Physical retailers have to be ready to create excellent experiences for each and every customer when they return. This means retailers have to be excellent in the following:
Excellent cleaning standards – hand sanitizer available, professional signage, correct numbers in store, masks being worn and obvious cleaning regimes so customers safety concerns are alleviated.
Excellent merchandising – products well displayed, easy to access and well stocked.
Excellent use of technology – this includes click and collect, kerbside pickup, smart point of sale that ensures stock availability is transparent to the staff and customers and the use of artificial intelligence technology for virtually trying product on.
Excellent service standards – all of the above is completely undone, if team members are not trained to deliver a high standard of customer service each and every time. Good service doesn’t cut it any more.
The ability of team members to engage with customers is the one massive difference between a customer buying online or in store. This experience has to be excellent or customers will simply slip away and buy online. Remember customers go online to transact versus going in store to discover. This discovery experience has to be excellent or you may as well shut your doors for good.
Roger Simpson – CEO, The Retail Solution and Author of “The Ultimate Retail Sales Experience” With over 35 years’ industry experience, Roger Simpson is recognized as Australia’s #1 Authority on customer ROI in the retail industry and as a global expert on staff coaching, customer service, and selling skills.
