There are peculiarities in retail, certain factors which other types of business might never need to consider. The basic point of contention for retail businesses is that it is a model which relies on customers visiting your store. It doesn’t make a difference whether it’s a virtual store or a walk-in one: either way, you need to ensure you provide the best possible experience, so that they are less likely to walk away. But what is it that actually causes customers to turn the other way and head off to the competition? As it happens, there are a number of common pitfalls which you see retail businesses fall into time and time again. Any of these are likely to be enough to instantly make your customer go cold.
Unwelcoming Entrance
One of the absolute tenets of retail is that you should always consider the customer’s point of view in every decision you make. Ask yourself: ‘Is this the right thing for the customer?’ and if the answer is not a resounding ‘yes,’ find another solution. One of the clearest signs that you have considered the customer’s actual shopping experience can be seen in the way that you welcome them to the store.
Great retail outlets make their customers feel welcome the moment they step through the door. If you want to really excel, you will try to make them feel welcome even slightly before that, so that you can draw them in a little more effectively. Either way, the important thing is that the entranceway encourages them to enter. There are, as it happens, a number of factors involved in getting this right.
For a start, you must ensure that the whole area is clean and free from obstruction. It might sound obvious, but anyone who has worked in retail will know that it doesn’t take long before things become dirty or cluttered. You want to make sure that the windows are sparkling. If there are any weeds growing outside the door, pull them up. Mop and sweep and vacuum the floor. Basically, do everything you possibly can to make it known that your store is a great one to be in. The turn-off that many retail customers face is an unconscious one. They don’t know why, but they’re walking into an establishment when suddenly they feel like it’s not the place to be. If you want to switch that to feeling like it’s exactly the right place, it takes an attention to detail and a consideration of their point of view.
E-commerce business owners: not so fast. It’s just the same for you. Your online store is still a kind of store, and you still need to think about the way you are welcoming your customers. Try not to bombard them with instant pop-up windows asking for them to subscribe. Give them a chance to peruse first. Make sure it is clear where they are, and that they are welcome to be there. In fact, the more you treat your online store like a real, physical store, the better off you will be.
Less Than Friendly Service
Everyone has had the experience of being at the receiving end of poor customer service. It’s never pleasant, but you would probably agree that it takes a lot for you to actively boycott the company in question. Nonetheless, as a business owner, you can’t take that risk. Every customer is precious, and you need to build a working culture which ensures that every interaction is as genuinely friendly and warm as possible. A major source of upset for retail customers is when they have had a poor interaction with a member of staff. It might be at the checkout, it might be on the shop floor. It could even be on the phone to a customer services expert. Wherever and however it happens, there are few quicker ways of disappointing a customer for good.
There is one major solution to this particular problem: training. The more highly trained your staff are, the less likely it is that your customers will have to experience this kind of disappointment when they visit your store or call your department. If you receive a complaint about a customer services advisor, be sure to root out the problem. Re-train where necessary and possible, or find more permanent solutions where this will not suffice. The judgement call is up to you to make – but above all, ensure that you are building a culture which works for the customer.
You will find that there are specific kinds of complaints of this nature. Commonly, a customer will say that a member of staff appeared disinterested. If you receive lots of these complaints, it means that you need to revitalize your workforce. Why is it that they are becoming a little lackluster in their daily job? Could it be that you need to improve the conditions for the employees? Remember: happier employees guarantees happier customers.
If you have had a case of someone being actively rude – swearing, for example – more serious discipline is necessary for that individual. You need to show your customers that there are certain things you won’t allow in your business. A goodwill gesture to the customer in these circumstances is also often a good idea, to help mend the relationship between business and client.
Poor Health & Safety Routines
All businesses run the risk of having poor health and safety routines from time to time. But if these are getting so bad that a customer notices and is forced to complain, you know you really need to step it up. We are talking about turn-offs here, and one of the ultimately biggest turn-offs you could ever have as a customer is when a store is visibly filthy. Usually, this happens as a result of working conditions and culture becoming gradually worse and worse over a long period of time. It’s gradual enough that nobody who works there notices, but severe enough that those who are visiting (your customers) do. This is a serious situation which needs immediate repair if your business is to restabilize.
Let’s look at the possible situations which might have arisen here. One particularly serious, but relatively common, circumstance is that a customer has spotted some kind of animal – usually a rodent. Stores can develop rodent problems at any time, and it is not necessarily a sign of poor health and safety practices. Nonetheless, the effect is the same. All the customer is going to think is that your store is dirty, and they are unlikely to want to shop there much longer. The solution is clear. First, keep the store ruthlessly clean. This will minimize the likelihood of rodents taking up nest in your store. Keep doors closed when not in use, for the same reason. If you notice a rodent problem developing, get in touch with pest removal experts like ABC Home & Commercial Services. You can’t let this kind of situation carry on, so the quicker you deal with it the better.
It’s not just pests, however. The simple sight of some grime developing on shelves or dust on products is enough to turn many customers away for good. Do you want to be risking those customers just from a lack of basic hygiene? Once again, the solution is to have rigorous rules and make sure that everyone knows the consequences of not following them. Stick to your health and safety, and your customers are more likely to hang around.
Inordinately Long Waiting Times
Everyone has to queue from time to time. However, you could do much worse as a retail business than to make it a rule never to let your customers queue for long. Do this, and you will be dealing with one of the major customer complaints in the whole of retail. Fail, and your customers really will start leaving in droves – for stores with better waiting times on the other side of town.
There is a cruel irony in this one. Often, it is exactly because a business has been doing so well that you will find you suddenly have an influx of customers. You might not be ready for it, and this soon shows in the waiting times at checkout. So what happens? You lose customers again. Clearly, the solution is to pay closer attention to your sales volume. If it seems to be increasing, draft in some new recruits, even if just temporarily. Just make sure that they are well-trained first. If you can deal with a sudden influx of customers well, that is the mark of a great business – one which will see great things indeed in the near future.
Retail can be a tricky thing to get right. Whether on the high street or online, you need to ensure you are doing everything you can to keep your customers as happy as possible at all times. Curb those common turn-offs, and you will be well on your way to retaining a great number of those customers for good.