Treat Customers Differently

When people come to your retail store or call you they may have different levels of knowledge about what they want to purchase or need information about. Some may be ready to buy and want to do it quickly and be done with it. Let them and don't add all the extra information, small talk and delays that slow them down. They will be more satisfied and loyal if you treat them the way they prefer and let them get on with their life and other tasks. Watch & listen for signs that tell you how quickly they want to proceed.

One of the best companies that we have all heard of that does this is ACE Hardware and that's why they have not only survived but thrived in the face of big box competition. They try to find out how much help a customer needs in the first few seconds of contact and assist them from that point. Some peole know exactly what they want and just need directions to find it in the store. But others need help determining their need and advice on how to use it, which they get. Home Depot has tried to offer this assistance but falls short on the personal attention plus they are sometimes difficult to find available help in the store.

Smart managemnt will train their staff to recognize the customer's or client's needs or wants quickly and not bore them with information they already know. This makes a happy customer who will know they can make their purchase without the hassle of the robot treatment that fast food servers give everyone. The secret to loyalty and referrals is to let the cusatomer purchase the way they want to and not always the standard procedure. Being flexible with customers will build that long term business that you need to succeed!

Barry is a "Customer Experience" speaker & trainer available for conferences and meetings anywhere safe in the world. www.idealetter.com