Retail Contrarian

“What else?” your way to an even better and more productive experience

The difference between a bad, an okay, and a great store experience lies in whether or not a company falls short, meets, or exceeds its customer's expectations. Most stores deliver only an okay experience, because they're focused on (at best) meeting the customer's expectations.

If we want to meet and, preferably, exceed a customer’s expectations, it’s necessary to proactively find ways to exceed those expectations. The challenge is that we don't always know what those expectations are. We can make an educated assumption based on what most people expect when shopping in a store, but that doesn't address each customer's personal expectations.

Here are two simple questions you can use to exceed your customer's expectations and sell more products. Ask yourself while engaging with every customer:

1. "What else can I DO?" With this question you are looking for opportunities to exceed your customer’s expectation that might not be immediately apparent.

You might ask yourself:

* "What else can I do to make my customer feel welcome or appreciated?"

* "What else can I do to make this customer's first visit even more special?"

* "What else can I do make this customer's birthday a great experience?"

* "What else can I do to turn this disappointed customer into a huge fan?"

2. "What else can I SHOW?" This question confirms that we will seek additional opportunities to show the customer products he/she may like and that may enhance their lives. It's also is a great way to not stop the sale.

You might ask yourself:

* "What else can I show that will go with this necklace?"

* "What else can I show that will make this project easier?"

* "What else can I show that will make my customer's vacation more special?"

* "What else can I show that my customer hasn't seen before?"

Here are some ways to put “What else?” into action. 

1. Role-play scenarios using these two question with your manager or a colleague. Ask the question and answer out loud so others can give you feedback on your thought process.

2. Use both questions with every customer today. Learning something doesn’t impact your business. Applying what you learned does.

3. Share with your manager at least three examples of what else you did and showed to your customer.

4. For the next week, have the entire team write down what else they do/show when working with customers, and then share their lists at the next staff meeting. This is a great way for everyone to learn from each other.

As simple as these two little questions sound, the action of asking - and then following through on the answer – will have a HUGE impact on your customer's experience and your store results.

What else can I say but 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.

Retail sales tip: Redirect for success

Redirecting a conversation is an extremely effective technique used by highly effective salespeople.  Let me give you a good example.

Let me tell about a great example I witnessed.  A man came into a store I was working with in search of a very particular pair of earrings.  I didn't hear the entire conversation, but it seemed that somehow his wife had lost one earring of a pair he had given her.  He told Debbie, the sales associate that he travels extensively and is always on the lookout for earrings that would replace the lost one.

Debbie asked him describe the earrings and then showed him some potential matches.  None of them were a match, and the man said he would just keep looking.  At this point one of three things can happen.

1. The sales associate can say she's sorry and wishes him good luck in his search.

2. The sales associate can provide somewhat better service than that by giving the customer the company's contact information to see if they can help him.

3. The sales associate can redirect the conversation away from the missing earrings to potentially buying a new pair.

Which is exactly what Debbie did.  But redirecting is an art.  If she had asked, "Why don't you just buy her a new pair of earrings?" he probably would have said no, because the other earrings were special to his wife.

Instead, Debbie smartly redirected the conversation from the missing earrings to talking about the customer's wife.  As I've written before, Debbie shifted from "what" to "who" which is always more effective.  Debbie quickly learned that his wife had conservative taste, liked a particular style, and then recommended two different pairs of earrings.

I'm happy to say that this man's wife received two pair of earrings when her husband returned home this week.

Debbie also made the sale for two other reasons besides using the redirect.  The first reason is because she was focused on making a sale and not just helping the customer. Secondly, she also assumed that since her customer's wife loved that particular brand, he couldn't go wrong by bringing home new earrings instead of just reporting that he hadn't found a replacement.

How about you? Do you redirect conversations when appropriate? Redirecting is never rude or pushy if your goal is to deliver the best possible customer experience. Debbie used it not only to deliver a great experience but to make her customer a hero, too. Sounds good to me!

Try it yourself today. You may already be redirecting more than you realize, but by increasing your awareness you'll begin to see even more redirecting opportunities. 

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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.

