Helping people

[elmtree]

So I'm starting to get super busy at my farmers market. Several times I had a line of people who wanted to ask questions or make purchases. I'm finding it difficult to handle everyone and I'm losing customers who can't or do t want to wait. I'm by myself usually so other than having someone help me, how can I let people know I'll be with them as soon as I can while keeping them from leaving?

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

I think that they do know that already, but don't want to wait.

Do you do any sort of triage at all? As in, if the next person asks you a very complicated question and the next two people have a soap in one hand and cash in the other, do you ask the first person to wait a moment while you serve the two waiting to pay and then return to the first person?

If I was one of the ones with no question, just take my cash and give me a soap, but had to stand and wait while someone else was yabbering on about some detail of it all, I could well get impatient and call it a day.

 

[navigator9]

Congratulations on being so busy....that's a good sign! I know exactly what you mean, it always seems like there's no one at your booth, or a crowd, rarely anything in between. I usually do fairs by myself too, and I'm not sure there is a perfect way to handle this problem, short of getting someone to help you. Ideally, I'd love to have someone to bag purchases and make change, while I answer questions and talk to customers, but I can't afford to pay someone, and I already give soap to my friends, so I can't bribe them with soap. I'll be watching this thread to see if anyone has a good suggestion. Meanwhile, keep up the good work, people are obviously loving your soap!

 

[pamielynn]

Look them in the eye and say "Thanks for your patience; I'll be right with you". When you personally acknowledge someone, it restarts their "clock". And if you are answering a question, there is no law that says you can't ask them to wait a second while you take care of the person waving their money at you. Most people understand that sales take precedence over chit-chat. And smile, smile, smile.

And maybe it's time to hire someone to help you. Pretty much would cost you one bar of soap an hour to pay somebody to learn sales.

 

[godschild]

Make a questions and answers page up and hand it to the ones with the questions. Ask them to look it over while you are handling the purchases and tell them if they still have a question that you'll be right back with them asap. Just an idea I read either on this or another forum at one time.

 

[neeners]

I've been at markets where I've been the person asking questions/chatting up a storm with the vendor. The vendor would say to me something like "can you hold on a minute?" to me, and ask if they have a simple question or just wanted to purchase real quick, and then get back to me.

 

[scrubbadubdub]

Maybe have a flyer/brochure with a section about you, your business and your products & include frequently asked questions & some testimonials to keep them occupied for a moment while you ring up customers who are ready to pay.

 

[elmtree]

Thanks for all if the great ideas everyone! I love the idea of making up some brochures and everyone who said that I could ask the person chatting to wait just a sec while I ring up the next people. Those are great ideas! I will definitely be using them. Thanks!!

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

And I'm glad that this is a problem for you! Better than having to ask for good games to play on the phone because no one is there.

 

[elmtree]

And I'm glad that this is a problem for you! Better than having to ask for good games to play on the phone because no one is there.

Speaking of which... I'm sure that this will be a problem today. I just got to my monthly market and see that there are like 20 vendors and 3 soapers... Ugh gonna be a long day. Why do they do this??!!