Every customer is unique – let’s read that again. Every customer is unique. When they walk in the door of your retail space – whether a literal door or a digital one, they bring with them a collection of expectations, hopes, emotions, dreams, unspoken thoughts, stresses, anxieties – they’re a maelstrom of all that makes a human being. Having said that, how could we possibly provide tips that will work across the board for each individual customer?
Fear not! Whilst each customer is unique, we are also all human. Which means that underneath we are all the same. Everyone appreciates courtesy, respect and a little bit of specialised attention.
Below are 5 tips that can help set the stage for each customer to have a positive retail experience with you. Consider these tips the foundation and you can layer on extras that cater to their specific needs and provide, not only a positive experience, but a personal one.
1. If a customer asks something you don’t know, don’t leave them hanging. Tell them you will find out and follow through.
Everyone appreciates honesty. Show your customer the respect of being honest – if you don’t know something, don’t make it up, or worse, lie. Instead let them know you will do some research and get back to them. More than likely, your customer will not mind waiting for an answer if they are assured that you care and are interested in getting them accurate information. The next part is to follow through. If they are waiting in person, find the team member who can help you as quickly as possible and keep your customer updated with what you are doing. If your customer is waiting for a phone call or email back, make sure you communicate clearly when they can expect to hear from you. Make a note of all the details of their enquiry for yourself and schedule time to do the needed research and respond to them.
2. Show the way around the space, don’t just point.
Our space is very familiar to us – we spend a lot of our time there after all. But our customer is not us. Whether it’s their first visit to us, or they are a repeat shopper, we want to make them feel welcome. One of the ways we can do this is to show them around our space, not leave them on their own. Even a customer who does want to engage is some solo browsing time will appreciate a few short minutes acquainting them with the space and where they can find what they need.
If we have a physical space we can literally walk and guide our customer around. If we are a digital space, think carefully about the design of your space and consider a small introduction that demonstrates how to navigate your online world.
3. Avoid judging a customer based on dress or other personal characteristics.
I remember my dad telling me a story – he walked into a jewellery store planning to buy my mum a gold bangle for their upcoming anniversary. He waited, in a not busy store, for over 20 minutes and no one would serve him. He had ridden his motorcycle and was dressed in scuffed boots, jeans with some oil stains, a leather jacket and carrying his hemet. Instead of a friendly smile, a hello and a “how can I help you?”, he got silent stares and a refusal to engage. So he walked out. He wasn’t going to give his money to a store that showed a lack of appreciation for him. (The story ends happily – he went to a different store, they were lovely and my mum got her beautiful bangle). The lesson is clear. When a customer comes into our space, we don’t know anything about them, except one. They have chosen to spend some of their precious time and energy in our space. Let’s always be determined to show them the respect they deserve as a person and not make pre-judgements based on superficial things such as their clothes.
4. Reinforce purchase decisions by complimenting their choices.
Now we get to some more sales-specific tips. Because we need to be honest – we’re a business, we have something to sell and we need customers to make purchases. Many people cringe at the idea of being a salesperson. But sales doesn’t mean we have to be dishonest, pushy or overbearing. When a customer does make a choice, we can help them to maintain their excitement in the purchase and avoid feelings of guilt or regret. We can do this by reinforcing their choice. Reiterate some of the key characteristics of their chosen item, make a connection between an item feature and their need, paint a picture of how this item will assist them in reaching their goal.
For example – let’s say a customer has chosen a new laptop.
“Excellent choice. I personally love the wide screen of this model. It allows a great split-screen use that will really help you when you’re looking at multiple spreadsheets.”
Genuine comments, meaningful connection to their needs and enthusiasm will carry through us to our customer and help them maintain their joy in their choice.
5. Value add – share interesting facts such as how to use it, care tips etc.
Relationships are essential to any business. It usually costs more to gain a new customer than it does to retain an existing one. Having the right products at a good price is only part of the equation. Someone else will always have the same or a similar item and there will always be someone or somewhere that can offer a lower price. A customer shows loyalty and stays with us when we build a relationship with them. The above suggestions will all help to build this connection. A final step is to add value to their purchase. A link to a video showing how to get the best out of their item, a quick three-step care plan, a phone call a few weeks later to see how they are going and if they have any questions – these are the actions that add great value to a transaction and will continually build on the relationship.
Retail and sales can sometimes get a bad rap. But it doesn’t have to be that way. We all need to buy things and by implementing the above tips, you can make your retail business one that makes people happy.