Recently, a giant retailer announced it would be closing 100 stores. “Most of these stores are underperformers or in weak locations,” said a representative of the company, when asked why.
Really? Weak locations? Or is it just a better shopping experience for consumers to click on Amazon.com? You can go online, buy anything available at that big store for a lower price and have it delivered within a day with no shipping charges. The item can be returned with no hassle or additional charges. If you get confused or need help, you can instantly chat online with a customer service rep or visit with them on the phone. You can do all this from the comfort of your home.
A friend of mine told me of a recent trip to one of those brick-and-mortar stores. He called ahead to have a jacket put aside for him to try on. When he got there, he couldn’t find anyone who knew where the jacket would be. He repeatedly waited while the sales staff answered phone calls. He walked 5,000 steps – he was wearing a Fitbit! – and scoured the store for his set-aside jacket. When he finally found it, of course it didn’t fit. He ended up buying the jacket on Amazon.
So, how does this relate to your company? People, including you, are buying more of everything online. We are well served to respond to what customers want – and are currently doing – by restructuring how we do business.
No. 1. Be better online.
Commit to upgrading your online presence, from your website (make sure it’s modern, responsive and mobile-friendly) to search engine optimization and from pay per click to social media. E-marketing is no longer optional. It’s required to survive. Yes, you can sub out some of it. However, you or someone on your team needs to coordinate the efforts and measure results. Include testimonials and starred reviews. Add helpful informational videos that reveal your personality and values.
No. 2. Be even better in person.
Here’s a powerful exercise for upgrading every moment of your customer’s experience to that of exceptional: Meet with your team. Announce a companywide assignment. Ask them to consider the total experience from the moment a customer discovers a need, want or problem. Note what makes each moment stressful and frustrating, versus powerfully positive.
The magic happens when your team and your customers get involved in the exercise. Your team members, particularly the front line employees, know what’s working and what gets in the way of an outstanding customer experience. Listen to them. Have them talk to their customers about the assignment. They could ask customers, “What do you love about working with us? What could we do to improve? Describe a really great service experience working with us or with another contractor.”
Take a week or two to gather input. Discuss the results in a follow-up meeting: Where does your company shine? How can you improve? What can you do to encourage your customers to leave the house and visit your shop? How can your service company be so awesome that your customers abandon the idea of do-it-yourself? Together, you can decide on which aspects of the service experience you can focus on and systematically deliver so well that your customers will be happy to brag on you, via videos and five-star reviews, which you can add to your site. Easy-peasy!
As Maya Angelou is quoted as saying, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
Ellen Rohr is an author and business consultant offering profit-building tips, trending business blogs and online workshops at EllenRohr.com. Her books include “Where Did the Money Go?” and “The Bare Bones Weekend Biz Plan.” She can be reached at ellen@ellenrohr.com.
