Is Your Customer Experience Worth Talking About?

Give Them Something To Talk About
There are so many buzzwords floating around the retail industry these days, and while I actually happen to think that they are all important, one stands taller than the rest in my books. Customer Experience. The Customer Experience is imperative to a retail operation succeeding or even better, thriving, in today’s economic climate. It is the experience you give your guests that determines if they will become buying customers, and ideally loyal repeat customers. I posted an intriguing article on our Facebook Page back in December written by the Retail Doctor, Bob Phibbs, the premise of this article was that he refuses to purchase from any store where the staff does not talk to him. He even goes so far as to leave a note at the point of sale for the management before leaving indicating that the reason he did not become a buying customer was because he was not acknowledged by their staff, because of the poor experience he was offered as a guest in their store. This may be a somewhat extreme approach but it highlights the importance of the customer experience nicely. I have often walked out of stores without purchasing due to poor customer service, even walking away from items I have really loved and could not purchase elsewhere. To today’s shoppers it really does come down to the customer experience, and as a retailer this is great opportunity to set yourself apart from the rest, to carve out your own niche in a competitive industry.
So as a retailer does having a solid web presence and a mobile optimized site really matter? Absolutely! Both are essential for driving traffic to your store which is vital, but you are still going need to convert that increased traffic into paying customers. And what about PCI compliance, Data Backup, and Network Security? All of these are 100% mandatory in today’s tech savvy world, but if you are not processing any transactions then there will not be much data to backup or secure. Is multi channel marketing necessary? Not only is it necessary, it is what your customers are expecting from you. Web, brick & mortar, social media interaction, customer loyalty programs, gift cards, regular and valuable email and/or text communication are all crucial in today’s market and they all bleed directly into the overall customer experience, but they do not replace that feeling your customers get when they interact directly with you and your staff; they do not replace the human interaction, they can only compliment it.
The customer experience is essential and what is exciting is that you have full control over what experience you are offering. That means you can do something about converting store guests into paying customers, creating loyal repeat customers (who refer you!), and carving out your niche in the retail landscape based on people providing superior service and that is not easily replicated by your competition.
Customers are going to talk, so why not give them great reasons to talk about you!
Canadian Retail Solutions Inc. (CRS) specializes in Inventory Control and Point of Sale Systems for retailers across Canada. Our business philosophy reflects an unwavering dedication to quality, integrity and personalized client support in all we do.
Our Solutions. Your Success.
www.retailbycrs.com