How to be even more attractive

If you want to be more successful, you have to be even more attractive. You're probably thinking, "That's easy for him to say!" Okay, you're probably not thinking that, but you might be thinking, "What do you mean 'be more attractive'?

Let's first look at the definitions of "attractive" and "attract."

at·trac·tive

1. arousing interest or engaging one's thought, consideration, etc.

2. having the quality of attracting

at·tract

to draw by appealing to the emotions or senses, by stimulating interest, or by exciting admiration; allure; invite 

Attraction is the result of how a store looks and feels, how the staff appears, the quality of the staff engagement and store experience, product and presentation, activities and events, marketing, and sales. 

Running sales is the easiest - and most overused - way for stores to be attractive. It results in little loyalty, and even less profit. Since you're a regular reader of The Weekly, I'm sure you're attractive in other ways.

To create more customers and more sales, you want to think about ways to be even more attractive, especially to customers walking or driving by the store.   Attracting only a few new customers each day will have a positive impact on your business.

Here are five ways specialty stores can be more attractive to new customers without marketing.

1. Crank up the energy! It happens all the time. A customer peers into a store, and keeps walking. Why? Because the store didn't feel inviting, and/or the staff didn't appear interesting. It can't be the products. The person didn't even walk in!

On slow days, turn the music up more. Have fun. Make sure the staff is aware of the signals they're sending to shoppers walking by. Make people want to come see what's happening in your store.

2. Add to, or improve, your lighting. Bright, well-executed, lighting makes a store pop, and that attracts more customers. Compare the Apple store to any number of other stores in s mall. At the very least make sure your front display POPS. Not pops. POPS!

3. Engage window stoppers. Notice I use the word "stoppers" instead of "shoppers." A person has stopped to look at the window display, and the goal is to get him/her into the store. Window shoppers don't make you a dime!

This is done well by some of our client's stores. If a customer is looking at something in the window a staffer will walk right out and start selling the customer. Even better, the salesperson will bring the product out and put it in the potential buyer's hands. Now that's window-shopping!

4. Create and execute micro-events. Use signage at the door, or just outside, to promote the free handbag cleaning, or special trunk show, or tasting, or whatever. That creates interest. Have a handful of events with signs and props the staff can pull out whenever they need to.

5. Ask your staff. Put up a large sheet of paper and ask each employee to add at least two ideas for ways the store can be more attractive. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with what they come up with. You're staff is not only attractive, they're smart, too!

So let ask, how can your company and staff be even more attractive?

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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.

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.

Musings on information and application, just looking, and more

Share or do?

One of my favorite sayings is, “Information without application has little value.” Most retailers are really good at sharing information. There are new product trainings. There are customer service trainings.  Memos.  Meetings. Videos. Online modules. There is a LOT of information available, but how much application is happening?

Whether you’re a single store or a thousand-store chain, ensuring application of new knowledge and skills is essential.  This can be done with tools and mechanisms like roleplaying, staff observation, manager and staff feedback, staff worksheets, online reporting, etc.

A training or a memo is only the starting point.  As the leader, you must put into place the mechanisms to make sure your information becomes action.  Think about that the next time you hold a training or make changes to your sales and service experience.

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Of course you’re just looking

As sure as the sign rises and sets each day, you're going to hear customers say, "Just looking." While not asking questions a customer can answer with "just looking" is key, you're still going to hear it.

The best response is to acknowledge the comment in whatever way works best for you and then add that you'll check in with her in a little bit. This way, when you reengage her you're just following up with your commitment.

Salesperson: "Hello and welcome to XYZ."

Customer: "Just looking."

Salesperson: "Great. We're glad you're here. Try on any items you'd like, and I'll check in with you in a little bit."

Now, when the salesperson reengages he isn't being pushy, he's just doing what he said he would do. Try it out, it works.

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Some things for you to chew on.....

* Smart specialty retailers are always creating a big deal out of something. That's how you drive incremental visits and word of mouth advocacy.

* The better a store, the more opportunity to improve sales and profits. While that may seem counterintuitive, great stores can drive incremental improvement. The key is to identify the areas of opportunity.

