Hardware Retailing The Industry's Source for Insights and Information
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Poor customer service, lost sales and increased shrinkage are just a few of the results of ignoring your employees’ hardware education. Employees need training to succeed. The North American Retail Hardware Association (NRHA) has a collection of courses that can help you develop a strategy. Here are 10 ways proper training will help your business.
1. Increase Transaction Size
Employees who have selling skills training know the tactics for effectively guiding a customer through a project sale and suggesting add-on sales. Customers who add even a few extra items to their carts can boost your bottom line.
2. Engage Employees
The more employees understand the way a retail business runs, such as the basics of profit and loss, the more they can contribute to your operation. They are also more likely to look out for your operations’ best interests.
3. Improve Customer Service
Trained employees will have the knowledge and confidence they need to help customers with whatever projects they may be tackling. That will build your reputation as the place with product knowledge experts.
4. Reduce Employee Turnover
When you show employees you are willing to invest in training them, they will have higher satisfaction with their job and are more likely to stay longer. Your investment in training will be small compared to the cost of turnover.
5. More Productive Staff
While you want employees to ask for help when they need it, knowledgeable employees will be more independent. They’ll spend less time asking and more time selling, which will allow them to take care of customers quickly, too.
6. A Safer Store
Employees who know how to do their jobs safely and how to keep the store safe for customers will save you money. You will have less downtime due to on-the-job injuries and lower insurance rates, too.
7. Reduce Shrinkage
One way to prevent theft is to have attentive employees who give shoplifters fewer opportunities to do their work. And when theft does happen, employees who can spot the signs of a shoplifter can report it right away.
8. Create a Well-Rounded Staff
Give employees opportunities to learn about all of the categories in the store, and you’ll increase their overall job satisfaction. You’ll also have a team that can help out wherever needed, which will give you more versatility in scheduling.
9. Easy to Use Online Courses
NRHA’s training courses are online so employees can study anytime, anywhere they have an internet connection. NRHA’s learning management system also makes it easy to track student progress, giving you more time in your business.
10. Good Use of Training Budget
Some of NRHA’s training is free; for the rest of it, you pay a nominal fee to become an NRHA Training Member. For more information, contact member growth and development manager Marci Taschler at 317-275-9421 or mtaschler@nrha.org.
