Retail Contrarian

Clerks, Jerks, and Retail Pros

One night as I was flipping channels, which is pretty much how I watch television, I stopped for a minute to watch Jeff Foxworthy do his trademark "You know you're a redneck" bit.  Even though we don't have a lot of rednecks here in the northeast I still find him pretty funny.

Not that I equate salespeople with rednecks (except for back when I used to open outlet stores two hours from any city that served real Chinese food) but it did get me thinking about where retailers and rednecks intersect.  So with apologies to Jeff Foxworthy, I present:

You know you're a Clerk, Jerk, or Retail Pro when. . . .

You know you're a clerk when you say, "How may I help you?" to practically every customer who walks in the door.

You know you're a jerk when you don't bother to listen to the answer.

You know you're a retail pro when you naturally engage the customer in a friendly non-threatening manner without using overdone clichés.

You know you're a clerk when you say, "Will that be all?" after you've already started ringing a customer's sale.

You know you're a jerk when you ignore the customer when ringing a sale.  You firmly believe that telling co-workers about your big night or what you're going to have for lunch is more important than some poor slob giving you their hard earned money.

You know you're a retail pro when you only starting ringing up a customer after the sales process is complete.  That is, of course, unless the sale started at the counter.

 

You know you're a clerk when you are unable to answer a customer's question about a product.

You know you're a jerk when you make up answers to questions.  One word for retail people like that. . . karma.

You know you're a retail pro when you either know the answer or do your best to find it.

 

You know you're a clerk when you don't think to eat a mint after eating spicy food or smoking a cigarette.

You know you're a jerk when you smoke on the sidewalk your customer walks by to enter the store.  Hello???  Just because you're not in front of the store doesn't mean they can't tell by your uniform where you work!

You know you're a retail pro when you say something to the clerk or jerk.

 

You know you're a clerk when you fail to contribute ideas about how the store can improve.

You know you're a jerk when you say that contributing to the success of the store isn't your job.  And then you wonder why you never get promoted.

You know you're a retail pro when you contribute ideas whether you've been asked or not.

 

You know you're a clerk when you don't care for your job but have no plans to leave.

You know you're a jerk when you tell everyone you don't like your job but never leave.  Do your co-workers - not to mention your customers - a favor. . .leave!

You know you're a retail pro when you like your job.  If you ever find yourself in a job you don't enjoy you find another good company to work for.

 

You know you're a clerk when you hate to sell.

You know you're a jerk when you tell people you're a salesperson but all you do is clerk a sale.  Jumping in front of your co-workers to ring a sale is not selling.

You know you're a retail pro when you're proud to sell because what you do has a positive impact on customer's lives.

 

You know you're a clerk when you're annoyed your boss told you to read this.

You know you're a jerk when you think I'm a jerk.  Actually sometimes I am a jerk so I'll rephrase this.  You know you're a jerk when you think I'm a jerk because you've just realized that maybe you've been more of a jerk* lately than you realized.

* In truth I doubt you're really a jerk.  But it rhymes with clerk and I was hoping to get people's attention.  Then again, there are jerks who work retail.  Think about it.

You know you're a retail pro when you can read a Weekly like this and see what you do well as well as areas you could still improve.

Share some of your own Clerks, Jerks, or Retail Pros down below.

Another 25 Ways to Be a More Customer-Focused Retailer

Here are 25 more ways to be a more customer-focused retailer. When you let your customers know that you appreciate them, they'll show you that they appreciate you.

1. Never blame the company for a policy or decision.

2. When a customer says "Thank you," say "You're welcome."

3. Add "It's my pleasure" after you say "You're welcome."

4. Provide written details of frequently asked questions.

5. Don't coach or reprimand an employee in a customer's presence.

6. If you're on the phone with a customer and you absolutely must put him on hold, tell him approximately how long he will have to wait.

7. Don't interrupt an employee with a customer unless it's extremely important.

8. Create a children's craft area in your store so the kids can create art while their parents shop.

9. Give your customer your undivided attention when she is talking. Everything else can wait.

10. Accept responsibility when the store has made a mistake.

11. Offer free drinks to the customer. Don't offer coffee that is over 2 hours strong.

12. Empathize with upset customers. Say you're sorry.

13. Give a free gift for no reason.

14. Have the owner personally call a high-ticket customer and thank her for her purchase if the sale was made by another staff member.

15. Loan books and other resources at no charge.

16. Ship a replacement product to a customer with a defective product before you receive the original back.

17. Open the doors early when the customers are waiting outside.

18. Have seating for customers and offer to bring them product to look at.

19. If you're busy and a customer is waiting for help give him an estimate of how long they'll have to wait for someone to help them.

