Personalizing Customer Service
In this competitive retail climate, it is important to set one's store apart. It is not enough to have a great location or a unique selection of products. If the customer service in your store is lacking, customers will not return and worse, they'll tell everyone they know about the negative experience they had in your store. Personalizing the customer service experience in your store is the key to your success.
There is nothing more flattering than being remembered. I was delighted when, upon visiting a local restaurant for the second time, my server remembered me from the last time I came in, about a month earlier. The food and the atmosphere are absolutely wonderful at this restaurant but what I truly love is that they remember me when I visit. It makes me feel special. Customers love to feel special.
Making your customers feel special when they come in your store can be as simple as changing the way you greet customers. I don't know about you, but I spend as much (or more!) time in my store as I do at home. My store is my second home. When friends and family visit me in my actual home, I greet them warmly. I take their coats; I offer them something to drink. Try this in your store. Greet your customers as you would guests in your own home. You'll be surprised at how this lowers their guard. They are more apt to fall into conversation with you about their shopping wants and needs. You will also be surprised at how much your employees will enjoy a more sincere approach to greeting customers. "Hi, how can I help you?" is about as insincere as it gets in a retail setting. Who talks like that in real life? Your employees will feel more relaxed, and in turn, become more approachable, when they change their standard greeting to something that feels more natural. It also gives returning customers the sense that you remember them. I'll be the first to admit that sometimes names escape me but I nearly always remember faces. Saying something like: "Hi! It's nice to see you!" or "Hey! Cute shoes!" is all it takes.
Once your customer is in the door and comfortable, it's almost like a cocktail party! Ask questions. Get to know your customers as you would new acquaintances. Baby store customers love to talk about themselves! Expectant moms are delighted to have someone new to talk to about their pregnancy. New grandparents are keen to show you baby photos on their phones. New dads love to have salespeople fawn over their cute babies. Encourage your sales staff to take notes when helping these customers. Start a file on repeat customers and let them know you'll keep a record of their favorites. If your Point-of-Sale system allows, add notes in it for each customer. Maintain a sales history by customer, easily called upon when say, Suzy Smith wants to order that same necklace for a friend she ordered for her sister last year. Encourage your sales staff to stay abreast of all the latest information on your merchandise. Print or email memos to your staff when updates become available. Take subscriptions of current baby and child publications for your staff to read during down time. Keep pregnancy books on hand for your staff members who have not experienced pregnancy first hand to read so they might better understand your pregnant customers and their needs. A knowledgeable, friendly salesperson that patiently listens, asks the right questions and offers advice will bring all these customers back every time.
Finally, don't forget about your customers once they've left your store. If you've been taking notes as you visit with your customer, you probably have an email or physical address. Send a quick email, thanking them for stopping by. Send hand-written thank you notes to customers who spend a great deal in your store or shop frequently. Start a "Call List"; if you are out-of-stock on a particular item, and call them when it becomes available again. Take note of due dates—ask your customers to keep you in the loop when their baby arrives and send a personalized gift upon the baby's arrival. Consider sending a gift card or flowers to customers who frequently refer friends and relatives to your store. You'll have great customers for life and perhaps, some wonderful new friends.