With increased competition from big box stores like Amazon and Chewy, it’s more important than ever to have well trained and educated employees who can help build customer loyalty.

The online giants are investing in employee education, and independent pet retailers need to follow suit. Why? When you take the time to train and educate employees, they feel invested in and they become more engaged. They become all-things-pet experts, equipped to handle customer questions with ease. Better trained employees yield a stronger competitive advantage.

Let’s take a closer look at the benefits of education, the challenges, and how a tool like ExpertVoice can help you grow your competitive advantage.

The Challenges Pet Store Owners Face With Investing in Employee Education

• Time:
  Carving out the time for training can be tricky for small retailers with limited staff and budgets.

• Labor laws:
  If your budget is tight and you struggle with only training during work shifts, be wary. Asking employees to train on their own time goes against labor laws.

• Tracking & accountability:
  You’ll need a method to track the progress of training and to measure the results. This will likely mean some extra legwork.

• Affordability:
  If education and training doesn’t have a line in your budget, you’ll need to go back to the drawing board to figure out a way to carve it in. It’s valuable for building your competitive advantage.

The good news is, investing in employee education and training doesn’t require an entire overhaul of your budget. Start small and measure your results. Have your employees spend 30 minutes a month on education and training. Something is certainly better than nothing.

The Benefits of Education

• It empowers employees, who then become more engaged in their industry:
  When employees have a lack of awareness, they’re less likely to be involved. They also won’t be well equipped to help customers, which is key for building loyalty. Education helps boost engagement and expertise.

• Educated retail sales associates drive sales:
  Knowledgeable, helpful employees = happy customers. Happy customers are more likely to buy the products you’re showcasing.

• It’s a perk for employees:
  Pitch training as a perk that looks good on their resume. This could include access to ExpertVoice and other tools.

ExpertVoice: What It Is and How It Can Help

With online tool ExpertVoice, your employees will work with pet retail experts to get up to speed on the brands and products your store offers. ExpertVoice will offer insights, reviews, and advice to help employees become experts who can drive sales.

Companies like WizSmart, Charlotte’s Web, Petsafe, and many more are already investing in ExpertVoice. Here are some benefits they have found with this partnership:

• Eliminates the problem of training-at-scale
• Increased sales of 9.5%
• Sales associates at shops with 5 or less locations engage 36% more. Their increased knowledge and ability to make recommendations increase the likelihood of purchases.

The bottom line? Investing in employees can have tremendous benefits for independent pet retailers.

ExpertVoice is ready to help set your employees and your store up for success.

Discover what the world’s largest advocacy marketing platform can do for your bottom line here.