Welcome to the November edition of the Shop Talk Newsletter.
Many stores talk about customer service but in truth very few follow through. Is this perhaps because stores don't truly understand what customer service is all about?
We hope this month's newsletter gives you some ideas as we begin the holiday season.
Happy Thanksgiving!
ARE YOU REALLY SERVING YOUR CUSTOMERS?
Many retailers think that their customers come first, yet if you look at their policies, you see that this may not be the case. What you like, or what is easiest in order to run your store, may not be the same as what is best for your customer. Instead of the customer always being right and therefore the driving force in how you decide to run the business, it is often you who tells them how to shop by how you operate your store. After all, the customers do truly run your business…without them there would be no business.
Step back for a second and think about your staff. You know they are helpful, knowledgeable and ready to help any who needs it. How about those customers who don’t ask for help? Maybe they don’t want to have to speak to someone in order to get what they need. You are imposing this method of having to work with an employee in order for them to make a purchase. So while those who are willing to talk to someone may seem very happy, you have lost all those people who wanted to get in and out quickly and didn’t see what they wanted right away.
How do you make the store work for the rest of these customers who don’t want to talk? Offer visual information so people can easily find things on their own without a salesperson. Make sure the layout of the store is easy to follow and there is clearly marked signage so they can go right to what they want. Signage should provide all the information in a consistent (so they always know where to look and can make comparisons), quick and easy to read format. Have information boards and kiosks so the information they need is right at their fingertips. Be ready and available if they want your help but allow them to get all the information they need so they can serve themselves as well.
There have been many studies providing data that support the value of servicing this second group in the manner they prefer. A well known home décor store recently conducted an internal test. They removed all the signs from two of their stores for a two-week time period. Sales fell off 34% in one store and 35% in the other. When the signs were replaced in the third week, sales jumped right back. These were informational and not price or promotional signs.
As interesting as those numbers are, what was even more interesting was the survey responses the chain did with random shoppers who had left the store without buying. During the period signs were down 43% responded that “the store did not have what they were looking for”. There were people available to help so the next response was surprising…during the no sign period there was a 21% increase in the response “I was disappointed in service received”.
Because they do not want you to tell them where things are, the store needs to make sense and be easy to navigate. Customers expect small stores to be edited. That is, merchandise should be carefully selected to match target customers and they do not want to rummage through every item available. They want stores who eliminate unnecessary items and provide only the best in terms of value, quality and function. Then it becomes easier to nonverbally explain why certain items are in the store and why other items are not and a simpler process to get to a final purchase.
Now think about your other store policies such as returns, your store hours, etc. Are there ways you can make these less about what is easiest for you and more about what your customers want?
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Stores that do this well:
Container Store
Crate and Barrel
Aunt Sadie's
Panera Bread
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