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Category: Customer Service

The Mortar Between Your Bricks

They call us Brick & Mortar stores. Physical locations where you go to pick out and pick up your goods.

But many stores are simply Brick stores – no mortar. Those are the stores being Showroomed.

Bricks are the products. Bricks are the items you choose to put into your store. Bricks are the items you buy, hoping to sell for a profit. Bricks are the reason you believe customers will beat a path to your door.

Oh, but you would be wrong on that last one.

Sure, you better have some nice bricks. But everyone knows that just stacking a bunch of bricks will not build a sustainable structure. Anyone can come by and knock it down.

Mortar is the glue that holds the bricks together. You need a good mortar.

Mortar is the staff you hire and train. Hire the right people and train them well. Give them autonomy to do the job they are capable of doing, mastery to do it better each successive time, and a purpose greater than themselves that will motivate them to do their best.

Mortar is the way you service and take care of your customers. Build policies around your Values. Build policies around the Feelings you hope to give your customers. Build policies around Delight, around going above and beyond what your customers expect.

Mortar is the way you invest in your community. Mortar is the charities you support, the issues you champion, the involvement and commitment you make to the greater good.

Mortar is the special touches you offer. Mortar is turning off the overhead music when an autistic child enters your store because you know it bothers him. Mortar is carrying the heavy item out to the car – even though it is parked hundreds of feet away – so that mom can manage the stroller and the toddler who wants to walk. Mortar is calling that customer who really wanted your sold-out, discontinued science set because somebody returned one the next day. Mortar is saying Yes! when everyone else says No.

The stronger your mortar, the stronger your store, regardless of which bricks you use.

Bricks are everywhere. The bricks that make up your store can be found online, in hundreds of other stores, all over the place. They can be found right in your customer’s pocket, one click away. If you want to make it in this retail climate, you need some incredibly good mortar.

Tell me what is your mortar?

-Phil Wrzesinski
www.PhilsForum.com

PS Mortar is also your financial strength, your ability to manage your inventory and cash flow, your ability to manage your expenses and cost of goods. The best retailers find ways to strengthen their mortar everywhere they can. If you are in the Jackson area and want to strengthen the mortar in your store, sign up for the Jackson Retail Success Academy class starting in January.

The Next Transaction

Do you know the real goal of each transaction? To earn the Next Transaction.

Unless you’re closing the store and selling off your inventory, you’re going to need that next transaction, and the one after that, and the one after that, and so on.

You always need one eye on the horizon, one eye fixed on how to earn that Next Transaction.

Last Saturday we had a huge event. LEGO Contest, Yo-Yo Competition, Toy Demos, Crafts, Scavenger Hunt, Cookies, Prizes, the whole works! We advertised heavily. We staffed heavily. We spent a lot of money to draw traffic and put on a lot of events to keep that traffic happy.

Did it translate into extra sales? A little. We had a slightly better than usual Saturday. Not enough to cover the extra expenses, but that wasn’t the point. The entire goal of the day was Wish Lists – pieces of paper that the kids took around the store and filled out with what they wanted Santa to bring them.

Since our competitors in town don’t stock the same items we stock, we wanted those kids to make out their lists with our toys. Every kid who went on a scavenger hunt to earn a cookie got a wish list. Every parent with one or more kids in tow got a wish list.

Our goal for the day was simple – focus on the Next Transaction.

  1. Give everyone something fun to do.
  2. Give everyone a Wish List to fill out.
  3. Treat them so well they can’t wait to come back.

It is a formula that serves us well.

There are a lot of businesses that put too much effort on maximizing this transaction – as if it will be their last. Make this one special for the customer. Delight her. Earn the chance to get another transaction.

If that isn’t enough to convince you, try this… Ask yourself these two questions:

  1. What percentage of my business is Repeat Business? (write that number down)
  2. What percentage of my business is Referral Business? (write that number down)

The remaining percentage is your advertising driven business – usually the smallest of the three numbers.

Put your energy into getting repeats and referrals and you’ll have all the Next Transactions you need.

