Having the right product in the right place is at the heart of the successful My Macy's program. But product alone won't make it in a department store setting and, hence, Macy's newfound emphasis on sales associate training.
According to a Wall Street Journal article, nearly half of all complaints the chain receives are related to interactions between consumers and sales associates. To rectify this shortcoming, Macy's has revamped its training as part of its "Magic Selling" initiative.
In the past, associates were required to watch a 90-minute video as part of their initial training with Macy's. Today, new hires attend a three-and-a-half-hour live training session.
All sales personnel receive seasonal refresher courses and get on-the-floor coaching from managers. Associates also receive weekly scorecards that help them set and achieve measurable goals.
Research by Bain & Company found that positive interactions with sales associates leads to a 50 percent increase in the number of items purchased by consumers.
"The odds of repeat visits also go up significantly," Aaron Cheris, a partner at Bain's retail practice, told the Journal.
A RetailWire poll in January found that cast (employees) were listed by the largest number of respondents (27 percent) as the most important element in the consumer experience at retail.
Training, as Macy's has identified, is recognized as a necessity to help associates achieve their potential. A poll earlier this month on RetailWire found that nearly three times as many respondents rated retail industry training programs as poor (32 percent) than good (11 percent). Fifty percent came down solidly in the middle, handing out fair grades.