Ways to Improve Your Customers’ Experience
In the current market, it’s not only important to keep your customers satisfied – you now need to go out of your way to secure repeat business and develop a culture of brand loyalty surrounding your store and its products. The best way to do this is to come up with unique and ingenious ways of improving your customer’s experience so they will enjoy shopping at your store and will be encouraged to visit again. Below are some tips for improving your customers’ retail experience.
Understand Retail Evolution
The retail sector as a whole is constantly evolving – to engage more effectively with your customers and provide them with a better retail experience, you must understand that the retail experience is no longer a linear process. In the old days, a potential customer might see an advertisement for your store, pay you a visit and buy some of your goods. Now virtually every consumer turns to the Internet to shop, which is why it is now vital to provide customers with a good online retail experience. Of course it is still important for your in-store retail experience to be of a high quality, especially since bad-experiences stories can go viral (remember the FedEx driver who threw a computer monitor over a fence?). When consumers aren’t shopping online, they’re looking for peer-written reviews of potential shopping venues. One only needs to look at the immense popularity of Yelp to know how essential positive peer reviews are, especially considering the site has an average of 78 million visitors a month. These reviews pack a powerful punch, which is why keeping your customers satisfied with their online and in-store experiences can help make or break your business.
Train your Staff
Much of your customers’ retail experience can be improved simply by training your staff well. When looking for potential employees, try to find people who are problem solvers. You do not want staff who tell your customers they can’t do things or don’t know how to handle their queries; instead you need enthusiastic people who are willing to go the extra mile to answer your customers’ questions and give them solutions. The way in which your employees address customers is also important; do your staff tell people, “that item is out of stock” or, “we don’t have any of that item currently, would you like me to order one in for you?” There is a big difference and a little effort goes a long way.
Use POS Technology
With retail technology improving every day, it’s a good idea to incorporate some into your operation as it has the potential to greatly improve your customer’s retail experience with your company. If your business runs a point of sale system, the technology is now available for you to use tablet PCs or iPads as part of your customer service strategy. Equip your staff with tablet computers with the correct applications installed and they will be able to do things such as quickly display goods and their specifications on-screen, run stock checks and even take card payments from customers quickly. Using point of sale technology correctly could be a great way to improve your customer’s retail experience.
Be True to Your Values
Customers are growing increasingly attached to companies who embrace the values of their brand and promote a positive message through both their products and their store experience. A good example of this is Apple, who promotes a laid-back, casual brand image that is reflected in their retail experience, where customers are encouraged to “hang out” at the store and sample the products available for sale. If your company also wants to promote a laid-back image then that has to be reflected in your in-store retail experience.
