Common Sense Customer Service for the Retail Caricaturist
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| Author | René Pulido |
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| Published | EF Issue 2018.2 |
Publication date | Spring 2018 |
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| Pages | 13-14 |
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Article Transcript
One thing I’ve noticed is that we, the retail caricature artists, sometimes forget the reason why we’re working, and where we’re working, whether at an amusement park, shopping mall, holiday festival or country fair. We get so involved in the assembly line productivity that we completely forget about our good manners and most importantly the role the customers play in our business.
I know, I know. Some customers can be very fussy, to say the least. But don’t let one bad apple (OK two) ruin it for you, or you may end up without any customers to draw at all. No customers = Zero money. Yikes!
Now, not everybody is cut out to be a retail or theme park artist. It may look easy, but the reality is that it requires many skills.
A good retail caricaturist must be a quick, skillful artist, an entertaining performer, a tactful negotiator and an all-around people person, with competent organizational skills within a functional space, an eye for location, an attractive display of art samples, and a working knowledge of what’s popular and current.
So, still want to be a retail caricaturist??? Then you’ve gotta have fun with it! And you will, if you just remember that customer service is the key to good business. Follow these simple rules:
- Smile, even when you’re drawing.
- Be courteous, even to people who ask the same dumb question over and over again. (And no matter how tempting, keep your smart alec remarks to yourself.)
- Respect everybody. Don’t be rude, because everybody, including kids, are a potential customer. Yes, even the really odd people.
- Don’t let customers or co-workers get you down. Some people spend their entire lives complaining, no matter how good life is. Change the conversation or stay away from them if necessary. Surround yourself with positive, upbeat people. And be positive yourself. It’s good for your morale and good for business.
- Greet and treat people the way you want to be treated. It’s so disappointing when retail people ignore you, or cough up a bad attitude, so don’t bring your problems or bad attitudes to work. It’s bad for business!
- Make eye contact and say “hello” with a real smile. Even joke around a little, but keep it clean. And don’t pester them trying to make the sale, if you do, they’ll avoid you like a virus.
- When you are drawing, if people see that you enjoy what you do, customers will line up for you. Sometimes (I hate to say this for those who are excellent artists), but customer relations are more important than the actual artwork itself.
- Sit in a comfortable chair, up straight and attentively, because constantly drawing can become painful after a while. And it’s not easy to smile when you’re in pain. A long time in a bad posture will ruin anybody’s day.
- If you’re starting to feel a little burnt out, take a break and stretch your legs and back.
- Choose your break time wisely. When business is slow is obviously the best time for a break. After all, you don’t want to lose possible sales. Now, if you do get up for a break, and you have a line, make it a quick one, and let them know you’ll be right back. And when you come back, thank them for waiting so patiently and looking after your stuff. (I’ve done it for my bathroom breaks and haven’t lost a customer yet.)
- When you’re drawing couples, let the other person know that they can relax in the meantime. Chitchat with both of them. It puts them at ease. And whatever you do, don’t intensely stare for too long; it makes people very uncomfortable. (I heard of one guy who got punched in the nose by the boyfriend of the girl he was drawing. Ouch!) Quick glances work better.
- On a special or unusual request from a customer (like drawing a team logo), let them know ahead of time that it will cost them a little extra. Unless of course, if what they requested is completely inappropriate, like an adult theme in a family environment. But even then you can look for a clever solution. One customer asked me if I could draw him “flipping the bird” so I did. I drew a bird in his hand making a flip in the air. He loved it!
- Now, we all know: Everybody is a critic! Sometimes people can be too critical. But don’t get offended. Stay positive. Just remember 50% will love what you do, and 50% will hate what you do. Our job is to cater to the 50% who love what we do.
- “It doesn’t look like me.”Well... beauty is so hard to capture. That maybe true. Especially knowing that you could have done much better. So practice drawing a good likeness. I find it to be an excellent idea to challenge yourself with each new drawing that you do. It keeps you alert, entertained and most importantly: You become a better artist. After all, where else can you practice and get paid for it at the same time?
- “Are you done yet?” Find a way to draw young and old who wiggle around all over the place, like some people with ADD. After all, most of us can’t sit still for more than three minutes. So, learn to work fast. Also, you may try to catch their attention by engaging them in conversation. Or even play peek-a-boo with them. Sure! Why not? It reminds them to not be too serious. Just don’t over do it.
- Like a good comedian, timing is everything. This reminds me of when I was drawing three Japanese girls on the same page and didn’t let them see it until the end. So I quickly substituted it with another page that I had drawn with three stick figures instead. Oh...the look on their faces: Priceless! Of course, they ended up with both drawings in the end. And a Kodak moment for all of us with me holding the stick figure drawing.
- Now, you and I know people go to amusement parks and public events to have a good time. I do. And we, the caricaturists, are part of that entertainment. Therefore, the more fun the customer has, the better the experience is for them and for you. Plus, you’ll be the highlight of their day! Build your self-confidence by remembering the good customers and compliments you got during a day’s work and the extra tips (if any) for a job well done.
- Always be in charge. Let the customer know what you need from them. After all, only you know what’s the best angle and light to work from.
- Don’t let people disrespect you or your work, so always dress and act in a professional manner at all times.
- Be self-motivated, humorous, and above all, patient.
- Make sure you’re organized. It will help things flow a lot smoother, especially for the people waiting in line.
- Know your retail prices and eliminate loose change. It saves time. And time IS money. After all, you are working by the piece. And remember: you’re NOT an assembly line, so don’t act like one: NEXT!
When René wrote this, he was a theme park artist manager for 13 years at Six Flags in California, and had trained and supervised many artists throughout his career. Now he’s a full-time party artist in the San Francisco Bay Area. Check out his website at www.ReneArt.com.
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