Welcoming Customers Show you want your customers to keep coming back.

Meeting and greeting your customers properly is such a basic concept that it's frequently overlooked. Here are a few ways to do it well:

• Greet customers quickly. No one likes the feeling of walking into a business and being ignored. Encourage your employees to greet customers the moment they enter your place of business. Some businesses create a more personal atmosphere, offering customers a glass of sparkling apple cider or other refreshments to enjoy as they browse.
  
• Help if you're needed. Back off if you're not. The quickest way to chase customers out the door is to chase them around the store. Customers get annoyed if they feel they're being pressured, followed or watched. Coach employees to remain discreetly on hand if customers have questions, but allow clients to browse freely otherwise. If a customer needs assistance, employees should drop what they're doing and provide it.
  
• Treat VIPs like VIPs. Recognize important customers when they come to call. If your business is primarily walk-in, make it a priority to learn the names of customers who return frequently or who make large purchases. For service-oriented businesses or those that receive orders via phone, you may wish to create a paper or computer file on VIP preferences.