Customer Service and Sales Skills
This section covers Customer Service and Sales Skills. The exam tests the sales process, need discovery, product presentation, objection handling and complaint resolution in a retail setting.
Core rules
Greet the customer promptly and politely, but do not hover. Discover needs with open questions about purpose, budget, size, usage and preferences. Match features to benefits: a feature is what the product has; a benefit is what it does for the customer. Demonstrate only what is relevant, and check understanding. Handle objections with evidence, not argument. Confirm the sale, explain warranty, return and care instructions, and close with thanks.
For complaints, listen fully, apologise for the experience without admitting unverified fault, paraphrase the issue, offer options within policy, act, and follow up. Record repeat complaints. Service quality depends on reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy and tangibles such as clean counters and tidy displays.
Worked example
A customer wants a mixer grinder for a family of four, has a budget of ₹3,500 and often grinds idli batter. A 750 W model with a large jar suits heavy batter, but a 500 W model is cheaper. Show both, explain that the larger jar reduces batch time, and demonstrate the safety lock. If the customer says it is too heavy, do not argue; show a lighter model and state the trade-off in capacity. The reasoning links usage to specification, not to the highest price.
Traps
Do not push the most expensive item without needs discovery. Do not promise stock or delivery dates you cannot confirm. Do not argue with an angry customer or discuss a complaint in front of other shoppers. Do not skip the return, warranty and care explanation.
Key points
- Discover needs before recommending.
- Convert features into customer benefits.
- Handle objections with facts and alternatives.
- Resolve complaints through listening, options and follow-up.
- Explain warranty, return and care at closing.