Sounds like a completely wrong way of thinking, yet if we treated our customers the same way we treat our dog, we are onto a winner. In an article by Jesse Carleton who writes for the NRHA (North American Retail Hardware Association) she put forward this very interesting point of view.
Dogs love attention, most will do anything for a quick pat. The same can be applied to customers, they love getting noticed in special ways when they are in store – using their name, welcoming them back are great ways to do this.
Dogs are always happy to see their owner arrive home. How many times do we apply the same logic to our customers? Are we always smiling when they come into our stores, do we make them feel like we have missed them? We could always be a lot more consistent in this area.
Dogs like consistency and a routine. Customers love consistency, they want us to be on the ball every time they come in. Once we have set that customer service bar high, our goal is to consistently meet and exceed it, no matter what is going on in the store each and every time they visit.
You can tell how your dog is feeling by watching their behaviour, whether it be happy, hungry or sick. We can do a similar thing with customers by asking for their feedback on our level of service.
Which dog doesn’t like a snack as a treat? They all love it. What treats can you provide to your customers? Maybe a sample of a new product, something that’s free or other ways to enhance the customer’s experience that they weren’t expecting.
Anyone who owns a dog knows how loyal they are. If we can gain the same loyalty from our customers, they are much less likely to leave us for a competitor.
Finally, dogs just love to have fun. Just about every customer also loves having fun on their shopping experience. Fun creates positive energy, excitement and encourages customers to stay longer. What a great outcome, so make sure you encourage your teams to have fun themselves as well as with customers.
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.
