Retail Contrarian

A Facebook disaster

Social media is a great way for retailers to engage their customers.  When done well, customers even engage one another.  But believe it or not, that same level of engagement can work against you when something goes wrong.

This is what one of our readers recently experienced when what seemed like a simple request turned into a Facebook disaster.  Here is what happened, along withsteps you can take if you ever experience something similar.

One day a locally owned store was asked if they would post in their window a flyer about a lost dog. (You can probably already see where this is going.) Although this retailer does a lot with and for the local community, they have a policy of not placing community material in their windows.  They said they would be unable to post the flyer.

Before they knew it what seemed like an innocent decision, consistent with a long-standing policy, blew up online.  All of a sudden it seemed that every dog lover in the community was posting vitriolic comments about the store’s unwillingness to place a flyer in the window. It was the social media equivalent of a vigilante gang, and it got very ugly very fast.

What would you do in this case? Okay, maybe you would have posted the flyer, but the same thing could happen if you turn down a request for donation or other possible reasons.

Here are some things to consider:

1. Assess the potential damage. Could what happened blow up into something bigger? Is this something that the mainstream press might pick up and run? Are you in danger of losing large number of customers?

In this instance, I don’t think that was the case.  There was a group of passionate pet owners who were upset with the store, but the overall long-term threat wasn’t high. If this was a pet store and they hadn’t helped, the potential damage would be off the charts.

2. Apologize for what happened. Remember, saying you’re sorry doesn’t mean you’re saying you did something wrong. In this case, I don’t think the retailer should apologize for not placing the flyer in the window.  The retailer can say he’s sorry that people are upset and apologize for the store not considering other ways to assist the owners of the lost dog. The store could even offer up some new ideas on how they can help.

Here’s what’s interesting. This store did apologize, offered to take some action, and the comments only got more negative. Which takes me to my next point.

3. Remember, just because someone is loud doesn’t mean they speak for all of your customers. This is true whether they’re in your store or online. Sometimes loud people are just passionately opinionated.  Sometimes, frankly, they are bullies.  Either way, they don’t represent all customers. Our customers know we’re not perfect, and as long as we apologize if something goes wrong they’ll stay with us.  That said, we do need to address the loud voices.

4. Own the storyline. A social media disaster happens when the store or brand loses control of the story.  You can’t afford to argue with customers online. A Boston chef did that after a woman posted a poor review on Yelp, and the bad press just about put him out of business.  What you can do is own the storyline.

If you’ve apologized and someone still posts a negative comment, directly address his/her comment.  Own the storyline so the other person can’t keep fanning the flames even after you’ve apologized.

I might say something like, “I’m sorry that you’re still upset even though we did apologize for what happened. I’d love to talk with you offline to discuss what else I could do to rectify the situation. Please call me at the store at your earliest convenience” It’s highly unlikely you’ll hear from them, and your customers will see that you’ve extended the olive branch.

5. Last but not least, time is a great healer.  People go on with their lives, and customers will still come into your store.  That is, as long as you’ve addressed a negative situation as it happened.

The good news is that most of us won’t experience our own social media disaster, but if it does happen, I hope you’re now better prepared to manage it.

Have a great week.

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Doug Fleener, a proven retail and customer experience expert and consultant, helps companies dramatically improve their customer experience and their results. Visit the Dynamic Experiences Group website, or call Doug at 866-535-6331 to discuss how he can help you create an extraordinary experience and results.

Ringing the bell and the customer experience

One of our clients owns a successful bread store.  I noticed on a recent visit that there is a bell next to the oven.  When I asked the owner what it is used for he replied, “We used to ring the bell when a loaf of bread came out of the oven, or when celebrating a new customer, or when someone had earned a free loaf of bread.”

I thought that was pretty cool. I also heard the “we used to.” It's too bad they stopped, because I think ringing a bell is a great point of differentiation, and creates a unique and memorable customer experience.  They don’t ring a bell at Panera.  They don’t celebrate customers at the grocery store.

