of any assigned tasks quietly and efficiently but be ready to stop immediately if a customer needs assistance.
  5. Avoid distractions like personal phone use when customers are present; save those for breaks or back-of-house areas.

Helpful Customer Service Tips

Offer Handheld Shopping Baskets

  1. We provide handheld shopping baskets placed strategically throughout the store in each section.
  2. If you see a customer with their hands full, offer a basket to make their shopping easier. Example:
    1. “Would you like a basket to make carrying easier?”
  3. If a customer is carrying something large, heavy, or fragile (like a Cavallini poster), offer to take the item to the register for them so they can continue browsing comfortably. Example:
    1. “I can take that to the register for you if you’d like, so you can shop hands-free.”

Conversation Starters & Talking Points

Friendly Openers

  1. “Good morning! If you need any help, I’m right here.”
  2. “That’s a great choice! Would you like to hear more about it?”
  3. “I’m happy to assist if you want to try that on or have questions.”
  4. “Would you like a basket to make carrying easier?”
  5. “I can take that to the register for you if you’d like, so you can shop hands-free.”

Checking In Without Pressure

  1. “How’s everything going so far?”
  2. “Is there something I can help you find today?”
  3. “Feel free to ask if you want to know about any of our specials.”

Responding to Customer Cues

  1. Responding to Customer Cues:
  2. If they’re browsing quietly: “I’ll be just over here if you need me.”
  3. If they look confused: “Looking for something in particular? I’m happy to help.”
  4. If they’re with others: “Enjoying your shopping trip?”

Area-Specific Examples

Register/Front End

  1. Greet warmly as customers approach.
  2. Keep an eye on the line to gauge wait times and offer assistance to those who look unsure or have questions.
  3. Offer baskets if customers arrive with their hands full.

PARC and Loft

  1. Periodically check fitting rooms and surrounding areas, maintaining a friendly presence.
  2. Use polite, casual check-ins, e.g., “Everything going well in the fitting room?”
  3. Offer baskets to customers browsing in these areas who might benefit from one.

Taste Section

  1. Offer product knowledge or sampling information proactively but not aggressively.
  2. Watch for customers who linger or seem unsure to offer suggestions.
  3. Suggest baskets if customers pick up multiple samples or products.

Floater Role

  1. Circulate throughout the store naturally, assisting wherever needed.
  2. Be visible in high-traffic or blind spots without hovering.
  3. Notice if customers are carrying large or fragile items and offer to take those to the register for them.

Final Reminders

  1. Your role is to enhance the customer’s experience, not to police or surveil.
  2. When in doubt, err on the side of friendliness and availability rather than suspicion.
  3. Team communication is key — quietly share concerns or observations rather than confronting customers unnecessarily.
  4. Remember, customers always come first — your focus should be on their experience before any other tasks or conversations.
  5. Keep personal phone use minimal to stay fully present and attentive.
  6. Always be ready to offer a basket or help with large/fragile items — small gestures make a big difference!

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