With entries for the SLR Rewards now open, it’s time for retailers across Scotland to take the first steps towards potentially winning a trip to NACS in Atlanta, as well as a host of other fantastic Rewards.
To help you prepare your entry, we are working with SLR Rewards Partners to help offer some great, practical advice on perfecting your offer in-store as well as your entry for this year’s Rewards…
A Post Office can be a hugely beneficial asset to your business and can have a major impact on driving footfall, sales and profits.
Promote in-store services
“A Post Office in your store is a perfect way to increase footfall, and you’ll find customers will travel much further to visit your shop” according to Donna Morgan from Brownlies of Biggar. “We use Facebook and Instagram to promote our store and Post Office, to tell customers about new products, and our longer opening hours.”
Home shopping returns is a very competitive market. Customers are often young so target them with social media and show how easy it is to send parcels back at your shop, so they choose you next time.
Boosting sales
Set up-selling targets for your staff so they encourage customers to move to premium mail services. Remind them to use the five W’s: “Where’s it going; what’s in your item; would you like it to arrive tomorrow; what’s the value; would you like a signature?”
Monitor success with employee performance scorecards and offer small prizes as an incentive to maintain standards.
Customer service
To deliver first-class customer service, as store owner you need to decide on some standards for the team – it’s as simple as “Wear your name badge, a friendly greeting for everyone, eye contact with customers and always offer to help”.
Performance
Allocate specific employees to take responsibility for maintaining different sections, including the Post Office, making sure it is always kept stocked and tidy; they will be more invested in its success, ensuring things run smoothly.
Innovate
Postmaster Mo Razzaq at High Blantyre Family Shopper has introduced a one-hour home delivery service, unlike most supermarkets which only offer next day delivery at the earliest.
Mo said: “There are lots of people who want home delivery – they may be elderly or ill or have a houseful of children or people may be really busy with work with no time to visit a supermarket.”
Community
Agree with your team which community activities to support; make a plan for the year and set aside a small budget. Remember to tell the local paper what you’re doing and use social media to share photos.