I get how easy it is to get away from ringing the bell. It happens all the time. People (and companies) slowly drift away from doing those little things that make their store or business different. It is rarely ever a conscious decision. It just happens over time.

There’s the clothing store that has chalkboard on the dressing room doors, but quit writing the customer’s name on the door. Too bad. It was a great way to personalize the experience.

Or the store associates who used to send five thank you cards a day, but haven’t sent any since they ran out of stamps. It’s a shame. I think the handwritten thank you card is even more effective in this digital age.

Sometimes it’s even smaller things.  A staff stops exchanging names with the customer, or offering to carry out a purchase no matter how big or small.  It’s easy to drift away, or stop ringing the bell.

It’s not ultimately about the bell, or the sign, or the thank you card. It’s the meaning and thought behind it.  It’s that focus on the customer and how your store is different from the competition. What your competitor is doing isn’t nearly as important as what YOU are doing for your customers.  Or what you used to do. 

What’s your bell? What are one or two elements of your customer experience that maybe you’ve stopped doing? Or is there something you’ve talked about doing with/for your customers, but have yet to implement?

I’m happy to say that out client’s team is back to ringing the bell.  It’s brought a new energy to the staff.  Okay, to most of the staff, but more important, they’re back to doing one of the little things that made their customer experience memorable and unique. Believe me, the little things make a huge difference in retail. Especially when it’s about the customer.

So let me ask, what bell can you and your staff ring – or start ringing again – this week?

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Doug Fleener, a proven retail and customer experience expert and consultant, helps companies dramatically improve their customer experience and their results. Visit the Dynamic Experiences Group website, or call Doug at 866-535-6331 to discuss how he can help you create an extraordinary experience and results.

Let the customer prove you wrong

Almost everyone has what I call subconscious assumptions. We go into most situations or interactions with a subconscious assumption of what we believe will happen. The subconscious assumptions are a sum of our experiences and our own beliefs, but since they are subconscious we rarely realize they are guiding our behaviors and actions.

Let me share a non-retail example. When I was a teenager, one of the hardest things to do was asking a girl out on a date. Since there was no texting, email, or Facebook, you had to ask her either in person or over the telephone.

In the beginning I was nervous, but determined. Unfortunately, things didn't start out so well. I think the first three girls I asked out were older, and they had no desire to go out with a younger boy whose mother would have to drive us to the movies. The next three I asked already had boyfriends. Or at least that's what they said, and I'm sticking to that story.

It wasn't long before I wasn't as nervous asking a girl out, but I had also started to assume that the answer was going to be "no." I went from "Would you like to go out?" to "I suppose you don't want to go out."

Then one day I asked a girl I worked with if she'd like to go out to dinner and the movies. She said yes. I said thanks anyway. She actually had to say, "I said yes." I didn't hear the "yes" because I was assuming the answer was "no." That is how the subconscious assumption works. Or as you can see from my story, works against us.

In retail there are a few subconscious assumptions that directly impact our results.

1. The customer wants to be left alone. This one might be a little more conscious than subconscious. As we've discussed before, customers don't necessarily want to be left alone. They just don't want to be helped by people who don't add value to their experience.

2. The customer is just looking. This assumption happens naturally in stores that have a higher percentage of non-buying than buyers customers. Every person who walks in the store is looking at something, but our assumptions tell us they're a non-buyer.

3. The customer is worried about the price. This assumption is more often driven by our own beliefs than the customer's. Customers want value, but most will become extremely price conscious when the store and staff don't add value to their shopping experience.

The antidote to these subconscious assumptions is to consciously think and act differently.

Assume a customer wants your help, until you're proven wrong.

Assume a customer is walking in to make a purchase, until you're proven wrong.

Assume a customer is willing to spend any amount of money, until you're proven wrong.

So let me ask, are these or any other assumptions getting in the way of your and your store's success?

