ao link

NEWS. COLLECTIONS. BUSINESS. EVENTS - straight to your inbox

By entering my email I agree to the Bridal Buyer Privacy Policy (we won’t share your data & you can unsubscribe at any time)

Customer Service of the Year - Sophie Grace Bridal
Customer Service of the Year - Sophie Grace Bridal

Best Retailer Customer Service of the Year: Sophie Grace Bridal

We spoke with Melisa, Marketing Specialist at Sophie Grace Bridal, following their win at the Bridal Buyer Awards

Linked InFacebookTwitter

Can you tell us a bit about your brand?

Our bridal boutique was established in 2015 with the purpose of selling the latest in bridal fashion to the residents of Wokingham and surrounding areas. We strive to create an atmosphere that is unique from any other bridal shopping experience.

Read more: Catherine Parry: Winners of Best Supplier Customer Service of the Year

We believe in giving our customers the utmost care, even down to the smallest detail, creating great moments and memories leading up to their most special day. Just as we believe their wedding day should truly be the happiest day of their life, we believe that the right bridal gown is essential in making it so.

Read more: Bridalwear Retailer of the Year: England - Abi Neill of Abigail’s Collection

This is your second award for customer service, what do you do differently to other retailers?

One thing that we think does make us stand out from the crowd is putting ourselves in our customers’ shoes. To do so, we train our team to listen: to make sure they fully understand the bride before selecting the dresses and treat each bride as an individual.

Every bride who visits us has our undivided attention – whether it’s for a bridal, bridesmaid or an accessory appointment. Our brides always comment on this and how important it is in their dress shopping experience, and we listened.

We will make them feel at home the moment they walk into our beautiful boutique. Whilst gazing at the latest in bridal fashion, we will guide them through our store. We are constantly striving to change our inventory to bring them the best selection of wedding gowns.

Read more: Best Men’s Formalwear Retailer of the Year: Chimney Menswear

Why do you focus so much on maintaining great customer service?

Consistency is an exceptionally powerful service tool, particularly in today‘s world, where competition has never been greater, and both consumer choice and empowerment are increasing.

It is only logical that a bride’s confidence in our shop will increase if we deliver a consistent level of quality in our customer service.

Read more: Best Mother of the Bride Collection: Veni Infantino for Ronald Joyce

Why is great customer service so important in our industry?

Good customer service is especially important for businesses that specialize in luxury goods and services, which is what the wedding industry is all about. The wedding dress market is competitive, as new dresses are released each season.

Excellent customer service builds trust and helps us forge a deeper and more meaningful relationship with brides. The greater the emotional connection between our brides and our business, the higher the customer loyalty. After all, nothing is more trustworthy than consistency of excellent customer service.

Read more: Best Bridal Manufacturer of the Year 2018: Enzoani

Do you have any tips for other retailers looking to improve their customer service?

Train your salespeople to build relationships with customers. Consultants who are well-trained have greater confidence and job satisfaction: they know they’re good at their jobs because they’ve been given the tools and knowledge needed to succeed. And then that satisfaction and confidence will be clear to your customers. And make customer service a priority for every person in your bridal store.

The first step is to make clear to your entire team that everyone plays an extremely important role no matter what their position is, from the receptionist, to the consultants, to the alterations department. Customer service only works when everybody is on board!

Find out more about the winners at the Bridal Buyer Awards with our Wonder Woman Wednesday profile on the manager of Eden Bridal, Kimberley Fairfowl.

Linked InFacebookTwitter
© 2021 Bridal Buyer • bridalbuyer@oceanmedia.co.uk • 020 7772 8300 • © Ocean Media Group Ltd