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Survey says 85% of shoppers are put off by untrained staff

A new NOP survey has found that 85% of shoppers would leave a store for another when faced with sales staff who do not fully understand the product they are selling.

The telephone survey, commissioned by the Adult Learning Inspectorate (ALI), asked 1000 people about their expectations of retail staff and found that over two-thirds of those questioned (67%) said they had gone home without buying a product because they found that the sales staff were not helpful.

Tasleem Chaudary, an ALI inspector of retail training said: "All retailers have to work hard to make a profit, particularly with the emergence of internet shopping. The results of our survey demonstrate that the high street stores that invest in staff training are those which are more likely to make the sale, particularly when the customer needs advice on the product they are looking for. This survey shows that good-quality training will have an impact on the bottom line."

Ms Chaudary said that although informal training is always happening on the shop floor there are fewer retailers that invest in apprenticeships or NVQs: "To be fair to retailers the barriers to qualifications within the sector can be very real – it’s such a competitive environment that there’s a tendency to think that there isn’t time to fulfil all the demands of a formal qualification.

"The training is generally happening but without a qualification being awarded. Yet nationally recognised qualifications bring a huge range of benefits to the employee and the retailer. Offering transferable qualifications improves staff retention and provides a proper career structure to an employee – so enhancing the attractiveness of the profession."

Nigel Broome, chief executive of Skillsmart Retail, the sector skills council for the retail industry said: "The retail industry is big business – it employs 3 million people and takes £236 billion at UK tills every year. However, the pace of change and the expectations of the customer are increasing, making it absolutely crucial that retailers of all sizes employ people with the right skills and commit themselves to high quality-training.

"The results of this survey highlight very clearly the value that customers place upon service generally and product knowledge in particular. The best retailers already know that it is service that will remain the point of competitive difference for the foreseeable future – making sure that staff understand the products they sell is crucial and could be the difference between a sale and a lost customer. "

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