Have a great week.

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Doug Fleener, a proven retail and customer experience expert and consultant, helps companies dramatically improve their customer experience and their results. Visit the Dynamic Experiences Group website, or call Doug at 866-535-6331 to discuss how he can help you create an extraordinary experience and results.

Weekend action plan: Needs, wants, and rewards

As you probably know, I publish a daily subscription newsletter Monday through Friday. I believe it is one of the best daily resources available for specialty retailers and other customer-focused companies that want to dramatically elevate their business performance and results. Then again, I’m biased.  

What you may not know is that the Friday newsletter is written specifically for the frontline staff, and can be immediately applied to impact the weekend business.  It’s like a weekly training at no additional charge.  I don’t usually run these in the Weekly Take Five, but thought you might find one from last month especially helpful.

THE WEEKEND GOAL

Discover why a customer is rewarding him/herself.

OVERVIEW

The other day I ran across an interesting factoid about why customers make luxury purchases.  A study of luxury consumers found the number one reason consumers make a luxury purchase is to reward themselves. (31.9%)

Think about that. Almost one-third of all luxury consumers aren't buying something because they need it. They aren't buying it because they want it, although they wouldn't buy it if they didn't want it. The primary driver of a luxury customer's purchase intent is to reward, or treat, him/herself.

Although the study is focused on luxury products, I believe the numbers are pretty similar for non-luxury discretionary purchases.  Customers often justify a purchase by positioning it as a reward. They've lost weight. They got a promotion. They just got married. They just got divorced. They're on their first vacation in five years.

Look again at the examples again.  Did you notice that there's a story behind every one of them?

Therein lie your opportunities. Most salespeople focus on identifying a customer's needs and wants, but if you also identify both the reward and story behind it, you'll increase your sales and conversion rate. You'll also have an opportunity to help people reward themselves, and that's always a fun thing to do.

Here are some ways to identify and leverage customer rewards:

1. Know if your customer is buying for him/herself or for someone else. Most of you probably already do this, but if not, you always want to know who the recipient is.

2. Ask your customer if he/she is shopping for a special occasion. We almost always ask this if our customer is buying something for someone else, but we almost never ask when the purchase is for the customer him/herself.  Just by asking, customers will begin to share their story.

Here's what also happens. The customer will respond there's no special occasion, and then they will begin to tell you the story of why they are rewarding themselves. Listen for it. I guess some people are just downplaying their own rewards.

3. Listen for the story, and then respond to it. When the customer answers your question or they casually mentions a reason they're looking at something, ask them questions about the reward.

Why do all this?   Because the more you encourage your customer to talk about why he's rewarding himself, the stronger the purchase intent becomes. I had a colleague at the Sharper Image who made his monthly sales goal doing this.

INTO ACTION

1. Commit to applying these three tips to identify and leverage customers who are rewarding themselves.

2. Run a friendly competition around who can identify the most reward stories.

3. As a team, brainstorm ideas to identify incentives for a customer who shares his/her story.

Never miss the chance to get your customer to talk about his/her reward story. It's just as important as the need and the want, but (not surprisingly) much more rewarding.

- Doug  

Like to know more about the Daily Take Five?

The Daily Take Five is the only daily subscription newsletter that focuses on developing and improving specialty retailers and their employees. The Daily is easy to read, often funny, and almost always thought provoking. A lot of emphasis is placed on the customer experience, leadership and development, and improving sales performance.

The subscription rate is $199 a year, per store. That's just .75 a day. Volume discounts are available for retailers with three or more stores. Subscriptions are limited to retailers only. To receive a three-week subscription, visit www.dailytakefive.com.

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Doug Fleener, a proven retail and customer experience expert and consultant, helps companies dramatically improve their customer experience and their results. Visit our Dynamic Experiences Group website, or call Doug at 866-535-6331 to discuss how he can help you create an extraordinary experience and results.

