Sometimes we need a sales associate’s attention, and sometimes we need to be left alone. For those in customer service, it can be tough to tell the difference, and getting it wrong can cost businesses sales and customers. As college stores seek to become campus destinations that offer memorable experiences, knowing how and when to approach a shopper is critical.
Earlier this fall, Kate Weinand with the University of Mary Bookstore came to Columbia, Missouri, to attend the MBS Systems Training Fall Forums event. Over the course of a few days, attendees are able to network with individuals from other stores and learn more about the capabilities of their MBS system. We sat down with Ms. Weinand to hear more about the University of Mary Bookstore and its new location.
How’s this for a mind-boggling number? $2 trillion. That’s how much cybercrime is projected to cost businesses by 2019, according to Forbes.
Open Educational Resources are a hot topic in education. Students need ways to lower costs. Naturally, they look to schools to provide them with better solutions. In turn, many schools look to OER to help accomplish that goal. However, these no-cost options are just a piece of the course materials puzzle.
University stores are demonized on many campuses: “The bookstore is only out for profit,” faculty and students say. At Bloomsburg University Bookstore, nothing could be further from the truth. Manager Laura Heger stays enmeshed in student life, working actively to build the store’s reputation as a campus service through dialogue with customers.
“May the odds be ever in your favor!” ®
December is to shopping what Halloween is to candy. While it is a busy season for college stores, it is also the perfect time to take advantage of the shopping spirit and run a holiday sale. That’s why we have compiled some last-minute holiday promotion ideas to increase foot traffic in your store.
Customer service can be tricky. You want to do everything in your power to make the customer’s experience with your business pleasant, but inevitably there will be times when someone has a bad encounter. If they tell you the issue, it can be resolved. Often, though, customers don’t give voice to the complaints. Unless there has been an egregious error, most customers will just walk away disappointed or angry, which leads to a loss of customers and revenue to the store.
It’s the time of year where goals start creeping into consciousness. We are evaluating the goals we fell short on this past year and establishing new benchmarks for next year. It is also around this time that the onslaught of articles come out about whether or not goal setting is even worthwhile. On one hand, goals can inspire employees to reach higher, but on the other, they can also become a hinderance and waste precious time.
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