-Phil Wrzesinski
www.PhilsForum.com

PS There are a lot of ways to earn the next transaction. Sometimes adding on and maximizing the current sale is how you earn another – especially if the add-ons are what is needed to “complete” the sale. Don’t ever let a customer walk out without everything they need. Sometimes you earn the next transaction because you didn’t get overly pushy. Sometimes you earn the next transaction because you planned it that way (like the wish lists). The best leaders are always looking beyond this transaction to the next one.

PPS Here is an email one mom sent me from our event that drives home the point…
“…and great event Saturday!   While I know you’re open minded and see the big picture, I wanted to let you know that your sales on days like that may not be all the sales you gain from the event.  I could barely manage the two kids let alone purchase anything, but I’ll be back this week to get everything.”

Do Something Over-the-Top

You still have time to pull this off. Christmas is still 48 days away. Do something Over-the-Top for your customers this season.

Is parking a problem for your store? Offer Free Valet Parking. Get some young motivated drivers to move the cars to the distant lot (hire the local cross-country team – they don’t mind running in the cold and their season just ended).

Offer a seating area with comfortable recliners. Coffee and doughnuts in the morning. Water and fresh fruit in the afternoon.

Do a coat-check.

Have servers walking the store with samples of local treats. Bonus – have them dressed in formal black tie outfits.

Forget the piped in music – have live performers from the local symphony. Get a trio or quartet every Saturday – pay them well (some of them will work for gift cards).

Give them labels to go with their giftwrapped packages.

Give out helium balloons free to every child. (As Winnie the Pooh said, “Nobody can be uncheered with a balloon.”)

Do a Santa Wish List – even for the adults – and keep it on file for spouses, parents, grandparents, aunts & uncles.

Offer a free sample, free inspection, free add-on, free trial, free upgrade, free whatever. Don’t advertise it. (Please don’t advertise it.) Just do it. Freely and with sincerity. Let your customers advertise it for you.

Have a couple doormen carry their packages to their cars – no matter where they parked!

Think about what your customers expect from you, then do something way unexpected and over-the-top. They will talk about you. A lot. To everyone they know.

-Phil Wrzesinski
www.PhilsForum.com

PS Every fine restaurant in New York has a coat check, usually tucked away in the corner past the crowded bar. When I went to a Danny Meyer restaurant in NY fabled for amazing customer service the greeter took our coats without us having to shuffle through the crowd to the hidden coat check. Better yet, when our party got up to go, the greeter was already waiting with our coats and knew exactly who got which coat. That was unexpectedly cool. And I’m talking about it.

Asking the Right Questions

The first few years I interviewed people for positions on the team I asked a bunch of questions. Most of them were the wrong questions.

I asked a lot of “What if…” questions. You know, “What would you do if a customer comes up to you with a complaint about…?”

Questions that are based on speculation will only get you answers the interviewee thinks you want to hear.

Those are of no value to you. About all they can tell you is whether that person has done any research on your company’s policies and values. They rarely show how the interviewee will actually react when facing that situation.

The right questions to ask are questions about their previous actions. Our actions speak louder than our words about who we are and what we believe.

Use this phrase, “Tell me about a time when…”

Tell me about a time when you went above and beyond your job expectations to help a customer.

If they can’t tell you a time, then they probably never did. What they tell you also gives you insight into what they think is above and beyond. It tells you how they perceive their role and whether they even believe they can do what is right versus what is policy. You might also learn that they are mavericks who do their own thing regardless of what policy might be.

Tell me about a time when you had to help a friend in need.

You learn a lot about loyalty, helpfulness and what friend means.

Tell me about a time when you had to stay later than you were scheduled. (getting the job done versus just putting in the hours)

Tell me about a time when you were short-staffed and everyone had to do extra. (how they view hard work and stressful situations)

Tell me about a time when you received the worst customer service while out shopping. (their view of what bad customer service looks like)

Tell me about a time when you received the best customer service while out shopping. (their view of what good customer service looks like)

Tell me about a time when you had to solve a problem and no one was there to help you. (their approach to problem solving)

Tell me about a time when someone at work did something especially nice for you. (how they relate to other workers)

Tell me about the worst thing you ever had to do on the job. (how they get along with co-workers and bosses)

Actions speak louder than words. Decide which actions you want your employees to take, then ask them to tell you how they’ve taken those actions before. This one little tip changed the quality of my new hires overnight.

-Phil Wrzesinski
www.PhilsForum.com

PS Some of your interviewees will hem and haw at answering these kinds of questions. They were prepared to tell you what they thought you wanted to hear. Take that as a sign. Others will tell you things that will astound you. If they get on a good story, keep it going. The longer they tell a story, the more passion you’ll see and the more it will reveal.

Your Store is an Extension of You

I’ve been preaching this point for a number of years. 

What is important to you is what you will focus on in your store.
We have always been a prompt store. We close at 6:00pm, but we turn out half the lights at 5:55pm and start the process of closing down cash registers while customers are still in the store. We often have the doors locked and are clearing out before the last car has left the parking lot.
Yeah, deep down I know that we are not giving our best customer service at this time because the appearance is that we are in a hurry to leave. Yet, we’ve always done it this way.
Then it dawned on me.
My mom is all about being on time. She still gives me grief for being born a day late. Says I’ve been late ever since. Promptness is one of her Core Values. She lives the Shakespeare quote, “Better three hours too early than one minute too late.” She got this trait from her mom, who with my grandpa founded Toy House.
For forty-four years prior to my arrival, this was one of the dominating traits of the people in charge and it became our method of operation. We open on time (or early) and we close on time. 
Period. Unquestioned. Customer Service be damned.
Your store is an extension of you and what you believe. It is an extension of your values. Your policies and your procedures reflect what you hold dear. Whether you do it consciously or subconsciously.
All I ask is that you do it consciously.
-Phil Wrzesinski
PS I work hard to push the idea that the last customer of the day gets the same wonderful service as the first customer of the day. But perception is reality. We could very well be undoing all the good we did servicing the customer by being in such a hurry to close up.

What’s in a Name (Tag)? Money!

Do you and your employees wear name tags? Are they hidden down at the belt level or on a lanyard so that they turn backwards hiding your name?

If your employees cannot be easily identified by name, you are missing one more chance to delight your customers.

It is one thing to introduce yourself, “Hi, I’m Phil. Thanks for coming in, today.” Some people will remember your name. Most will not. They are too busy thinking of themselves. They are expecting “sales-clerk-speak” and not paying attention. They are looking around, distracted by your superb merchandising.

If you have a name tag, however, they will look at that tag for confirmation of what they thought they heard.

Knowing your name connects them to you. Makes you more than a sales clerk. Gives you a sense of humanity.

Knowing your name makes you seem more friendly.

Knowing your name also gives your customer a feeling of power. She knows you can’t screw up because knowing your name means she can call you out to the manager. She also has the power to praise you to your manager. Without a name, she’s less likely to speak up. Without a name, she feels just a little less empowered.

A customer is far more likely to buy more from someone she knows by name. (bigger tickets)
A customer is far more apt to return to a store where she knows the employees by name. (repeat business)
A customer is far more likely to refer her friends to a sales person she knows by name. (referrals)

A great introduction is still worth its weight in gold, but the reinforcement of well-placed, easy-to-read name tag makes your job of delight easier.

-Phil Wrzesinski
www.PhilsForum.com

PS As I’m writing this, I’m realizing that my own staff’s name tags need an overhaul. If you serve a lot of Boomers like we do, make the font for the first name big and simple.

One Very Important Person

You have an opportunity. A true VIP is coming to your door. Someone with a lot of influence. Friends in high places. Someone who makes the who’s who list every time, everywhere.

You know you need to step up your game. You know you need to pull out all the stops for this one person. You don’t want to give away the store. No deep discounts. That won’t impress this person. Plus, you don’t want to set a precedent that all of this person’s followers will want a discount, too.

You just have to make the kind of impression that gets this person to talk about you, to sing your praises, to spread the good word.

What are you going to do differently?

Ask that question of your staff at your next staff meeting. Put out a notice 24 hours in advance that you’re going to talk about a VIP visiting your store soon and what you need to do. Then lay out the scenario above.

What are you going to do differently?

Then ask this question… How could we practice this so that when the VIP arrives, we get it right?

You know the answers they are going to give. We could role play with each other. We could rehearse. We could try it out on some of the other customers already coming in the store. Ding, ding, ding! Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

Practice it on every single customer that comes in today. Then evaluate what worked and what didn’t. Practice it again with the upgrades on everyone tomorrow. Evaluate and repeat.

Then ask this final question… How will you know the VIP when he or she arrives?

You know the answer to that one.

You’ll never really know how many followers on Pinterest will see the picture she just took of a product in your store. You’ll never really know how many readers of her blog will share the article she wrote about the way you greeted her and followed her around the store. You’ll never really know how many friends the woman who just walked quickly through without saying a word is meeting for lunch to talk about the group gift they are planning to buy. You’ll never really know how many people that gal who said she’s “just looking” is going to invite to the shower.

But if you get the staff to start practicing their VIP treatment on everyone, they’re going to nail it when that VIP truly arrives.

-Phil Wrzesinski
www.PhilsForum.com

PS If you ask the staff, “What are you going to do differently?” and they say, “Not a damn thing!” either you have an extremely well-trained staff who is already kicking butt or one that doesn’t have a clue. Either way, you have to fire the whole team and start over (the first group doesn’t want to do anything differently, the second doesn’t know how to do anything differently). For your sake, I hope they have some suggestions.

PPS For those who like me to spell out the obvious… Treat the very next customer like a VIP. Make her feel special. Then the next, then the next, then the next. Do it one customer at a time. Do it until you cannot treat the customer any other way. Every single customer is a VIP in her own way. Treat her like that and she will bring her network to you.

Can You Really Buy Loyalty?

How many of those loyalty scan cards do you have on your keychain? Your grocery store? Your pharmacy? Your office supply store?

Are you going in regularly with those coupons they mail you? Does it make a difference where you shop and how much you buy? For some customers, yes it does. The Transactional Customer loves those cards and takes full advantage of them. But not everyone does.

According to one survey, only about 65% of Americans actually use those loyalty program cards and coupons.

I question how many of those people would still be “loyal” to that store without the program. I know that the two cards I use are at places where I would shop anyway, whether I had the card or not. One of them, I actually hate shopping there. I only go because they have a product I can’t get anywhere else, not because of any loyalty card.

More importantly, the top reasons people say they would switch their “loyalty” to another store is because of indifferent sales help and the other store being perceived as more fun. Price and loyalty programs are far down the list.

So how much “loyalty” are you really buying? First consider that 35% of the population doesn’t care about loyalty programs. Then consider what percentage of those people using your program are actually spending more at your store than they might otherwise just because of the program. Is it more than what the program costs? I saw one program that promised if I gave away 10% discounts in my loyalty program I would see a 5% increase in sales. Not my kind of math. Then consider how quickly customers might leave your store, loyalty program and all, because of perceived indifference by your staff.

Would you really like to buy some loyalty? Spend your money on training a kick-ass staff. Spend your money making your store a more fun place to shop. Spend your money on delighting the 35% (or more) who could care less about discount cards and coupons.

That’s a loyalty program worth having.

-Phil Wrzesinski
www.PhilsForum.com

PS And it won’t be a burden on anyone’s keychain.

More Than a Fair Exchange of Value

You all know I follow a bunch of blogs. You’ve probably read a blog or two on my blog roll. I read them because they challenge me. They challenge my thoughts on retail. They challenge what I think I know. A few minutes ago, I read this on a blog about Customer Loyalty.

5) Deliver a “fair exchange of value”. Too often retailers want to create “delighted” customers. Many retailers spend far too large a percentage of their revenue trying to create “delighted” customers. The reality is that customers want a fair exchange of value and rarely expect a retailer to delight them. Give them a good value, provide a comfortable and efficient shopping experience, work with them through any issues, solve their problems, and they’ll become not just loyal, but committed.

Can I agree to disagree?

Yes, customers expect a fair exchange of value. I grant that. But a fair exchange of value is the minimum. It is the bar. You have to do that just to keep them from flaming you on Facebook or Yelp. Do anything less than a fair exchange of value and you’re screwed. It is the lowest level of entry into the game.

Customers expect a fair exchange of value from frickin’ Wal-Mart!

If all you give them is a fair exchange of value, then you’re no better than Wal-Mart. And in today’s retail environment, that is not good enough. It might get you a thanks, but it won’t win you loyalty.

After you give them a fair exchange of value, you have to delight them. You have to make them say WOW! You have to make them think of you not as a store, but as their new bestie. You have to delight them to the point they cannot wait to tell their friends, tell their co-workers, tell their family.

Loyalty doesn’t come from a discount or cash back. You aren’t loyal to your friends or family because of the financial kickbacks. You’re loyal because of your shared values. You’re loyal because your friends and family have your back. You’re loyal because at the end of the day, you know those people care.

If you want loyalty from your customers, you better first give them a fair exchange of value. Then you better have their backs, you better share their values, and you better care.

My own personal belief is that too often retailers don’t do anywhere near enough to delight their customers. Yet that is where the loyalty is hiding.

-Phil Wrzesinski
www.PhilsForum.com

PS This doesn’t mean I’ll stop reading that blog. There is always something to learn. The true key phrase in that passage above is, “Customers… rarely expect a retailer to delight them.” Just think how much you will stand out in the crowd when you’re the exception to that rule.

When to Speed Up, When to Slow Down

One speed does not fit all in the retail world. Some shopping trips are quick hitters, kinda like guerrilla warfare – get in, get out, move on. Some are slow, easy strolls. A time for browsing, a time for gabbing, a time for pondering (a time for grabbing?).

And even within a single shopping trip there are multiple speeds. Getting to know your customer and build rapport takes time and shouldn’t ever be rushed. Getting the customer checked out and back in her car, however, requires a sense of purpose if not urgency.

Here are some reminders…

SLOW DOWN
The getting-to-know-you phase. Don’t pepper them with so many questions that they feel under attack. Let the relationship grow as naturally as possible so that they’ll feel more comfortable with you.

The product selection phase. Give them time to study during the decision-making process. Some people can make quick decisions, but many others need that extra moment to filter all the information. Go too fast here and you’ll seem pushy.

The close. This seems counter-intuitive, but the reality is that there is so much training on closing the sale that most sales people are in a hurry to get that sale closed. In the process, however, you miss ample opportunities to continue serving the customer and growing the sale. Use the phrase Is there anything else I can do for you? liberally. Make sure the customer has everything she needs before you close the sale.

SPEED UP
The checkout. Once the customer is here, her only thought is to get out the door and on to the next event. Accuracy trumps speed at the checkout. But speed shows competency. To truly build trust, you need to be both accurate and efficient. Look at your procedures and see what you can do to quicken the process without hurting the accuracy.

The follow-up. If you do follow-up calls on purchases, call sooner, not later. If they have a problem, they will usually know right away and your promptness makes you look eager to solve the problem. If the customer asks a question or has a problem that requires follow-up, respond quickly – even if the response is “We’ve contacted so-and-so and are waiting for a response.”

Ask your frontline staff about the speed of the customer. Where is browsing and strolling encouraged? Where is it limited? What part of the checkout makes customers seem impatient? Where are we too fast? Where are we too slow? You’ll get valuable feedback and you’ll get your staff to become more aware of their own speeds in the process.

-Phil Wrzesinski
www.PhilsForum.com

PS When you meet with the staff, share the idea of the different speeds of the customer with them, but really listen when they start giving you feedback on what is too fast or too slow. Let them help devise the plan to slow down and speed up as necessary. If they create the plan, you’ll have their instant buy-in.