Customer birthdays

Since I've just spent two days last week celebrating family birthdays, let me share with you some birthday thoughts and business building tips.

I recommend that just about every specialty retailer and other customer-focused service business should try to capture his/her customers' birthday. Whether it is part of a loyalty program or through clienteling, the opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate in a customer's birthday is a great way to build a stronger connection with the customer, and when done right can create incremental visits and sales.

Some sales associates might feel awkward asking customers for their birthdate. The best way to ask is to state the benefit first before asking the birthdate question. "We love to celebrate our customer's birthdays, and if you'll share yours we'll be sure to do something special. What is your birthdate?"

Here are some specific ways you can celebrate customer birthdays.

1. Send a card signed by your entire staff. One of the first birthday cards I get every year is from Southwest airlines, signed by their executive team. Obviously, the cards aren't hand signed, but it is still a nice touch. It is especially effective because it arrives every year; this is probably the tenth year I've received a card from them. I highly recommend that you send a hand signed birthday card to at least your VIPs.

2. Send a birthday email. Not as personal as the card, but it is still a nice way to connect with your customer on their special day. I got a nice note from my insurance agent and several businesses with which I've done business.

3. Send the customer a special birthday offer. I got a number of birthday specials last week including ones from MLB.com, JetBlue, and a few others. Most were 10% or 15% off a purchase, which, frankly, wasn't enough to motivate me.

My favorite thing to do is to send the customer a $10 or $20 gift card in the mail or something via email that can be printed. That, to me, is a real gift. The retailers I know who do this tell me they always make money on these sales.

4. Have the customer come to the store for a birthday gift. I like this idea as it creates an incremental visit.  The staff can have on hand a number of pre-made gift bags containing small treats and a small gift. Including a gift card is also a nice way to prime the sales pump.

5. Call your customers and wish them a happy birthday. I know some stores that call their best customers and sing happy birthday to them. If you heard me sing you wouldn't think that was such a treat, but it is a great way to stand out to your VIPs.

6. Host a monthly birthday party. Invite your customers into the store to celebrate birthdays on, say, the last Wednesday of the month. Serve cake and drinks, and consider giving a small goodie bag away. Of course, you'll invite all of your customers who come in that day to join in the celebration, which if anything creates a fun atmosphere during an often-slow time of the week.

So let me ask, are you leveraging your customers' birthdays to make a stronger connection, and drive incremental sales and visits?

Have a great week!

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Doug Fleener is a proven retail and customer experience expert that helps companies dramatically improve their customer experience and their results. Visit our website or call Doug at 866-535-6331 to discuss how he can help you create an extraordinary experience and results.

Dos and don'ts during slower days

Conventional wisdom tells us that we should be able to deliver a better and more productive experience on slower days, but sometimes that’s actually more challenging when it’s slow than when we’re busy.  We can inadvertently turn off a customer by being overly attentive, or simply miss our opportunity altogether.

Here are a few simple dos and don’ts for those slower times. 

Don’t congregate at the door.  In fact, don’t congregate anywhere, whether business is slow or not.  But on slow days when shoppers can see that salespeople outnumber customers, some will skip coming into the store to browse if they see a gaggle of sales associates right at the door.  If need be, someone can head to the backroom and do something back there until it picks up.

Don’t present a quiet store.  As a customer, I’m hesitant to walk in to a quiet, empty store.  I see it all of the time.  A customer walks up to the lease line, looks around and then leaves.  Even if you can’t do much about the empty part, you can address the quiet. Make sure you always have music playing, and on slower days consider playing more upbeat music to bring more energy to the store.

Don’t abruptly stop what you’re doing when the customer comes in. I know this sounds counterintuitive and contrary to what some retailers teach, but if you immediately stop what you’re doing the second a customer walks in, they often feel guilty for interrupting you. Just welcome the customer as you quickly (but not abruptly) get to a stopping place. The customer is always our first priority.

