Retail Contrarian

Assorted musings from the road

Two weeks I was checking into a hotel and noticed that the front desk employees were all wearing big buttons with different numbers on them.  One person was wearing 26, another's button read 52, and the third was wearing 94.  I approached 94 in case they were displaying their recent mystery shop scores.

When I asked about the numbers the employees sighed almost in unison, and 94 told me the numbers were based on the 100 things that make their property unique.  Each employee then begrudgingly shared his/her number.

I like the idea of getting the employees to engage the customers on the uniqueness of the property, but very few people feel good about wearing company buttons.  I'll never forget the time I asked a store employee about the button he was wearing and he replied, "It should just read I've got a loser job."  I don't think he had a loser job, but the button sure did nothing for morale.

I'm not totally anti-button (although I'm close), but it was a great reminder that our employees need to feel good about the customer engagement and marketing programs we create.  I'm sure someone at this company's corporate office thought this number campaign was brilliant, but it didn't look so smart when #26 looked like she was being tortured as she shared her line on what made the property unique.

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One way we can differentiate ourselves in the market is with premium offers and services.  One of the fastest ways to disappoint, or even lose, a customer is to fall short in these areas.  Sadly, there are no points awarded for effort.

Here's an example from the road.  For the last few days I've been staying at the Venetian hotel in Las Vegas.  One of the premium amenities is an in-room printer.  That's a big deal for a road warrior like me.  Now I can print client documents and boarding passes right in my room. Well, I could if the printer wasn't out of ink.

So now I'm disappointed that the printer doesn't work even though I didn't even expect a printer in my room.  There are no points for effort.

What are some of the premium or unique things that you offer?

Free gift wrapping, or offering to carryout a customer's purchase?  You can't be too busy to ask.

Free drinks?  Either you do it or you don't, but if you do and you don't offer a beverage to every customer you could lose one of those customers who isn't offered something to drink.

It's almost unfair that you could lose a customer because you didn't do something once that practically every other retailer doesn't bother to do at all.  Then again, we score the points and they don't.  Remember, there are no points for trying.

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A shuttle driver at the Doubletree hotel in San Antonio totally exceeded my expectations. I was told at the front desk it would be a twenty-minute wait for the next shuttle to the airport, but the driver who was standing there took the initiative to take me immediately since it was only a five minute ride. Talk about making my day!

Here's where it got strange. The front desk clerk actually questioned him in front of me about whether he really wanted to take me to the airport. Hello!!! I'm standing right here. One employee is trying to deliver a great experience and the other one is trying to talk him out of him it. You can't make this stuff up.

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I love when retailers promote in their newsletter and Facebook the things they do to make their stores a great place to work.  Daily Take Five reader Tanya Burmaster, owner of baby store Snuggle Bugz, recently posted this on her Facebook page.

Just heading out to make a surprise pancake breakfast for our staff meeting at the Burlington store this morning ... should be a blast! :)

Now check out a few of the responses:

Lisa G. I wish I worked for a company that did that for its staff! :)

Nicole G. I'd like to work at Snuggle Bugz. Sounds like a great place to be employed!

Oakville Moms. You guys are so nice to your staff! Great job!

Of course Tanya couldn't let that one slip by.  She responded:

Well, we are hiring!  If you know anyone that is looking for a job have them check out our website.

Imagine all of the positive impressions this post made.  The more you share about your store and your fabulous team, the stronger the connection you'll make with your customers.  Well, within reason.

Have a great week, and I hope to see you on the road.

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Doug Fleener is a proven retail and customer experience expert that helps companies to improve their on-floor and management performance. Vist our website or call him at 866-535-6331 to discuss improving your company's experience and results.

25 Ways to Increase Your Sales Today

1. Sell more. (Sorry, I couldn't resist.)
 
2. Be "on" from the moment you walk onto the sales floor.  You have an important role to play so play it well.
 
3. Be genuine. If you can't, you need to change either your attitude, mindset, or job.
 
4. Never stalk a customer.  If when you first engage a customer she gives you the cold shoulder, back off and give her a chance to get comfortable in the store and to see for herself that you're different from most salespeople.  The way you engage others allows them to experience for themselves that you're interested in them as a person, not just as a customer.
 
5. Skip small talk and engage with purpose.  For most of us that means developing a relationship with our customer and making sure he/she has a great experience in our store. Remember: never ask a customer a question if you don't care what the answer is.
 
6. Listen more, talk less.
 
7. Never talk over your customer.  It's not only bad manners but it tells her you're not listening.
 
8. Don't show products, sell them.  The difference is that when you're selling a product it means you know enough about the customer to choose the right product for him.
 
9. Focus the conversation on the outcome of the product and its benefits.  As an example, people don't buy luggage for the sake of buying luggage but because they wish to transport clothing and other belongings from one location to another.  Focus on how the end result at that destination will be enhanced because of the product itself.
 
