SERVICE WITH A QUESTION MARK; RETAILERS SCRAMBLE TO KEEP HOLIDAY CUSTOMERS COMFORTABLE.

Byline: Suzie St. John Staff Writer

Service with a smile. It's what retailers strive for and what customers hope for. The first two weeks of this holiday shopping season have been smooth sailing on both accounts, but the traditional holiday buying frenzy is still to come.

So what are local retailers doing to make sure shoppers maintain that warm, fuzzy holiday spirit?

Lisa Dunn, manager of Coco Plum at The Promenade in Woodland Hills, thinks respect is the key to a successful holiday season.

``We're a small boutique and we want customers to come back so we offer special merchandise and special treatment,'' Dunn said. ``The way I look at it is that we are all human beings and both the people behind the counter and the people across the counter should be treated with respect.''

Instead of hiring extra seasonal staff, like many of the larger retailers, Dunn's employees double-up on shifts during peak shopping times.

``I was pretty well-staffed before the holidays so I'm just stressing to my employees that we keep the same positive attitude we have all year long,'' Dunn said.

Beefing up staffing levels prior to Thanksgiving is a practice common among retailers. This year's low unemployment rate has meant slimmer pickings for seasonal hires than in past years.

Retail analyst Brent Schoenbaum said this could ultimately mean trouble for retailers around the country.

``Holidays are about being in a good mood, being in the Christmas spirit. That comes to a screeching halt when you are standing in a line 40 people deep,'' said Schoenbaum, a senior manager with the Los Angeles office of Deloitte & Touche LLP. ``Given the pure difficulty in hiring temporary help, it will have a negative impact on customer service.''

Although most seasonal hiring is done before Thanksgiving, some major retailers are still adding personnel. Macy's stores across Southern California, for example, are still in the process of adding approximately 3,000 temporary employees.

Regional recruitment manager Christy Addis said Macy's hopes to wrap up its hiring soon. ``We hire the additional staff to give the best customer service possible,'' Addis said.

Burlington Coat Factory in the Fallbrook Mall recently added 30 employees to its normal staff of 100. Operations manager Doug Bauer said new hires are a necessity for the pre-Christmas shopping frenzy.

``It's like the Saturday after Thanksgiving for five days straight,'' Bauer said about the week preceding Christmas. ``The additional staffing means more people on the floor to help customers, more cashiers and more in receiving to get the merchandise out.''

He said that by hiring seasonal help, Burlington Coat Factory can better meet customer needs.

``Of course there will be lines but we'll try to make things go as quickly as possible. We've always concentrated on customer service,'' Bauer said.

How important is customer service? Most shoppers say low prices determine where they shop, while retailers place the highest importance on customer service.

``This is the only way retailers can differentiate themselves from the competition. It's what they have the most control of,''Schoenbaum said.

He said Nordstrom consistently remains the top of the top in quality customer service.

Shoppers Krista Rector of Woodland Hills and Rose Thomson of Reseda agree.

``The sales people were really great. They put you in the computer so they know your size when you shop there in the future. They're just very helpful,'' Rector said.

Bath and Body Works also got high marks with the pair.

``They really go out of their way to help you even when there's a line,'' Thomson said. ``I normally shop there because usually you get good service.''

In addition to quality customer service, Schoenbaum said retailers should focus on in-store promotions, price discounts and store displays.

He believes one of the best ways to entice mall traffic into a store is by decorating. Stores that clearly demonstrate the holiday spirit with Christmas decorations will attract more shoppers.

Schoenbaum also said there are more mall promotions being offered.

An example of this can be found at Sherman Oaks Fashion Square where ``elves'' are randomly giving away an array of gift certificates for spa massages, soaps, candles, coffee drinks and chocolate.

Fashion Square general manager Ruth Otto Tewalt said the ``Small Indulgences'' promotion is the mall's way of brightening the holiday, lightening the stress of shopping and making somebody smile.

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Photo: (color) Manager Lisa Dunn, right, helps holiday shopper Heidi Wheeler find what she's looking for at Coco Plum in the Promenade mall in Woodland Hills.

Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer