Starting a new job at a music store can feel… overwhelming. Especially if your new hire has never played more than a few notes on a recorder.
But here’s the thing — they don’t need to be a musician to help customers, make sales, and feel confident on the floor. If you give them the right support, total beginners can quickly get up to speed.
In this blog, we’ll show you how to help new employees learn the essentials, answer questions easily, and navigate the store without memorizing every instrument, brand, and repair process on day one.
Let’s dive in.
1. Start With the Essentials: What Every New Hire Needs To Know
Let’s be honest here: Your new hire doesn’t need to learn everything the first day. The goal is to get them comfortable with the essentials so they can start helping customers right away.
Here’s where you can begin:
- Instrument identification: Start with the musical instrument basics — guitar vs. bass, drumsticks vs. mallets, trumpet vs. trombone. They don’t need to know every model or brand yet. Just being able to guide customers to the right section makes a major difference.
- Everyday customer questions: Some questions come up all the time, so make sure new hires know the answers or how to find them quickly. Examples include:
- “Do you have guitar strings?”
- “Where are the drumsticks?”
- “Can you fix my clarinet?”
- Knowing when to ask for help: Sometimes the most important skill is recognizing when a question is beyond their knowledge. Phrases like “Let me check with our expert” or “I’ll find out for you” are perfectly acceptable.
Related Read: Training Staff in Your Music Store: 7 Tips for Success
2. Build Confidence Quickly With Simple Strategies
Employees who feel unsure or anxious at a new job may freeze when a customer asks a question — but the more prepared they are, the more confident they’ll be.
Here’s how you can help them get prepared:
- Teach useful phrases: Simple, polite responses can reassure customers and give your employees time to gather accurate information. Here are some useful phrases:
- “Let me check with our expert.”
- “I’ll find that for you.”
- “Here’s what we can do.”
- Use flashcards for common items: Flashcards with pictures on one side and details on the other can help new hires learn quickly. They can review these during slow periods or breaks.
- Roleplay customer interactions: Practice different scenarios to prepare for real-life situations. Examples include:
- A beginner buying their first guitar
- A parent looking for a drum kit for their child
- A customer asking about repair times or upgrades
- Increase responsibility gradually: Don’t throw a new hire into complex situations right away. Start with simple questions and tasks, and slowly introduce more complicated ones as confidence grows.
You can give them small “missions” to help them practice their skills, like assigning them to help a customer with a guitar string replacement or locate sheet music. And make sure you celebrate when there’s a job well done!
3. Train Employees To Listen First
New employees don’t need to lecture customers about music theory or debate brands. When it comes down to it, what truly matters is listening and understanding what the customer needs.
Encourage new hires to ask questions like:
- “What kind of music do you play?”
- “Is this for you or someone else?”
- “Have you played this instrument before?”
Example: A customer comes in asking for a good keyboard for beginners. Instead of listing every model, the new hire can ask about the customer’s budget and goals — this helps them narrow down options for the customer.
4. Focus on What Matters in Day-to-Day Operations
When training new employees, it’s more important to focus on baseline practical knowledge than memorizing every instrument in the store. Prioritize the skills that impact daily operations and keep customers happy. For example:
- Point of sale (POS) system basics: Your employees need to ring up sales, process returns, and handle transactions smoothly.
- Repair timelines: New hires should know typical repair durations, including:
- Guitar setup
- Clarinet cleaning
- Drum tuning
- Escalation procedures: Make sure employees know when to involve an expert. They can answer simple questions themselves, but tricky or technical ones should always be referred.
- Inventory location knowledge: Employees should know where items live in the store, even if they can’t explain every feature. Being able to quickly locate your products keeps customers happy.
5. Create a Supportive Environment for Learning
Everyone was new once. Supportive workplaces encourage employees to ask questions and learn confidently.
For example, did a new employee successfully help a customer with a tricky request? Celebrate them! Recognizing progress motivates employees to keep improving.
To go a step further, create a new hire buddy system. Pairing a veteran employee with a newcomer gives them someone to ask questions to without fear, speeds up learning, and builds team cohesion.
Related Read: Retail Customer Experience: 11 Best Practices for Music Stores
6. Encourage Ongoing Learning & Curiosity
Training new employees doesn’t stop after the first week. Music stores evolve, new products arrive, and staff skills grow over time.
Here’s how you can support ongoing learning:
- Check in regularly: Meet weekly to review questions, challenges, and progress.
- Prioritize product training: Schedule short sessions for new gear and seasonal bestsellers.
- Encourage curiosity: Make sure employees feel comfortable asking questions about instruments, repairs, and customer service.
Onboard New Employees Faster With Music Shop 360
Getting new employees up to speed can be easier than you think — especially with the right tools.
Music Shop 360 is an all-in-one POS system made specifically for music stores. It gives your team everything they need to feel confident and provide excellent customer service, even if they’ve never played an instrument.
With our comprehensive solution, you can:
- Access customer history: You can quickly see past purchases, preferences, and repairs so new hires can offer personalized recommendations.
- Look up products easily: Photos, categories, and searchable details make it easy to find the right item for any customer.
- Track repairs and rentals: Step-by-step workflows show the status of instruments in repair or rental, keeping employees informed and customers happy.
- Sell anywhere, confidently: From in store to online and even Reverb, syncing inventory and tracking stock ensures new hires can serve customers smoothly wherever they are.
Ready to see it in action? Schedule a demo with one of our experts today.