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To Catch a Thief

12/12/2014

Before training with ServiceIQ, new retail assistant Ian Dunn thought that all it took to deal with a shoplifter was a strong arm and a running tackle. But, as he will tell you, there’s a right and a wrong way to deal with in-store theft. New Zealand retailers lose millions of dollars a year from theft, so it’s important to know how to handle an incident properly and legally, says Ian.


“What I found eye-opening was how you handled the problem. I thought you’d just go after the person, but now I see that they have rights.”

But how to catch a thief wasn’t the only thing Ian picked up doing a ServiceIQ on-job industry training programme.  

Going back a few years, his whole life changed in the aftermath of the Christchurch earthquakes. The former auto electrician was made redundant. His house was destroyed, and he couldn’t find another job in his line of work. He had trained years ago, had all of his qualifications and had never thought that he would need to retrain half way through his life. In urgent need of a job, he decided to try for something different and was pleased to be offered a role in retail.

Ian works at Mitre 10 Mega in Christchurch where he helps retail and trade customers, including building contractors and plumbers, to select and purchase everything from large scale appliances to fully-fitted bathrooms and kitchens.

It was a big contrast to working with car engines. So Ian asked Mitre 10 to arrange an entry level ServiceIQ retail training programme for him. He wanted help to upskill and to make a go of his new career working with people, who might not spark but can definitely answer back.

This meant gaining an understanding of what makes customers tick: what motivates them to shop and buy, how to interact with customers, and deal with customer complaints and challenging customers – topics that are all covered as part of the training and were fresh territory for Ian.

Gaining the knowledge has made it easier for him to satisfy customers, make sales, and build a new career. He has also enjoyed getting his head around the creative challenge of merchandising and how to make the store look good even though he says he’s not a “naturally artistic person”.

“I never would have been given this opportunity in my old job,” he says. “I’ve learnt the most about personal interaction and how to resolve conflict in the work place. It was also good to learn about how to plan in-store displays. Now I see things in a visual context and can consider everything from a customer’s perspective.”

Ian Service IQ Photos

Ian has been in the job for three years. He has gained his ServiceIQ National Certificate in Retail (Level 2), to add to his automotive qualifications. He’s also ready to upskill further and would like to complete the next tier in ServiceIQ retail training.

“I really enjoy helping people and the biggest highlight is when you make a successful sale. For instance, a guy came in last week and bought three complete kitchen and bathroom sets. 

“It’s nice to see that people are being able to rebuild in Christchurch, but it can also be quite depressing when you meet elderly customers who have been waiting for four years to get any repairs done. 

“We get good luck stories and hard luck stories. We deal with a lot of euphoria and out right depression. I was in the red zone and my house was knocked down. All you can really do is try and share your experience and be empathetic with your customers.”

Which happens to be an essential skill if you’re serious about providing great customer service.

More

The National Certificate in Retail (Level 2) is an ideal kick-starter to help get staff up to speed in all sizes and types of retail business. It leads onto a range of other ServiceIQ retail training programmes, right up to management level qualifications.

 


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To find out how we can help your business, call us for no obligation advice on 0800 863 693 or email intel@ServiceIQ.org.nz