20. Stop cleaning and doing busy work when a customer is in the store.

21. Partner with restaurants and other stores to offer exclusive discounts and offers to your customers. (A win-win-win. The other company gets incremental revenue, your customer saves money, and you're the nice person doing it for both of them.)

22. Happily take returned products back even if you're not happy. If you have to give a customer a refund, end the conversation with, "I'm sorry this product didn't meet your needs but we'd welcome the chance to serve you again."

23. If you have to walk away from the customer to go to the backroom or counter tell her what you are doing.

24. Non-mall stores can add seating in front of their store and then offer drinks to those who sit there.

25. Always thank as many customers as you can for coming into the store and invite them back.

26. Always go above and beyond for every customer.

25 Ways to Be a More Customer-Focused Retailer

When you let your customers know that you appreciate them, they'll show you that they appreciate you. And they often do that by making a purchase and telling others about your store.

1. Open the door for customers whenever possible.

2. Offer to hold customers shopping bags while they are shopping.

3. Provide a coat rack in the winter.

4. Acknowledge the customer's children.

5. Offer to gift-wrap purchases.

6. Suggest accessories and other items that enhance a customer's purchase and his life.

7. Offer to carry the customer's purchase, however big or small, to her car.

8. Send handwritten thank-you notes.

9. Send a birthday card with a coupon for a free product. Even better, send your best customers a gift-wrapped present.

10. Introduce yourself to the customer.

11. Ask the customer his name. Use it.

12. Compliment the customer on his purchases.

13. Recommend a product to the customer.

14. Tell her why a product isn't right for her.

15. If you can't fulfill a customer's need, suggest another retailer that may be able to do so.

16. Create a loyalty program that is simple and doesn't require that the customer do anything but make a purchase.

17. Make your return policy as easy and painless as possible.

18. Refrain from visiting with your colleagues when with a customer.

19. Welcome every customer who comes into the store.

20. Loan umbrellas on rainy days for the customers to get to their cars. Have then either drive them up to the sidewalk where you are waiting to receive them back, or ask the customer to bring it back on the next visit.

21. Remember the customer's name and use it when he makes return visits to your store.

22. Email or call your customers to offer gift suggestions for loved ones birthdays and anniversary that happen every year.

23. Provide free information that enhances the customer's life and the products he purchase from you.

24. Offer additional services like installation, home delivery, etc.

25. Teach the customer how use the products. Clothing and home goods retailers might show their customer how to accessorize their purchase.

So let me ask, how many of these are you doing? What else can you add to the list?

Irony in Retail

Last Sunday my wife and I took our two sons to the local grammatically-incorrect baby superstore to pick up some items for our 9-month-old.

As we strolled through the store, I saw a few examples of merchandise that was either poorly displayed or inadequately assembled. One such item was a baby swing on an elevated endcap shelf. The frame of the swing was upright, but the seat was turned to a 90-degree angle, making it impossible to sit a child in it.

Curious to see what the swing looked like when it was displayed correctly, I reached up and turned the seat to its proper position. It was then that the whole thing fell from the shelf in a cacophony of bangs and clatters. Customers all around the store popped their heads up like a giant whack-a-mole game to see what had happened.

Fortunately, despite being parked in the shopping cart next to the display, my son was unhurt. The swing didn't hit anything or anyone in its downward trajectory, and the only thing bruised was my ego. I quickly picked up the pieces and set them on the shelf, and moved away from the scene of the crime.

It took over four minutes (I timed it) for an employee to approach and inquire about everyone's condition. Her first words: "Is anything broken?" I assumed by the way she was studying the merchandise and not us that she was referring to product, not people. Her second question: "Does anything need to be cleaned up?" I held my tongue for my family's sake. My wife explained what had happened. The employee (not a manager) said "Oh, that's the second time today that's happened."

No apology, no concern. I wondered if she had come over on her own, or if another customer had said something to her. Regardless, it seemed that our little accident had interrupted her day and possibly delayed her cigarette break. My family walked out of the store without buying anything.

And here's the ironic part: The very next day's mail brought us a circular from that particular retailer. The theme of the "sale", plastered all over the front of the flier? "Think Safety!"

Some ABC's To Improve Your Retail Experience

Advice for delivering a more memorable retail experience.
Here are some actions you can take to improve your customer's experience in your store and increase sales productivity at the same time. Sure, we've talked about these before but we believe so passionately that it will have a positive impact on your business we'll continue to do so!

