NRF Rise Up Vocabulary Customer Service

Active listening

• The unique way that an organization's employees interact with each other and with customers. The culture defines the personality of a company, and typically includes a variety of elements, such as work environment, company mission, value, ethics, expectations and goals. A company's culture can provide additional expectations for employees to deliver on the company's brand promises.
• A type of add-on service in which the manufacturer promises to repair or replace the item for a specific period of time, if needed.
• The branch of retail that oversees various aspects of employment, including recruitment, training, ensuring compliance with labor laws, processing employee benefits and payroll and performance management, along with the regular maintenance of personnel files and databases.
• The practice of hearing and understanding what a speaker is saying out loud and any messages suggested behind the words.

Add-on services

• The process of the customer taking previously purchased merchandise back to the retailer to receive a refund in the original form of payment, an exchange for another item or a store credit.
• Available services for specific product purchases that customers can opt for (e.g., payment options, product modifications, or other ways that customers can protect their purchases).
• A business that has shareholders through publicly traded stock, and usually has a centralized decision-making for its multiple store locations. Corporate-owned retailers include large chains such as Walmart, Kroger and Target.
• Technology used to electronically display digital images, video, web pages and text. Retailers use them to attract in-store customers to merchandise, provide price and product information and share brand content and messaging with customers to enhance their shopping experience.

Alterations

• Work that requires fewer hours than a full-time position and hour quantity may vary. It may be eligible for some benefits.
• A financing model in which the retailer loans a customer money-which comes from an internal lending department or a third-party bank-to buy the product as a part of the sale. Borrowers typically pay the retailer in monthly installments.
• Modifications to products that help them best meet the needs of customers (e.g., the tailoring of clothing items or installing additional memory in a laptop).
• Products developed by national or international manufacturers and then sold under another brand name that is available only at that retailer's stores.

Analytical communication style

• The unique way that an organization's employees interact with each other and with customers. The culture defines the personality of a company, and typically includes a variety of elements, such as work environment, company mission, value, ethics, expectations and goals. A company's culture can provide additional expectations for employees to deliver on the company's brand promises.
• The branch of retail in charge of selecting and purchasing merchandise.
• A communication style refers to the way a person interacts with others. Someone who has an analytical communication style typically wants the important data, facts and logic.
• A customer who makes quick purchase decisions, often for inexpensive items that do not have a high importance to the buyer.

At-will employment

• Intangible (can't be physically owned by the customer) transactions, such as lawn mowing, hair care services, personal training, ride sharing and video streaming.
• The delivery of a positive, memorable experience that is more than what the customer expected.
• Employment subject to termination by an employer at any time for any reason, except for an illegal reason such as discrimination. An employee is also free to leave a job at any time, for any reason.
• A retail model that offers customers the opportunity to interact with the multiple options in their ecosystem. These can or cannot be systemically connected to each other.

Body language cues

• Conscious or unconscious gestures and movements that express intentions. These are a key form of nonverbal communication.
• The belief that one's skills and knowledge are fixed traits that cannot be developed.
• A business that has shareholders through publicly traded stock, and usually has a centralized decision-making for its multiple store locations. Corporate-owned retailers include large chains such as Walmart, Kroger and Target.
• The branch of retail in charge of developing strategies to promote the company brand and specific products and services to increase customer satisfaction.

Brand promise

• The overall impression gathered from information that is seen, heard and experienced by customers who encounter a business, its products and its services.
• A customer who is motivated to be one of the first to purchase the newest technology, fashion or car, eat at the just-opened restaurant, or see the latest movie. They have an early adopter mindset and want to be recognized as a trendsetter by others.
• An interconnected system of approaches for providing customers with the merchandise and services they want - when, where and how they want to experience and purchase it. A retailer's reimagined ecosystem may offer a network of physical store formats, direct or phone sales options, ecommerce site(s), app(s), targeted marketing, experiences, services, amenities and interactions.
• An extension of the company brand that reflects the benefit of doing business with them—for example, providing quality customer service.

Breakaway statements

• In finance, this refers to an agreement between a consumer and a financial institution that allows the consumer to obtain products and services without payment, but with the promise of paying back within a certain timeframe. The retail term "store credit" refers to money that can only be used at that particular store or retailer. Customers usually get store credit when they return an item and do not choose, or are not eligible for, a cash refund. Store credit comes in the form of a physical card or an account balance and can be used by the customer to purchase items at that store or retailer only.
• Phrases used to smooth the transition between one customer and the next one (e.g., "Would it be OK if I grab a few items for another customer?").
• Brands that are associated with specific merchandise and may be offered at multiple retailers.
• A written statement about a specific job, which may include details such as the company name, the job title, the purpose of the position, the job's duties and responsibilities, the scope of the role, the qualifications and requirements for the position, the title of the role's supervisor, and the job's working conditions.

Buying

• An extension of the company brand that reflects the benefit of doing business with them—for example, providing quality customer service.
• The branch of retail in charge of selecting and purchasing merchandise.
• An instance of buying or selling something-in retail, this generally refers to a customer buying or returning an item.
• The advantages that make a certain service a good choice for the consumer.

Clientele

• The satisfaction that the customer feels after obtaining/experiencing the benefits from the purchased product or service.
• A customer who views shopping as a fun occasion, rather than looking for specific merchandise or services. This customer's mindset focuses on adventure and leisure.
• The collective group of customers that are served by a specific retailer, when considered in total.
• The branch of retail that oversees various aspects of employment, including recruitment, training, ensuring compliance with labor laws, processing employee benefits and payroll and performance management, along with the regular maintenance of personnel files and databases.