程阳：华盛顿州彩票，优秀销售点的诀窍

Customer Service Pays Off for Small Town Lottery Retailer

第二十六条　彩票发行机构、彩票销售机构、彩票代销者应当按照彩票品种的规则和兑奖操作规程兑奖。

　　        彩票中奖奖金应当以人民币现金或者现金支票形式一次性兑付。

　　        不得向未成年人兑奖。

——《彩票管理条例》

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Customer Service Pays Off for Small Town Lottery Retailer

The Rainier Place ARCO in Union Gap, Wash. has become a well-known Lottery retailer, with its constant promotions and three-peat Washington’s Lottery Retailer of the Year accolades. Customers of the store always find a knowledgeable sales staff, several signs advertising the Lottery, and at least one promotion happening yearround.

Comparing the three month period from October through December in 2006 to the same period in 2010, they’ve had almost a 200 percent increase in Lottery product sales.

Washington’s Lottery spoke with store owner Greg Sybouts, and store manager Rosa Mullen, to find out exactly what makes a great Lottery retailer.

 What makes your store a great Lottery retailer?

Greg Sybouts: “Every store needs to find their Lottery niche. We dedicated an area in the front of the store to the Lottery. The area has information on promotions, a ‘Wall of Fame’ with pictures of winners, and information on top prizes. We made a conscious decision to sell Lottery in the hopes of bringing in new and repeat customers, and it’s really paid off.”

Rosa Mullen: “We’re also a great Lottery retailer because of our customer service. We have repeat customers because we know their names, we always let them know what promotions are going on in the state and in our store, and we always have a clean store inside and out.”

How do you encourage your employees to actively sell Lottery tickets?

Greg Sybouts: “First we hire the right people. We only hire people who are outgoing and want to learn customers’ names. Above that, we’ll give cash incentives to employees for the tickets they sell. When [Washington’s Lottery] had the Thanksgiving Day Raffle we paid our employees $1 for every ticket they sold. One cashier earned an extra $300 for holiday spending.”

Rosa Mullen: “I think it’s fun to sell Lottery tickets. It’s fun to have a customer leave feeling like they could win the jackpot. I try to pass this energy along to our employees. I quiz them on the jackpots and promotions going on. In other stores, if a customer asks about

“First we hire the right people. We only hire people who are outgoing and want to learn customers’ names.” - GREG SYBOUTS

the Lottery, most employees will have to look up what’s going on. In our store, I make sure [our employees] already know.”

What have been some of your most successful promotions?

Greg Sybouts: “The ‘Rosa Fix’ is our most successful promotion. We have it going all year-round. It’s a Mega Millions, a Lotto, a Match 4, a Hit 5, and a Powerball ticket for $7; and they get a $2 Scratch ticket for free. Also, last year when Powerball came out we had a promotion in the store with 200 red balloons. If [a customer] bought $5 worth of Powerball they got a balloon and inside the balloon was a Scratch ticket.”

Rosa Mullen: “We have one [promotion] going now. If a customer buys a $5 Scratch ticket and it’s not a winner, they can put the ticket in a big bowl at the counter. We have a drawing every Tuesday. [The winner gets] 50 $1 Scratch tickets.”

What advice would you give to other Lottery retailers?

Greg Sybouts: “First, they have to have fun with it. Lottery is a fun way to bring in new customers and it keeps them coming back. Second, they should always have promotions going on.”

Rosa Mullen: “Customer service. Customer service. Customer service. Grumpy customers may walk into our store, but they won’t walk out that way. We always want our customers to leave with a smile. Also, information is key. Their cashiers need to know what’s going on with the Lottery, always. They have to promote the fun side of Lottery by being really excited when customers win anything. Treat a $50 winner the same as a $10,000 winner. Scream, get excited!”

The Lottery has definitely paid off for this retailer. When one of the store’s major beverage suppliers asked Rosa how she was able to continue posting strong sales growth when all of their other customers in the surrounding area were in decline, her answer was one word – Lottery!

The Rainier Place ARCO is located at 1811 Rainier Place in Union Gap, Wash.