This is an industry-validated and video-delivered soft skills assessment program. RTL measures the competencies required by employers and as established by the National Retail Federation's (NRF) skill standards. The program identifies both the current competencies and the developmental needs of individuals. When skill development is suggested, strategies are identified to support the attainment of those skills. Because of its validity, RTL is used in support of hiring and promotion decisions.

Retail skills sets measured include:

For customer relations:

• Initiating Customer Contact
• Building Customer Relations
• Decision Making/Judgment

For sales:

• Determining Customer Needs
• Building the Sale
• Closing the Sale

This assessment technology helps employers, trainers and educators determine if people have the skills needed to effectively address the following kinds of situations:

• Are they skilled in using questions to analyze the customer's needs?
• Do they listen carefully enough to recognize essential information relevant to the sale?
• Can they effectively move the sales process forward?

This assessment technology helps employers, trainers and educators determine if people have the skills needed to effectively address the following kinds of situations:

• Creates a positive image for the organization when dealing with customers
• Responds to the personal needs of clients
• Knows when organizational rules can be bent - and when they must be followed
• Knows when customers must be referred to other departments or to managers

Competencies Measured

RTL measures competencies that employers have identified and validated. These include:

Customer Relations Module

• Determine customer's needs by listening and asking questions
• Clarify needs of customer in order to determine product/service best suited for the customer
• Explain features and benefits of products/services to customers
• Direct customer to additional services such as delivery, gift-wrapping, extended protection, etc.
• Refer customer to another department/store
• Proactively assist customer in order to make their shopping experience pleasant and easy
• Seek to find alternative solutions to customer's requests when the customer's direct request cannot be performed
• Follow through on commitments made to customers
• Respond to personal needs of customers
• Adhere to company's return policy
• Handle customer complaints
• Balance responsive phone service with in-store service
• Conduct customer follow-up
• Explain store policies and procedures to customers for the purpose of managing customers' future expectations
• Proactively assist peers for the purpose of increasing the overall quality of store operations
• Decide when to vary from routine operating policies/guidelines and when to adhere to them
• Decide when to independently make decisions versus when to defer to a manager
• Decide when to route customer calls/requests to other departments based on the particular nature of the call/request
• Interact with peers to obtain or provide historical information concerning a customer problem/issue
• Prioritize conflicting work activities and time demands

Sales Module

• Listen to the customer and identify potential selling opportunities through discussion and by asking open-ended questions
• Apply product knowledge
• Request product feedback from customer
• Handle customer objections
• Verify product is appropriate for customer use
• Offer alternative/additional sales options
• Sell customer additional or related merchandise
• Review current advertising and promotions
• Handle customer returns; transform into new sale
• Convert phone calls into sales
• Encourage customer to open credit accounts and purchase gift certificates
• Negotiate with individuals from other functional areas within the organization to obtain needed assistance
• Assist customer in making purchase decision
• Handle transactions and related paperwork
• Inform customer of return/exchange policy
• Follow-up with customer after a sale with a thank-you note or phone call
• Demonstrate willingness to compromise in order to obtain customer agreement
• Persist with selling efforts despite setbacks or customer resistance
• Recognize customers' buying signals and attempt to close the sale
• Recognize the need for and use additional sales/support (e.g., sales manager, etc.) to influence customer decisions

RTL Content Information

The RTL assessment tapes contain 38 minutes of video on Customer Relations and 44 minutes of video on Sales; during the tapes the viewer responds to 28 and 32 work-related questions, respectively. The tapes are recorded in English and open captioning is available.

For additional information about RTL click here:

• For an example of a RTL Applicant Feedback Report for Customer Relations
• For an example of a RTL Incumbent Feedback Report for Customer Relations
• For an example of a RTL Applicant Feedback Report for Sales

For additional information, please contact: