Whoever had the idea of hosting the International Toy Fair in New York City every February ought to be shot! Oh, sure, NYC is a FABULOUS city to visit. I love going there! But February??? Last year the temps were in the 60’s. Unfortunately I missed last year. I was there for 56-below windchill … and twelve inches of snow (three times!) … and rain … and sleet … and slush.

I rarely wear my trench coat around Jackson, but walking the streets of New York in February makes a trench coat a wonderful garment to own.

Fortunately, New York City restaurants are ready for February weather. Every single place I went for dinner in my several visits to the city had a coat check near the front door. It makes sense, too. Space is a premium. Having your coats at the table would not only be a nuisance to manage in your tight confines, it would be in the way of the wait staff and other patrons passing between the shoe-horned tables. Coat checks in a NYC restaurant are a must.

Another place where coat checks would make perfect sense is every retailer north of the Mason-Dixon Line.

If your customer is wearing her heavy coat to avoid the chilly air while making her holiday rounds, when she steps into your store she has three options:

• Continue wearing her coat and hope you have the thermostat set to 60 (which would cause your staff to revolt).
• Take off her coat and carry it around, keeping her arms occupied and unable to pick up as many items as you would hope.
• Leave her coat in the car and brave the chilly walk to your front door just to have the convenience of shopping coat-free.

She really has to love your store for that last one to happen, so we’ll consider that person an evangelist. But the other two options are killers for your sales. They either limit her time in the store before she overheats, or limit the amount of items she can juggle up to the register.

Your options are simple …

Either have a personal shopper for everyone that comes through your door so that she can carry her coat while you carry her stuff, or have a coat check to make her shopping more comfortable. Not everyone will take you up on it, but the ripple effect will be enormous.

First, you’re gonna stand out in the crowd. How many retailers care so much about their customers that they would even think to offer a coat check? Even the customers who don’t check their coats will be impressed and may even talk about you to their friends.

Second, you’re gonna get higher tickets. Paco Underhill and anyone who has ever studied retail knows that the longer someone stays in your store the more they are likely to buy. Both Rick Segal and Bob Negan are of the selling mindset that you “show until they say no.”

This is the season to win the hearts of your customers. You don’t do that with sales and discounts. The transactional customers are only loyal to the price. Your relational customers, however, will recognize your caring, and notice that you put their needs above your own. That wins trust. That wins the heart.

-Phil Wrzesinski
www.PhilsForum.com

PS It is all about exceeding your customers’ expectations to Surprise and Delight them. Whenever you come up with an amazing idea and someone says, “but no retailer ever does that,” you need to run with it and be the first.

PPS No, we didn’t have a coat check at Toy House. We should have had one, but I didn’t get this idea until our last season. Fortunately for us, we had shopping carts and aisles wide enough to handle them. Most customers put their coats in their carts and resumed shopping. Sometimes, especially in our baby department, they would leave their coats at the desk while they studied crib sets and furniture options. Don’t wait until it is too late to take amazing care of your customers.