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If you’ve ever gone shopping, you’ve experienced it.

You’re looking for something, but you can’t find it. You try to find an employee for assistance, but–if you’re even lucky enough to locate one–they simply point you off in another direction. Again–if you’re lucky–maybe you’ll find what you’re looking for wherever they directed you.

How many times have you given up the search, or looked elsewhere (Amazon, anyone?), because the item proved elusive?

I’ve worked in retail, and I ‘ve experienced this as a shopper, so here are four reasons to escort searching customers to the item in question. (I realize that it’ll steal from your many other assigned tasks, but check out the fourth reason.)

Escorting customers to their item (almost) guarantees a sale

Sure, it can’t prevent them from a last-minute realization that they don’t actually need this item, but if they came in explicitly looking for it, chances are low that they will change their mind after locating it.

However, if they are left to track it down on their own, not only do you have to hope that your instructions were clear, but you also have to trust that the customer perfectly understood what you were communicating. Even the clearest instructions can be misunderstood. Escorting removes misunderstanding.

And a sale is a good thing. It brings in the money that keeps the company running and funds your paychecks. Guaranteed sales guarantee your paychecks continue.

Escorting customers to their item reinforces that the company values the customer

Customers are required for a company to stay in business. Making customers feel valued is critical for customers to continue supporting a given business.

Escorting customers accomplishes this by treating every need as unique and important. Pointing off in another direction communicates “You’re an inconvenience.” This is not a message any company should want to be sending.

When an employee walks a customer to a desired item, it communicates “I want your visit to [insert your company name here] to be as hassle-free as possible.” Nothing is more important than the customer.

Escorting customers to their item heightens the possibility of repeat customers

Loyalty is earned, not demanded (or bought). And there’s no easier way to earn loyalty than by demonstrating care for someone. Care translates to value.

When customers feel valued, not only will they tell others about the great business they discovered, whether vocally or via online review, but they’ll also come back to do business again.

Average customer service will not result in customer loyalty, but demonstrating that customers are valued will build loyalty. There’s no easier way to do this than by escorting them to their desired item.

Escorting customers to their item increases employee ownership of the state of the store

It might feel like an inconvenience, but the fact is that this encourages employees to stay on top of keeping the store organized, clean, and stocked. How embarrassing would it be if you escorted a customer to their item, only to discover it was sold out or misplaced?

Escorting customers requires employees to take ownership of the state of their store. This ownership will never result when employees are encouraged to simply direct customers away.

As shoppers, we long for this level of customer service. As retail employees, why don’t we offer it?

There are four great reasons here to consider heightening your customer service quality by escorting customers to the items they desire. Which reason resonated with you the most?

• a guaranteed (almost) sale
• demonstrating the customer’s value
• earning customer loyalty
• developing employee ownership of their workplace

Happy shopping!