1. Engage every customer as if he/she is a buyer. Remember, there's no such thing as lookers. The minute we label a customer as a looker we've already decided she isn't buying.  Most customer are "just looking" because that's what they've been programmed to do.  There are buyers and there are potential buyers but there is no such thing as lookers.

2. Talk with the customer about what she/he needs to know, not about what you know. When I visit a store I watch to see if salespeople adjust what they say based upon the customer's needs. Some retail salespeople say the same thing over and over to the customer throughout the day no matter what the customer says he needs or wants. This almost always results in the customer having to deal with more information than he needs, which almost always results in taking much longer than necessary to make a sale or not making a sale at all.  The customer doesn't need to know everything you know.  He just needs to know enough to make a well-informed decision. 

3. Get whatever you sell (or an extension of it) in the customers' hands. Nothing transfers ownership more than touching, feeling, holding, or trying on the product than a person is thinking about buying.  Here's an example.  Say you are considering buying a high-definition flat screen television.  At retailer number one they show you a television with a great picture and tell you all about the features and benefits of that set. At retailer number two they show you a television with a great picture and tell you about the features and benefits of that set.  Then they put the television's remote control in your hand and show you how simple it is to use. Which retailer has got you mentally closer to buying the television? Obviously number two. This holds true with whatever you sell.

Bingo for a fun way to deliver a better retail experience.
Welcome to the Dynamic Experiences Group Customer Experience Bingo!! Here is how you play.

1. Start by downloading the Customer Experience Bingo card you'll find at http://www.dynamicexperiencesgroup.com/CustomerExperienceBingoCard.pdf.  You can either print out the card directly from your web browser or right-click on the page and save it to your computer.

2. Print one bingo card for each employee.  Every employee will have the same card. 

3. There are a few different ways to play Customer Experience Bingo. You'll see when you look at the bingo card that it's pretty self-explanatory.  Players earn squares by completing different activities with customers, colleagues or managers.
If your staff enjoys a spirited competition, offer a prize to the first person who completes a bingo line with five numbers in a vertical, horizontal or diagonal row on his/her card.  Give another prize to the first person who fills in every block on the card.  If not everyone starts his/her shift at the same time then split the staff into groups based on when they start their shift and have prizes for each group.

A less competitive store might choose give a prize to every employee who completes a bingo line and another for completing the entire card. You could also combine the two approaches and give out both a prize for individual achievement and for beating others. It's your contest, do whatever makes it the most fun for your store!

Creating a Lasting Last Impression
From our September 14th blog posting
One mistake some companies make is focusing too much on the customer's first impression and not the last.  Both are important for different reasons but it's that last impression that stays with the customer the longest. Read more here.   

Employee's Experience = Customer's Experience

I recently spoke to two store managers in two different companies and was struck by the differences in their situations, outlooks and approach to their businesses.

In the first case, company executives are focused on the customers and the employees, knowing that it is the best way to achieve success. Not surprisingly, the manager was happy and passionate about her work. She was very proud of her team, but also realistic that they could and should continue to improve.

The other manager was frustrated and beaten down. Her company is struggling to achieve their sales goals and the executives are "whipping the horses" to bring in the numbers. The feel-good stuff is long gone, and everything has become all about the numbers. Of course we need to achieve our goals, but people always respond better to leadership that is encouraging and caring, not full of blame and push.

What stood out the most was what each manager thought of their customer. Manager number one couldn’t wait to serve their customer. Manager number two couldn’t wait for them to leave. Proof that the experience of the employees has a direct impact on the experience of the customer.

Vocal Advocates

When I was a kid, my father used to boast to his friends and associates that he was a manufacturer’s representative for a popular shoe company. He would leave the company’s mail-order catalog mixed in among the other magazines on the living room coffee table. Whenever somebody mentioned shoes, he strongly encouraged them to look into his favorite brand. After all, he was quick to remind, he was a manufacturer’s representative.

Now, my father didn’t sell shoes for a living. He didn’t work for a footwear manufacturer, and he didn’t have any financial stake in that particular brand, other than buying their shoes on more than one occasion. But my dad was a great advocate of the company whose shoes he wore, and that company recognized the value in the word-of-mouth he generated. So much so that they made him an honorary “manufacturer’s representative”, the only proof of which was that those words appeared above his name on the catalog mailing label.

Some new research on customer word-of-mouth has come to light, and it puts into question some long-held beliefs. On a recent entry on The Perfect Customer Experience blog, author John I. Todor, Ph.D comments on these findings. Among John’s insights:

Word of mouth is emotionally triggered and emotionally driven. Both the triggering and the emotional expression are harder to achieve online.