Don’t yell across the store to greet/welcome the customer.  I know, you’re so happy to see a customer that you can’t wait to welcome him/her, but yelling does not make the best first impression.  It can also communicate that whatever you’re doing somewhere in the store is more important than walking up to welcome them using a conversational tone of voice.

Do use open-ended questions when first engaging a customer.  Some shoppers have a tendency to avoid conversing with a sales associate if they are the only person in the store.  By using open-ended questions you give your customer a few extra seconds to get comfortable and warm up to you.

Do give your customer the space to shop at the pace they want.  Sometimes when it’s slow we give each customer our full attention whether they want it or not.  Customers will let us know by their answers to our questions and their body language if they want/need space. Over-attentiveness will run some customers right out the door; others will be thrilled to have you all to themselves.  Read your customer and give them what they want.

Do reengage the customer who is looking around.  We’ve always said that our involvement elevates the customer’s experience, but that doesn’t happen when you ask, “Are you finding everything alright?” or “Can I answer any questions?”  Instead, bring the shopper a new product that just came in, or start telling them about the product they’re looking at.  The key is to then direct the conversation away from the product and toward the customer.  Learning just one or two things about his/her likes, dislikes, needs, and wants will help you find just the right item.

So let me ask, how can your team maximize your customer opportunities on slower days?

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Doug Fleener is a proven retail and customer experience expert that helps companies dramatically improve their customer experience and their results. Visit our website or call Doug at 866-535-6331 to discuss how he can help you create an extraordinary experience and results.

One of thousands, or thousands of ones

The best customer service/experience happens when I feel respected and/or appreciated, and my expectations are met or exceeded.  My expectations can be anything - good food, good service, a knowledgeable salesperson, a fast check-in, open registers, I’m not kept waiting, a product in stock, etc., etc., etc.

While many elements make up a great customer experience, there is one common theme: Me.  As a customer, I’m the one that determines whether I’ve had a good experience or not.

I’m sure most, if not all, of the companies I do business with have a defined service approach and training for their employees, but there’s a big miss by virtually every one of them.  Me.  Companies talk about customers as if they’re all the same; as if each person who walks in the door is just another version of the person before.

If thousands of people walk in over the course of a week I’m one of thousands but in reality, customers are thousands of ones.

That is why delivering a personalized experience is such a great differentiator and the key to both winning customers and maximizing the sales opportunity.

Every specialty retailer should have a defined sales experience approach. It’s an important roadmap for the staff to add value to the customer’s visit and not simply clerk the sale. It’s also important that the staff be taught, and expected to, deliver the experience uniquely to each customer. 

You’ve probably defined how to do this.  The difference is in the details and the quality of the execution.

Saying “hello” is one of thousands.  Welcoming and acknowledging each individual is thousands of ones.

Talking to a customer is one of thousands.  Having a conversation with someone whose name you know and about whom you know something is thousands of ones.

Showing a product is one of thousands.  Recommending products based on the answers to questions you’ve asked is thousands of ones.

Giving good service is one of thousands.  Making sure your customer has the best possible experience is thousands of ones.

This starts with how the company/store leadership sees and engages their team.  A staff can be one of many or many ones. When we teach and coach each individual person to learn how to deliver a more unique and memorable experience, we are well on our way to succeeding one customer at a time.

So let me ask, is your experience delivered to one of thousands or to thousands of ones?

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Doug Fleener is a proven retail and customer experience expert that helps companies dramatically improve their customer experience and their results. Visit our website or call Doug at 866-535-6331 to discuss how he can help you create an extraordinary experience and results.

Making The Right Choice. . . . For Your Customer

Retailers make subconscious choices between making things easier for themselves or delivering the best experience for their customers almost every day.  We rarely realize we're making this choice, but because everything we do has an impact on our customers they will feel the results of our choices.  The more we are aware that we are making a choice the more likely it is we'll make the right one.

