Retail Training eLearning Library
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Ready4Retail introduces skills and knowledge for an individual to be competent in a range of activities and functions requiring basic retail operational knowledge and limited practical skills in a defined context. Work would be undertaken in various retail store settings, such as specialty stores, supermarkets, department stores and retail fast food outlets. Individuals may work with some autonomy or in a team but usually under close supervision…
Content In This Library
SIRXCCS001A – Core Course 1: Apply point-of-sale handling procedures
Operation of the Point of Sale (POS) system is critical to the accurate recording of information within a store. Modern systems record sales as well as stock information that feeds the data that is crucial to functions such as stock replenishment, stock sales, purchasing analysis and financial analysis. Even a basic cash register provides important financial information in terms of balancing and the accounting of money into the business through sales. Organisations can choose to deliver the course ‘out-of-the-box’ or personalise it to their needs. This course includes approximately 50 minutes of learning covering the following topics:
- Operate point-of-sale equipment
- Open and close point-of-sale terminal
- Clear point-of-sale terminal and transfer tender
- Handle cash
- Maintain supplies of change in point-of-sale terminal
- Attend active point-of-sale terminals
- Complete records for transaction errors
- Maintain supply of dockets, vouchers and POS documents
- Inform customers of delays in the point-of-sale operation
- List possible retail workplace numerical problems
- Collect numerical information and calculate accurately
- Complete point-of-sale transactions
- Store procedures for cash and non-cash transactions
- Perform point-of-sale transactions
- Apply store procedures in regard to exchanges and returns
- Move goods through point-of-sale area efficiently and with attention to fragility and packaging
- Enter information into point-of-sale equipment
- State price or total and amount of cash received verbally
- Tender correct change
- Complete customer order forms, invoices and receipts
- Accurately identify and process delivery requirements
- Process sales or direct customers to point-of-sale terminals
- Maintain adequate supplies of wrapping and packaging
- Select appropriate wrapping or packaging material
- Wrap merchandise neatly and effectively
- Pack items safely to avoid damage and attach labels
- Arrange transfer of merchandise for parcel pick-up or other delivery methods
SIRXCCS002A – Core Course 2: Interact with customers
It has been found that every person who leaves a store dissatisfied tells five other people about it. This is an enormous amount of negative advertising. In this course, we will investigate the skills and knowledge required to deliver service to customers. We will look at skills that will enable you to interact with customers actively rather than just take orders including how to communicate effectively with them, how to respond to their complaints, receive and process sales orders and identify special customer requirements. These skills can be used in any environment; whether selling a product, a service, an idea or yourself. Organisations can choose to deliver the course ‘out-of-the-box’ or personalise it to their needs. This course includes approximately 70 minutes of learning covering the following topics:
- Deliver service to customers
- What is customer service?
- Communicate in a professional, courteous manner
- Greeting Customers
- Meet needs and reasonable requests or refer to supervisor
- Record customer details and information where necessary
- Identify and anticipate possible problems and take action
- Opportunities to deliver additional levels of service
- Maintain contact with customer until sale is completed
- Farewell customer appropriately and courteously
- Verbal and non-verbal communication to develop rapport
- Encourage repeat customers
- Process customer returns or refunds
- Respond to customer complaints
- A positive, helpful attitude when handling complaints
- Handle complaints sensitively and courteously
- Confirm nature of complaint through active listening
- Take action to resolve complaint to customers’ satisfaction
- Refer unresolved customer dissatisfaction to supervisor
- Turn incidents of dissatisfaction into a demonstration of high-quality service
- Complete documentation regarding dissatisfaction
- Take follow-up action as necessary
- Record customers’ details and information accurately
- Promptly refer customers to appropriate area
- Provide information in clear, concise manner
- Process, record and act upon sales orders
- Identify special customer requirements
- Identify customers with special needs or requirements
- Verbally and non-verbally convey willingness to assist
- Promptly service, refer or redirect customers’ needs
SIRXCLM001A – Core Course 3: Organise and maintain work areas
Customers would prefer not to shop in a poorly maintained, cluttered or unclean store environment. What they expect is quite the opposite, so don’t be surprised when they don’t comment on a clean and tidy store. Equally, don’t be surprised if they do comment on a dirty one. Maintaining work areas is about ensuring housekeeping policies are adhered to and conducted routinely and consistently. Organisations can choose to deliver the course ‘out-of-the-box’ or personalise it to their needs. This course includes approximately 40 minutes of learning covering the following topics:
- Maintain safe, uncluttered and organised work areas
- Maintaining counters
- Maintaining the point of sale area and terminals
- Maintaining walkways and aisles
- Carry out all routines safely, effectively and efficiently with minimum inconvenience to customers and staff
- Policy and procedures for tidying work areas and placing items in designated areas
- Personal hygiene
- Cleaning the work area
- Remove and dispose of waste promptly
- EPA Hierarchy of Management
- Report or remove spills, waste, or other potential hazards
- Promptly display signage in regard to unsafe areas
- Maintain and store equipment and consumable materials