* Don't underestimate the impact display windows have on driving traffic into the store. Don't overestimate the impact display windows have on sales. Your staff still needs to convert the traffic.

* I don't believe that retail and politics are a good mix. Why alienate potential customers?

* If a manager or owner is worried about store standards and customer experience when they're not in, they've got a major issue they need to take action on.

* Sometimes it's the littlest things that help you stand out. Southwest airlines sent an email out last month with the subject line: "✔ Check Out These Fall Travel Deals -- Book by Thursday!" It's amazing how that little checkmark made that email stand out among all the others.

* Here's a great idea. Offer your customer a special offer or gift with purchase if they'll announce to their friends on Facebook or Twitter they just made a purchase in your store. Don't complicate it; just have the customer show you the post on their mobile phone.

* I don't expect you to agree with everything I write about. Heck, sometimes I don’t even agree with me. I do hope that what I write gets you thinking, and even better one or two of the ideas help your business.

Until next week….be extraordinary!

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Doug Fleener is a proven retail and customer experience expert and consultant that 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.

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.

Selling to men

With less than a week to go until Mother’s Day, any store that sells Mother’s Day products will begin to see more and more male shoppers.  If that’s your store, here are ten tips to share with your team.  For the rest of you specialty retailers, these are still good reminders for maximizing your sales opportunities.

1. Assume every man who walks into your store between now and Sunday is there to buy. Remember, we create more sales when we begin by assuming the customer is a buyer.

2. Don't ask if he needs help. You know he's there to buy something and that you are just the right person to assist him.  Instead of saying "How may I help you? or  "Can I help you find something?" say something like, "Welcome. I bet you are looking for the perfect Mother’s Day gift."

3. Take charge of the sale.  There's a lot of truth to the stereotype about men not asking for directions, and a lot of us won't ask for help in a store, either.  Most men need your help whether they're willing to ask for it or not.

4. Involve the children if they’re shopping with dad. While this sounds obvious, it has happened to me when I’ve been shopping with my girls more times than I can count. Once the kids are excited about a particular gift, dad is sure to agree.

5. Discover a couple of things about Mom. The more you know the more you can help them pick out the perfect gift.  And isn't helping dad and kids buy the perfect gift the reason you're there?

6. Mirror the pace at which he's shopping.  If he's clearly looking to purchase something quickly, speed up your pace.  If he's taking his time, don't rush him. Let’s be honest. Sometimes we men aren’t the most patient shoppers in the world.   Speaking for myself, the longer I’m in the store the less likely I am to buy something.  That runs counter to how most people shop.

7. Avoid asking him how much he wants to spend.  Whenever I'm asked that I always say, "I don't want to spend anything, but I doubt you're giving away stuff."  Most men want to buy the best gift for the least amount of money.  Help him find that and the amount he wants to spend will take care of itself.

8. Start big and work your way down. Yes, that helps our sales, but it also helps Dad and the kids be heroes on Sunday.  I don't think many women have ever said, "I wish this diamond was smaller" or "I didn't really want this handbag and a wallet.”

9. Recommend products, but don't give them too many choices.  This is especially the case if dad’s not too comfortable buying the products you sell.  I'm fine picking out an iPhone for my wife, but ask me to select from too many different necklaces and I'll struggle to make a decision.

10. Offer to help the children pick out a small but special gift just from them.  This is such a nice touch for the kids, and it’s a nice way to add-on.  Gotta love those win-wins!

So let me ask, which one or two of these will help you sell more to men and make a lot of mother’s happy this Sunday?

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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.

How to maximize a GWP

If you're not sure what a GWP is, then this post probably isn't for you. For those of you who frequently offer a Gift With Purchase, this might help you see how to better leverage these types of programs.

A GWP is a great way to promote products and drive incremental sales without discounting. The most common GWP promotions are 1) buy product XYZ and get an xyz at no charge 2) buy a certain amount of XYZ products and get a free xyz or 3) spend a certain amount of money and get a xyz. Most GWP promotions come from manufacturers, although retailers would do well to consider doing them on a regular basis.

There are many ways to use a GWP.