A common example of this choice is when a store staff closes down one register early so they get out quickly at closing time.  I'll admit that this was my standard operating procedure when I owned or ran a store.  The problem is that closing a register early may force some customers to wait if the store is busy at closing time or if there is a problem with one customer's transaction. What's the big deal?  Well, it might not be a big deal to the staff but it is if you're the customer waiting in a line as you stare at an unused register.

Here are some other subconscious choices retailers make between making things easier for themselves and delivering the best experience for their customers.

* Not staggering staff meals and breaks. Why is that anytime we let multiple people go on break the store gets busy?  I have no idea why but I do know that not having enough staff available is something that should be avoided. 

* Opening late or closing early.  Time is one of our customer's most valuable resources. When we keep them waiting or when our store is not available to them when we said it would be then we're wasting our customers time and telling them that our time is more valuable than theirs. That is both rude and shortsighted.

* Worn or defective display products. I've met retailers who refuse to invest in replacing display products because it reduces their profits on those particular products. First and foremost, worn or broken display products cost sales.  Second, it has a negative impact on the customer's experience.  Customers deserve to see and try out products that are in good working order so they can make a sound purchase decision.

* Not having the proper size bags. On the surface this may seem petty but don't you find it annoying when stores don't have bags that are the appropriate size for the products? Sometimes a store just runs out, which I can understand, but to not make every effort to have right-sized shopping bags because you don't want to spend the money or make space behind the cashwrap doesn't cut it.

* Not giving customers bathroom access. Yes, it has been a while since I've harped on this topic. I've heard a hundred reasons why retailers won't let a customer use their restroom. None of them mean anything to a customer who needs to go, or has a child about to have an accident.  As I've also pointed out before, when you send customers out of your store in search of a restroom you're taking a risk they won't come back.

* Not training new employees quickly enough.  This was really highlighted during a recent conversation with a client.  This retailer has an extensive number of products that all require substantial knowledge to sell.  She said she couldn't afford to bring the part-timers in for extra training hours so it was taking a while to get employees up to speed.  I pointed out that the lost sales might be costing her more than the extra payroll it would take to get them trained sooner.

Putting insufficiently trained salespeople out on the floor isn't fair to the customers either. Every customer deserves the best possible experience and in many stores that requires a knowledgeable and informed employee.

So what are some of the other possible choices you might be making that could be impacting your customer's experience without you even realizing it? You can avoid making those choices in the future by always asking yourself, "How does this impact my customer?"

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Doug Fleener is a proven retail and customer experience expert that helps companies dramatically improve their customer experience and their results. Visit our website or call Doug at 866-535-6331 to discuss how he can help you create an extraordinary experience and results.

Reading and exceeding the customer's expectations

One of the keys to meeting and, we hope, exceeding a customer's expectations is to first determine what they are.  How do you know if you've met or exceeded expectations unless you know what they are?

Unfortunately, many retailers and sales people take a "one size fits all" approach.

They assume a customer wants to be left alone. That may or may not be true.

They assume a customer wants to chat and look at lots of products. That may or may not be true.

They assume a customer is in a hurry or not in a hurry.  That may or may not be true.

They assume a customer is interested in features.  That may or may not be true.

I could go on and on, but you get my point.  What is important to one customer doesn't mean a thing to another.

How do you know what someone is expecting from you and your store?  The easiest way to find out would be to ask your customer when he/she walks in the door.  Although some people could easily answer that question, many (most?) would struggle to verbalize it.

And there's our answer.  Almost every customer will give us non-verbal clues about how we're doing towards meeting or achieving their expectations

Some are very clear, like the customer who is in a hurry.  Others aren't as easy to read, like the customer who is more interested in fashion than features.

What's the key to reading body language?  Be observant.

Where is your customer looking when you're talking to him?  If he's looking away, then something else is important to him.

Is your customer smiling?  I have enough retail experience to know that not every customer smiles...but I do know that when someone is smiling, they're having a good experience.

