The Sow's Ear is a unique place to work! We feature both a full service cafe AND yarn store. We have a close group of dedicated staff and we have been part of the Verona community for 26 years. The cafe/yarn store combo keeps us busy from open to close; helping customers, making food/drinks, repairing customers' knitting projects, shipping out yarn orders, and fixing up our displays.
We are looking for a customer-focused yarn sales associate to guide our customers to finding the right fiber/pattern/repair help to finish their projects. Sales Associate duties and responsibilities include working closely with customers to determine their needs, answering their questions about our products, and recommending options and solutions. You should be able to efficiently resolve customer concerns and ensure maximum satisfaction. To be successful as a sales associate, you should be familiar with newly released patterns, designers, and yarns. We need someone who will be knowledgeable about the products we feature in-store while ensuring our displays maintain the high standard we have for our store’s appearance. Ultimately, the duties of a sales associate are to achieve excellent customer service while helping out your team-mates (both in yarn and in the cafe) and cleaning up the shop.
Responsibilities
- Ensure high levels of customer satisfaction through excellent sales service
- Assess customers needs and provide assistance and information on product features
- Welcome customers to the store and answer their questions
- “Go the extra mile” to drive sales
- Maintain the store's visual design; tidy displays, adjust stock presentation
- Actively seek out customers in store & offer service
- Process POS (point of sale) purchases
- Handle merchandise returns
- Build productive and trusting relationships with customers
- Suggest ways to improve sales (e.g. planning marketing activities, changing the store’s design)
- Provide an excellent customer experience over the phone and in person
- Closing the store, including counting drawers at the end of the night and assisting with cleaning tasks (sweeping, mopping, washing dishes, changing trash...)
Skills and abilities
- Intermediate or above knitting skills
- Proficiency with yarn substitutions
- Basic knitting repair and finishing (seaming, blocking) skills
- Experience knitting various fabric types: cables, lace, etc.
- Proficiency with pattern reading
- Crochet skills
- Proficiency in English
- Basic math skills
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills
- Experience as a retail sales associate or similar role
- Basic understanding of sales principles
- Working knowledge of customer and market dynamics
- History of hitting or exceeding high sales goals
- Experience running a cash register: making sales, processing returns, price adjustments, taking discounts, etc.
- Familiarity with basic inventory management procedures
- A friendly and energetic personality with customer focus
- Ability to perform under pressure and address customer complaints in a timely manner
- Availability to work flexible shifts and one weekend shift every week.
Ideal candidate - knitting - embroidery - embroiderer - crochet - knitter - teaching - fiber art - needle felting
Job Type: Part-time
Pay: $12.00 - $13.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Employee discount
- Flexible schedule
Application Question(s):
- Skill Set Question: Can you Knit, crochet, spin or do any other fiber arts? Tell us any that apply.
- Are you available work at least one weekend day every week?
Ability to Commute:
- Verona, WI 53593 (Preferred)
Work Location: In person
