ABSTRACT
An increasingly competitive market means that retail selling is growing in importance for all retailers, not just retailers of high-value, complex products. Retailing is a service, and retail selling is as essential a function as customer service. Indeed, the two are interlinked, not just because both functions are undertaken by the same staff in many retail organizations, but also because both customer service and sales staff have the prime role as interfacers between the retail organization and its customers. The customers’ interpretation of the organization’s image and ethos are affected by the nature of their relationship and encounters with retail staff.