- Use and clean tools and equipment (including guards)
SIRXCOM001A – Core Course 4: Communicate in the workplace
Establishing contact with customers starts with the creation of a welcoming external and internal environment that is designed to attract the store’s target market. The environment must match the customer expectation and products offered. For example, an exclusive boutique would be likely to feature its stock using spot lighting whereas a bargain outlet is likely to be lit with bright and consistent neon lighting and the fixtures will suit mass merchandising. Both provide an appropriate environment that their customers can relate to and feel comfortable in. Organisations can choose to deliver the course ‘out-of-the-box’ or personalise it to their needs. This course includes approximately 70 minutes of learning covering the following topics:
- Maintaining a welcoming environment
- Greeting customers warmly according to store procedures
- Creating an effective service environment
- Question and active listening to determine customer needs
- Confidentiality and the demonstration of tact
- Questioning and active listening when using the telephone
- Answering the telephone according to store procedures
- Making telephone calls according to store procedures
- Recording and passing on messages and information
- Inform customer of any problems and action being taken
- Ensure any necessary follow up action is taken
- Working in a team
- Demonstrating a courteous and helpful manner at all times
- Completing tasks willingly and without undue delay
- Assisting team members when difficulties arise Lines of communication between supervisors and peers
- Encourage, acknowledge and act on constructive feedback
- How questioning can minimise misunderstanding
- Identifying and avoiding potential workplace conflict
- Participation in team problem solving
- Maintain neat and tidy personal dress and presentation
- Personal hygiene maintained
- Follow routine instructions
- Instructions received and acted upon
- Emergency lines of communication
- Effective questioning used to elicit information
- Storing information relevant to the particular task
- Daily work routine planned and organised
- Tasks prioritised and completed without undue delay
- Read and interpret retail documents
- Use numbers in the workplace
- Numerical information collected and calculated accurately
SIRXICT001A – Core Course 5: Operate retail technology
From the simplest of processes like pricing using a hand held pricing gun to more advanced functions, equipment plays an important part of the daily operations within a store. The various tools and machinery that we are referring to here can run the majority of retail functions including POS transactions, ticketing, product identification and recording mark-ups and markdowns. Equipment can track stock from ordering to movement within the store to purchasing, wrapping and packing, and waste disposal. It can store all of the necessary staff record information and allows all kinds of instant communication. Organisations can choose to deliver the course ‘out-of-the-box’ or personalise it to their needs. This course includes approximately 40 minutes of learning covering the following topics:
- Identify purpose of equipment used
- Operate to design specifications and safety requirements
- Identify equipment faults and report to relevant personnel
- Identify and apply maintenance program
- Operate keyboard using typing techniques
- Enter and edit information accurately
- Enter data using relevant equipment
- Operate price marking equipment
- Enter data accurately and within designated time
- Operate data entry equipment
SIRXIND001A – Core Course 6: Work effectively in a retail environment
Organisational culture describes how a business functions and operates as it seeks to fulfil its goals. While smaller businesses are less likely to have defined all the components, it is important that retail people are aware of the various elements that help them to fit in and align to the requirements of their organisation. Organisations can choose to deliver the course ‘out-of-the-box’ or personalise it to their needs. This course includes approximately 50 minutes of learning covering the following topics:
- Provide notification of shift availability or non-attendance
- Interpret staff rosters accurately
- Recognise and describe organisational culture
- Display non-discriminatory attitudes
- Use non-discriminatory language
- Access sources of information on the retail industry, effective work performance and career planning
- Relevant awards and agreements
- Analyse role of employee and employer associations
- Maintain personal dress and presentation
- Maintain personal hygiene
- Receive and act upon instructions
- Assess, comprehend and act upon store information
- Plan and organise daily work routine
- Prioritise and complete tasks according to timeframes
SIRXINV001A – Core Course 7: Perform stock control procedures
Receipt of stock may happen in a dedicated loading and unloading area commonly called a receiving bay or dock for large stores or within the store itself for smaller stores. For some stores, such as a large department store or supermarket, the receiving bay could be an area at the back of the store where the delivery trucks pull in. For a small store, which may not have a delivery dock, the receiving bay could simply be the shop floor or the store room. Whichever the area, there are many tasks that need to be undertaken which will keep the receiving bay in the best possible condition. Organisations can choose to deliver the course ‘out-of-the-box’ or personalise it to their needs. This course includes approximately 50 minutes of learning covering the following topics:
- Receive and process incoming goods
- Maintain cleanliness and orderliness in receiving bay
- Unpack goods using handling techniques and equipment
- Stock handling
- Remove and promptly dispose of packing materials
- Check and validate incoming stock
- Inspect items received for damage, quality, use-by dates, breakage or discrepancies
- Record stock levels on store stock systems
- Rotate and store stock according to the first in first out (FIFO) principle