10. Assume the customer is buying.  Remove the idea that anyone is a "looker."
 
11. Do something nice and unexpected for your customer.  It will almost always result in a stronger relationship.
 
12. Never ask a customer how he's doing. The phrase is trite, completely overused and most people who ask it don't really care about the answer.  The same is true with "May I help you" and "Can I answer any questions."
 
13. Don't over greet or over welcome your customer.  Once a customer is well into the store a simple smile and "hello" is sufficient.  Customers would rather be ignored than greeted excessively.
 
14. Having a large selection of products for the customer to choose from increases the likelihood that the customer will make a purchase.
 
15. Reducing the number of products you show a customer increases the odds of making a sale even more.
 
16. Recommending one or two of those products improves the chance even more.
 
17. Skip telling the customer everything you know about a product.  Instead give them the information they need to make an informed decision.
 
18. The only way to be able to do that is to gather information from the customer. That's why just showing products costs sales.
 
19. Help the customer make the purchase.  If we've done our job it is only appropriate to give the customer an opportunity to buy what we're selling.
 
20. Forget trying to "add-on" to a sale.  That's completely internally focused and self-serving.  "Enhance" the customer's life with the products they're buying and you're guaranteed to sell more.
 
21. Don't stop enhancing until the customer says so.  We like to compare it to the all-you- can-eat buffet.  Your customer will tell you when he's full.
 
22. Use the kind of manners during checkout that would make your mother or grandmother proud.  Use a lot of "please," "thank-you" and "you're welcome."
 
23. Always see a customer bringing a product into the store as an opportunity, not a burden.  Assume it's a return until you've learned otherwise.
 
24. Follow-up a customer's purchase with a thank-you note, email, or phone call.
 
25. Contact a good customer to tell him about something new in the store and why you think it's something he would like.
 

26. Always go above and beyond for every customer.  If it doesn't result in a sale today, it will tomorrow.

You Won't Believe This and Other Musings

One of our readers was shopping in what she describes as a nice clothing/gift store in Texas when she noticed an employee wearing a rather unique necklace. She even got the employee to pose for a picture. (I've blurred out the young woman's face for privacy reasons.)
 

 

That's right, this retail salesperson is wearing a necklace that says "You Suck."  Is that unbelievable or what?  But wait, there's more. When Diana told the woman she found the necklace offensive the employee said she could have worn another one that includes the F word. Alrighty!
 
If anything it makes you appreciate your staff even more!  Unbelievable.

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In last week's Time magazine, novelist James Patterson is asked what he would say to critics like author Stephen King who say that Patterson is not a great prose stylist. Patterson replies, "I am not a great prose stylist.  I'm a storyteller. There are thousands of people who don't like what I do.  Fortunately, there are millions who do."
 
I love it.  A lot of retailers want everyone to love their store.  They want every customer to think their products are fabulous and their staff is incredible, and they're practically offended when someone doesn't absolutely love the store.
 
Trying to be all things to all people is a path to mediocrity. We'll always find more success in being an extraordinary retailer to a targeted group of customers than being an average retailer to everyone. 
 
I know it's hard to miss sales and see customers walk out empty-handed, but you have to remind yourself they're not your customers.

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Shooting video for your Facebook page is easier than you think. Watch this two-minute video to learn how.
 

The total time to produce this video was less than 15 minutes.  It only took a few minutes to shoot and about ten minutes to load on to the computer and upload to YouTube.  After that, it's a simple link on your Facebook page.
 

Is the video perfect? Of course not. There's a lot I would change including the road noise. But you don't need a perfect video. When you shoot video in the store it's okay that you can hear customers and employees. While I wouldn't put something I shot in one take with no editing on my homepage, but for the purpose of engaging your Facebook fans, it's fine.

 
You can learn about the Kodak Zi8 Pocket Video Camera I used to shoot the video here.

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Apropos of nothing:
 
1) Unless you're a mind reader, you need to ask your customer or employee what they're thinking or if they like something.  Anything else is an assumption that may or may not be correct.
 
2) I still don't get why more companies aren't green, or don't display their green initiatives. I bet fewer than 10% of the hotels I stay in have recycle bins in rooms. Show your green!
 
3) Trying to complete a sale by lying to the customer about how many of a particular item is in stock is just wrong.
 
4) When's the last time you watched - really watched - your customer traffic patterns in the store? Sometimes our primary displays aren't in the primary position.
 
5) Will free Wi-Fi at Starbucks be a good thing or a bad thing?  I guess it will depend on whether or not you have a table or not.
 
6) I just spent a few days in Times Square.  Anyone who can run one of those stores is a retail hero in my book.
 
7) I wonder where one buys a necklace like that?
 
Have a great week!

 
- Doug Fleener