…harness and amplify those customers who are prone to evangelize.

…leveraging your most vocal customers is powerful and expedient. However, unless the value customer's gain from interaction with your company is compelling the impact will be short-lived.

So, despite all the technology that can drive and sometimes challenge retail, it’s still old-fashioned word-of-mouth that compels a vast number of consumer decisions. When a potential customer hears of a positive encounter at retail, they will more likely want to experience it for themselves. And when customers have positive experiences, they want to talk about it. Give those vocal customers an incentive to talk about their experience, and they become powerful advocates.

So, can you identify your honorary “representatives”?

Love Those Williams-Sonoma Windows

I can’t go the mall without stopping to take a look at the Williams-Sonoma windows. I just love  the way they connect the store and the window displays to the current catalog and website.

Sure other retailers have  "edgier" windows that gets them more press, (think Victoria's Secret) but what makes Williams-Sonoma so special is they achieve their goal, getting me to walk in the door and/or create purchase intent. Too many retailers spend too much time trying to create pretty or cutesy windows instead of making sure they have high impact and effectively achieve the retailer's goals.

Anybody who wants to improve their merchandising approach can’t go wrong by spending some time learning and observing both Williams-Sonoma and the Pottery Barn stores.

Creating a Lasting Last Impression

One mistake some companies make is focusing too much on the customer's first impression and not the last.  Both are important for different reasons but it's that last impression that stays with the customer the longest. 

Here's a great example of a lasting last impression.  Last week I had a wonderful stay at the Denver Marriott City Center. After checking out I was waiting out front for the shuttle to the airport when the bellman engaged me about my stay and offered to hail a cab.  I thanked him for his offer but said I was waiting for my shuttle. 

He told me that would be about another five minutes until the shuttle arrived and then asked if I would like a bottle of water or a newspaper.  Even though I declined the offer, I was impressed.  THIS is how you create loyal advocates - by doing even more for your happy customers. 

We know that the way the customer is presented with their purchase is an important last impression.  A heartfelt thank-you is extremely lasting, and so is inviting them back as they exit the store. Or maybe you could offer them a chocolate or a bottle of water.

Here's a quick exercise for you and/or your managers. Take a walk from your counter to outside the front door, and look for what messages you are or are not telling your customer.

So let me ask, what else can you do to give a great last impression? 

The Argument Surrounding Wal-Mart's New Slogan

On Wednesday Wal-Mart announced they are replacing their slogan of 19 years "Always Low Prices" with  “Save Money. Live Better.”

As a Retail Contrarian I figured it is my duty to explain why this is a bad move. As I thought about the slogan change an ugly argument broke out in my head. (This is something that happens more often than I like to admit.) Here's how the argument went.

The voice for the new slogan said this.
"It's a great new slog. Over the last two years Wal-Mart has been working on upgrading their image as they (attempt to) move up market to a more affluent customer. The "live better" speaks to both new and old customers alike. 

For the traditional Wal-Mart customer the "live better" means that with the money they save shopping at Wal-Mart they truly can provide a higher quality of life for their families. Wal-Mart research shows that the average American family saves $2,500 a year by shopping there. For many families that's a huge impact on their lives. For the targeted more affluent customer, the "live better" reminds them that Wal-Mart has more than just low prices. It's telling those customers that they now offer higher quality products that meets their lifestyle. And hey, who doesn't like saving money?"

The voice against the change said this.
"That's hogwash. (That's from my midwest roots.) What the slogan is really saying is, "We're not Target, but we really want to be more like them." The "live better" is a ploy to say they're more like Target now and not like the Wal-Mart of old. But, this new strategy isn't working. Sam Walton's mission was to offer low prices to the working families of America. This going up market to satisfy Wall Street just moves them further away from Sam's vision. Stick to saving people money and quit acting like something you're not."

As you can see, the argument in my head went nowhere.

Luckily the voice of reason stepped in and said this.
"Guys, guys. Really, who cares? They can change the slogan to "Almost Everything Is Free" and you're still not going to shop there.  I'm not a Wal-Mart basher. They do a great job for their targeted customer segment. I just think they want to be Target.....and they're not Target."

I'm happy with Costco , Whole Foods, Target, Amazon.com, and the specialty stores in my area. I'm not your customer, and I don't need you to "live better". You see to me living better means more than just low prices...... It's All About The Experience. Now THAT'S a good slogan!