- Dispatch stock to appropriate area or department
- Apply stock price and code labels when required
- Carry out stock rotation procedures
- Perform store code checking and reporting procedures
- Place merchandise to achieve a balanced, fully-stocked display appearance and promote sales
- Place excess stock in storage or dispose of
- Maintain safe lifting, shifting and carrying techniques
SIRXOHS001A – Core Course 8: Apply safe working practices
Safety procedures in all retail stores are governed by legislation. On top of this, many stores implement their own safety policies and procedures in line with the legislation to encompass the store’s unique circumstances and products. For instance, a car accessory store will have procedures for handling each of a variety of chemical products whereas a footwear store may only have a procedure for using basic cleaning agents. However both must comply with Manual Handling legislation and the code of practice. Organisations can choose to deliver the course ‘out-of-the-box’ or personalise it to their needs. This course includes approximately 50 minutes of learning covering the following topics:
- Follow and maintain procedures for a safe environment
- Identify and report unsafe working practices
- Reduction of risks strategies
- Manage dangerous goods and substances
- Identify manual handling risks and manage tasks
- Report work-related incidents and accidents
- Demonstrate consultative processes and follow procedures
- Follow emergency procedures, including evacuation
- Designated people responsible for first aid and evacuation
- Accurately identify safety alarms
SIRXRSK001A – Core Course 9: Minimise theft
One area that staff must have a good understanding is security. Loss in any form affects a number of areas including a store’s profit result and the pricing of goods to the customer. To minimise the chance of loss occurring a range of procedures, systems and equipment are generally in place. These are only as good as the staff’s application and understanding, any failure to follow procedures, use systems or equipment appropriately provide an opportunity for loss to occur. Security is about consistent vigilance and compliance. Organisations can choose to deliver the course ‘out-of-the-box’ or personalise it to their needs. This course includes approximately 40 minutes of learning covering the following topics:
- Apply store security systems and procedures
- Security Procedures Checklist
- Handling and securing cash
- Observing and dealing with suspicious behaviour
- Dealing with internal and external theft Secure storage
- Minimise theft by minimising the opportunity
- Take appropriate action to minimise theft
- Matching merchandise to correct price tags
- Maintain surveillance of merchandise
- Check customers’ bags as required at point of sale
- Maintain security of cash, cash register and keys
- Regard to customers, staff and outside contractors
- Deal with suspected or potential thieves
SIRXSLS001A – Elective Course 1: Sell products and services
Product demonstration and answering customer questions is an integral part of the selling process for salespeople. A thorough knowledge of the products sold and their application is essential to optimise the chances of a successful sale. You would not be likely to make the sale of a camera, for example, without the ability to show its features and discuss when you might use them. Having said so, product presentation coupled with a sound knowledge of the product is equally important in situations where demonstration doesn’t occur. Organisations can choose to deliver the course ‘out-of-the-box’ or personalise it to their needs. This course includes approximately 60 minutes of learning covering the following topics:
- The use and application of relevant products and services
- Accessing relevant sources of product information
- Identify and apply effective sales approach
- Convey a positive impression to arouse customer interest
- Demonstrate knowledge of customer buying behaviour
- Apply questioning techniques to determine buying motives
- Use listening skills to determine customer requirements Interpret and clarify non-verbal communication cues
- Identify customers by name where possible
- Direct Customer to Specific Merchandise
- Match customer needs to products and services
- Communicate knowledge of products
- Describe product use and safety requirements
- Refer customers to appropriate product specialist
- Answer routine questions about merchandise
- Identify and accept customer objections
- Categorise objections into price, time and merchandise
- Offer solutions according to store policy
- Apply problem solving to overcome customer objections
- Monitor, identify and respond to buying signals
- Encourage customer to make purchase decisions
- Select and apply appropriate method of closing the sale
- Recognise and apply opportunities for additional sales
- Advise customer of complementary products or services
- Review personal sales outcomes to maximise future sales
SIRXSLS002A – Elective Course 2: Advise on products and services
Knowledge is power and for retailers, product knowledge can mean more sales. Product knowledge comes in various forms, including how its features map to its intended purpose, what goes with what, and how it works. It is difficult to effectively sell to a customer if you cannot show how a particular product or service will address their needs, so you need to know about it and know how to demonstrate all such features. Having a thorough understanding of the different products on your shelves can allow you to use different techniques and methods of presenting to customers. Organisations can choose to deliver the course ‘out-of-the-box’ or personalise it to their needs. This course includes approximately 30 minutes of learning covering the following topics:
- Develop product and service knowledge
- Convey product knowledge to other staff as required
- Research and apply comparisons of products and services
- Knowledge of competitors’ range and pricing structure
- Evaluate merchandise according to customer requirements
- Demonstrate features and benefits
- Apply detailed specialised knowledge of product to provide accurate advice to customers