Does your customer's smile look forced or fake?  If it does, you're clearly missing your mark. Experts say you can tell a forced or fake smile because the eyes don't change as they do with a real smile

Is your customer shuffling her feet, or leaning back and forth between the left and right foot?  Usually, but not always, this means she wants to get moving on to something else.

Is your customer reaching out for the product, or are you having to hand things to her?  If someone reaches for the product first it's a clear sign she's interested and is a potential buyer. Well, that or maybe a shoplifter, so stay close either way.

Is your customer answering in short abrupt sentences?  That's right, it means he doesn't want to talk.  That may seem obvious, but I have seen retail salespeople run customers off by talking too much to someone who simply didn't want to hear it.

You may not be able to read or understand all of a customer's non-verbal cues, but I guarantee that if you work at this you'll deliver a better experience and sell more products.

So let me ask, are you meeting or exceeding the customer's stated and unstated expectations?

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Doug Fleener is a proven retail and customer experience expert that helps companies dramatically improve their customer experience and their results. Visit our website or call Doug at 866-535-6331 to discuss how he can help you create an extraordinary experience and results.

Bragability

Bragging is usually regarded as a less-than-admirable quality in a person, but I actually enjoy hearing people blow his/her own horn. Excessive self-importance turns me off, but I like to hear people share their pride in their accomplishments. It can be a fine line.

Hearing people cross that line when they're bragging about the company they work for or the stores where they shop is music to my ears. There is no better advertisement, or more effective recruiting method, than a bragging customer and/or employee.

When someone is bragging about your store(s) you can be sure you're doing a lot of things right. As a matter of fact, getting the people who work for you or shop with you to want to brag about you is the result of the same actions. Here are five elements that contribute to your store's bragability.

1. Making an emotional connection. People take pride in being a part of it. It's not "a" store, it's "my" store. When your employees and your customers feel that connected, it's easy for them to extend your mission and experience beyond the store. If you want your customers and employees to brag, you need to first show the love.

2. Surprise and delight. As humans, our ability to remember things helps us to survive. If you don't believe me just forget your spouse's birthday or your anniversary. The downside of our memory is that new things quickly become old or the routine. That's why constantly finding new ways to surprise and delight employees and customers is so important. Never underestimate how much small wows add up to a WOW worth bragging about.

3. Consistently exceeding people's expectations. Surprise and delight aren't the only ways to exceed an employee and customer's expectations. Things like anticipating needs, simplifying work and shopping, and remaining focused on delivering the best possible work and shopping experience are vital to creating bragging moments.

Remember this: You rarely exceed a customer's expectations unless you set out to do just that.

4. Don't disappoint them. People are disappointed when you fail to meet their expectations. It sometimes happens that people's expectations are higher than you can or are willing to meet but more often than not, disappointment results when you take your eye off the customer or employee experience.

Let me give you an example. An employee might be disappointed he has to work on a holiday. But if you do something particular to make working a holiday more special, the person is no longer disappointed and ends up bragging to others about how working on the holiday was made special.

5. Regular communication. It's your job to keep reminding your customers and your employees why you're bragable. I know that's not a real word, but it's a real state of mind and it's a great thing to strive for.

You don't want customers to have to come into the store to remember why they brag about you. Remind them with newsletters, social media, cards, and calls. When done well, that results in even more bragging!

For employees, communication is an essential part of keeping connected and reminding them what's so special about the store/company they work for. Many owners and executives underestimate the power of communicating directly to frontline employees and depend too much on store management to deliver the message to their team. Remember, all company meetings, blogs, memos, and online videos can help create a bragging organization.

So let me ask, how much bragging is happening in your store or company? In which of these five elements can you and your team improve?

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Doug Fleener is a proven retail and customer experience expert that helps companies dramatically improve their customer experience and their results. Visit our website or call Doug at 866-535-6331 to discuss how he can help you create an extraordinary experience and results.