Three-day training and orientation program for department store sales clerks

Orientation and Training of Sales Clerks

Day Training, Orientation and Evaluation for Department Stores' Sales Clerks

Because this Department Store chain has seven stores in the city, it seems expedient that new sales clerks receive quality training before beginning work, during a 3-day Training and Orientation Program. Hiring and placing a new sales clerk should begin with their having a thorough knowledge of the expectations and policies of the Department Store, in addition to what should already be numbered in the new sales clerk's repertoire of skills. However, in order to refresh and train for quality service, this Department Store will also review the basic skills and knowledge which the occupation requires, as well as train the new sales clerks on our custom computerized cash registers. The course of study is outlined below:

Day One:

In the morning of Day One, as the Training and Orientation Program begins, the Human Resources Department personnel will orient the new personnel to the Department Store by giving them as much information as they can about its history and the reasons it has remained a popular store throughout a long period of time in this city. The new employees are then told the schedule of study and how the next three days will benefit them as they begin their new jobs. They will be told how it will help them solve certain problems and that it will encompass many different aspects of the job, from the technical to customer relations. The Human Relations Department will also serve a light snack at the break each morning and afternoon.

A definition of what a Sales Clerk is, will be part of the program and a film is shown, demonstrating the skills a good sales clerk knows and how they interact with customers. "While it may not be required, it is recommended that cashiers have a high school diploma." (Kelly, 2008) The Occupational Handbook also says that "For some entry-level jobs, personal characteristics are more important than formal training. Employers generally seek people who read, write, and speak well; compute accurately; think logically; learn quickly; get along with others; and demonstrate dependability." The Bureau of Labor Statistics website provides basic information and also goes into greater detail about a more highly skilled and experienced Sales Clerk. (Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-09). Information will also include voluntary certifications in this field, for which some sales clerks may wish to study.

This orientation program will deliver to the new personnel and briefly go over the Handbook which contains the policies and procedures of their job, including work hours, holidays and pay provided, as well as the principles upon which the company was founded. This Department Store has high expectations of its staff in the areas of honesty, friendliness and integrity of product. These are the key points in the high standards upon which this Department Store was founded. Upholding these standards creates and maintains a valuable customer base. It is through understanding these high standards that the new personnel will be able to function effectively in their position as sales clerks.

During the afternoon hours, Personnel trainers will take over to begin training in earnest. The new personnel will receive a review of the basic skills which they already have or may refresh or relearn. These involve:

A quick review of the computerized cash register system and demonstration of the functions of this system.

Counting cash and checks and storing them in the cash register. Making change for and delivering a receipt to the customer

Utilizing credit cards through our in-house computer system.

Utilizing bank cards through the in-house computer system.

Informing customers about this Department Store's own credit card, which will save them money as purchases are made and helping the customer apply for this credit card.

Helping a customer wishing to return an item.

How to answer questions about products or refer customers to the Customer Relations Department, where Department Store staff knowledgeable about warranties and return of faulty products may be consulted.

A review of services offered by the Department Store, such as carpet-laying, house-painting and installation of appliances, house-cleaning equipment rental and these services are priced. In this review the sales clerks will find out how to refer a customer to the department which offers such services.

A review of proper English.

Day Two

Day Two will be dedicated to the psychology of selling, to customer relations and to pleasing the customer who is searching for goods in the Department Store. A pleasant demeanor, dress and attitude toward the customer are all-important when it comes to making a customer feel comfortable and satisfied with the Department Store's services.

The new personnel will be given a short quiz which will determine for them and their trainer their particular personality and reveal how they look upon a new person who is visiting the store. With the results of this test, the trainer may then go over the procedures which the new personnel might use to help the customer, to make the customer feel more at ease and more inclined to continue searching for what they want within the Department Store, rather than moving on to another store.

Moving from this base of a "comfortable customer," a customer who feels that the sales clerk is genuinely interested in their particular need, the trainer will advance to the psychology of sales, and demonstrate how to help a customer find and choose which product they want from the selection in the Department Store. After the customer has chosen and paid for their product, the sales clerk is taught what the Department Store suggests they say to ensure that the customer will return to purchase more of the same type of goods in the future, or find unrelated products not in the sales clerk's department: "I hope you enjoy your product. If you have any problems with it whatsoever, please bring it back to us and we will make sure you are satisfied." A guarantee of satisfaction for goods purchased in the Department Store tends to improve customer satisfaction.

When the morning session on the Psychology of Sales is complete, the afternoon may be spent on the floor of the Department Store, observing other sales clerks and then using what they have learned to help customers who have come to purchase goods in the store. The new personnel will not help the customers at the cash register, but lead them to a sales clerk who is already experienced and ready to help them purchase their goods, once the new personnel have helped the customer find what they want.

Continuing Training

In the Department Store, employees are considered to be continually in training, as technology and their skills are upgraded. During Employee Development Workshops, not only shall they receive reviews of their work, but they shall also receive rewards for work well done, as well as workshops on new services available and discoveries on how to deal with difficult or customer satisfaction in customer relations,

Training by the computer company who installed and services the computerized cash registers will be incorporated into the three-month Employee Development Workshops, as computer trainers from these companies introduce new applications of their product.

At the completion of these three-month Employee Development Workshops, trainers and supervisors will meet with the sales clerks to go over their experiences, with a review in hand and asking for input from the sales clerks as to how to make their job more efficient and rewarding.

Supervisors who work with employees on a daily basis must realize that training does not stop when the three-day Training and Orientation Program is completed, but continues on the job, as personnel deal with customers in many different situations. Local school are encouraged to work with personnel and help them learn new techniques regarding sales and customer relations. In return, the Department Store will look for employees from among their graduates.

New Sales Personnel will be encouraged to train on their own outside of work in order to improve their position and pay. Unions and professional associations sometimes offer training programs to help workers improve their skills. When outside training is done, or an employee initiates a new and efficient process which helps the Department Store to improve its service and profit, the Department Store will honor that employee with a plaque and a celebration.

Job satisfaction comes when personnel feel that they are part of the process of improvement. It is then that loyalty to the Department Store becomes a matter of personal pride for each employee.