WE TOOK A cruise for my mother-in-law’s 80th birthday. The enchantment started the minute we walked aboard the ship. People called out our name and joyfully announced our arrival. Next, customer services had our vacation packet waiting and warmly discussed all of our shore excursions, on-board activities and general information.
You might ask why I am going on about an itinerary, but it wasn’t just the cruise — it was the culture of the engaged employees who delivered a sense of welcome, happy-to-oblige helpfulness and genuine courtesy on all levels that was so alluring.
How would your store or your employees compare to that kind of service? When I came back, I immediately had the discussion of “Customer Magic” with my team. A cruise salesperson has a very limited window of opportunity to engage a client, exchange pertinent information, and then together create a satisfying outcome. Most of what they will achieve depends on their presentation, execution of interests and the level of engagement that ensures they have transformed this individual into a loyal customer who will return for another round — not unlike a new customer coming into your store on a virgin excursion, exploring to see if you have what they need.
Did you greet them happily or meet them at the door? Did you engage with a smile and genuinely helpful attitude? Did you give a sincere compliment as an icebreaker? Did you extract the information required to make their experience feel welcoming and helpful by asking open-ended questions? Could you satisfy their expectations or meet their needs efficiently? What did you do that would gain their trust? Ultimately, in this limited engagement, did you earn their loyalty?
Every customer, every time, needs the red carpet treatment if you intend to catapult your store to the forefront from the plethora of retail choices. With a limited window of opportunity, presented from five to 50 times a day depending on your traffic flow, are you making the most of each customer interaction? How are you training your sales team to be guardians of guaranteed customer loyalty and to do what needs to be done to make this a great experience? On every level, from owner to salesperson to jeweler to gift wrap, is this a cohesive team helping to insure that each customer is fulfilled, and thus will return in the future?
Wish lists, rapid repairs, quality merchandise, free inspections and creature comfort amenities create an exchange that resonates with your clientele, and then they share with their peers. How would you rate your store on the “Customer Magic” scale?
Advertisement