1. Use the GWP as a way to engage the customer. I'm not a big fan of using the GWP as the way to initially engage a customer. "Welcome to ABC. We have a great gift with purchase promotion today." While the GWP definitely makes it easier to approach customers, I think the effectiveness is diminished when it's the first thing you tell your customer.

I would rather tell a customer about the GWP after establishing a personal connection with him/her. This way you can personalize and use the GWP to add even more value to the person's visit and purchase. "Since you own a lot of XYZ, today is the perfect day to add to it with our Gift With Purchase offer." It's also an effective way to reengage a customer you couldn't connect with on the first attempt.

2. Delight the customer who would be purchasing the product anyway by telling him/her about the GWP after the fact. While I'm all in favor of exceeding a customer's expectations, this doesn't leverage the GWP.

3. Use the GWP to increase the store or brand's average sale. This uses the GWP as a "carrot" for the customer to spend more. The key is to use the GWP as appropriate with every customer.

Say something like, "If you spend another $30 you'll get the xyz at no charge. It's almost like the extra $30 is free!" (Notice how we make the additional sale "free" rather than the GWP.) Most of our clients see a nice bump in their ADS during a GWP promotion.

4. Use the GWP to increase conversion. Since the GWP is either limited in time or inventory, it can be used to motivate the customer to buy now rather than wait. I find it's best to not to talk about the ending date or limited supplies until you can use that information to help motivate your customer to take action now.

5. Use the GWP to create incremental sales. A GWP will often create purchase intent in the customers. The GWP often gives the customer the motivation to buy something they normally wouldn't buy. The key is to create value in the free gift. Some associates put too much focus on what the customer has to buy rather than the gift itself.

6. Use the GWP as an opportunity to communicate with your customer. This should be a given. Every GWP should be communicated in your newsletter, on social media, and possibly cards and postcards.

While all of the above methods except the first two are great ways to use a GWP, this last one is my favorite and leverages the GWP.

7. Create incremental visits from your VIPs with your GWP. A GWP is the perfect opportunity to call your very best customers and schedule a personalized shopping experience to take advantage of the gift with purchase offer.

As you can see, when used well the GWP is so much more than just a free gift. It's a great way to drive higher performance.

So let me ask, are you taking advantage of the many ways to maximize a gift with purchase promotion?

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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.

Don't ask permission

I have a question: Is your customer's experience better when someone on your staff is involved in their experience than when you're not? 

Of course it is. You and your team have the knowledge, experience, and information that benefit your customer. You can help them find the right products(s) that meet their needs and wants.

If they're in a hurry, you can get them out the door faster. If they're not, you make their shopping experience much more enjoyable.

So if we add value to the customer's experience, why do we ask permission? Shouldn't we just do it?

We ask for permission more often than we know.

"How may help you?" That's asking permission.

"What can I help you find?" That's adding value.

 

"Can I answer any questions?" That's asking permission.

"That's a very popular widget." That's adding value.

 

"Would you like help carrying your purchase out?" That's asking permission.

"Let me get someone to carry your purchase to your car." That's adding value.

 

"Would like to see the matching wallet?" That's asking permission.

"Here's the wallet that goes with that bag." That's adding value.

 

That's why we don't ask for permission.

Even if a customer says "no" to our offer, we've at least demonstrated that we add value to his/her experience. That's something many of our competitors never do.

The same holds true for exceeding your customer's expectations. Don't ask for permission.

 

"Can I get you a bottle of water?" That's asking permission.

"Here's a drink for you to enjoy while shopping." That's exceeding the customer's expectations.

 

"I can call the other store to see if they have them in stock." That's asking permission.

"I'll call the other store to see if they have them in stock." That's exceeding your customer's expectations.

 

"I can call you a few week's before your wife's birthday." That's asking permission.

"Hello, Mr. Jones. I'm calling to see if I can help you pick out a couple of gifts for your wife's birthday." That's exceeding a customer's expectations.

 

Even if your customer declines your offer, you have still demonstrated your point of differentiation and your desire to WOW them. That's what makes you special.

So let me ask, are you asking for permission to deliver an extraordinary customer experience? 

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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 extraordinary results.