May 2, 2014
In the current retail environment I truly believe that customer service has gotten so bad that our customers have actually learned to expect lousy customer service. I also believe that when a customer gets great service it freaks them out. They’re so surprised that they tell everyone about their experience and become repeat customers. I have been to all the seminars and done the research on social media and mainstream media outlets that make terrific claims on advertising and marketing. However, I will go to the grave believing that there isn’t a more effective, cost-efficient form of advertising than one human being telling another human being what a great experience they had at XYZ Furniture Company.
It is the little things that make a world of difference in the customer’s mind about the experience of shopping one furniture store over another. The stores that will excel and dominate are those that provide exceptional customer service that leads to word-of-mouth advertising. There are so many things retailers can do to set themselves apart from the pack.
Number one is having a highly trained staff that totally understands that the goal of a sales presentation isn’t to make a sale. The goal is to make a friend. The days of the retail furniture clerk are gone; it is the day of the retail furniture sales professional. Every time you deal with a customer, you shouldn’t just want to make a sale, you should want to make a personal trade customer, one who asks for you by name, thinks of your store first when they have a furniture need, and pro-actively sings your praises to their friends, relatives, and acquaintances.
If the salesperson were to pay more attention to the customer’s head and heart rather than their wallet, they will get what’s in the wallet. Great sales professionals are great listeners. They listen to the emotional reason WHY people are buying furniture and then they share in the emotional excitement. For example, a customer walks into a store and tells the salesperson they just moved into a new home and they need a dining room set. The salesperson immediately starts talking about dining room sets, rather than talking about the new home and sharing in the customer’s excitement. If you listen, people will tell you everything you need to know to close the sale. You can create a relationship (and in the process a personal trade customer) simply by asking the right questions and listening to the customer’s responses.
The following are my 13 customer service standards. Standards are things that must be adhered to 100 percent of the time with all customers, no exceptions.
If you say it, do it.
Satisfy every customer.
Keep personal problems out of business.
Use the customer’s name.
Dress for success.
Give customers your full attention.
Never interrupt.
No fast-talking.
Sell with enthusiasm.
Smile, smile, smile.
The Golden Rule.
Make it fun.
Go the extra mile.
These are all pretty self-explanatory, but let’s consider number 13 more closely.
Going the extra mile. What does that mean? It means going above and beyond your customers’ expectations of a great shopping experience. Here are some suggestions.
Set up a refreshment bar that serves coffee, iced tea, cookies, candies, and even champagne, beer, and wine if your state allows.
Provide a play area for the younger kids or a place where older kids could watch movies or play video games.
Sales people should absolutely send a personalized, handwritten, thank-you note after every purchase of a given dollar amount.
Celebrate your customers. On Mother’s Day hand out roses or carnations; find something for the fathers on Father’s Day; hand out little American flags on Memorial Day and the 4th of July; have a trick-or-treat bag on Halloween; give away candy canes at Christmas.
Have your delivery people leave a box of chocolates, or put a big red bow on the furniture when delivered—it sends a powerful message. Have the delivery people take photos of the room with their cell phone and text them to the homeowner and the salesperson.
Find out when the customer’s birthday and/or anniversary is and send a greeting card.
Make follow-up calls after the delivery to make sure everything went exactly right.
Make notes about personal information—where they went on vacation, info about children and grandchildren, how their son or daughter scored the on the last play of a sporting event, what kind of work they do, where they are from etc. No one can possibly remember all of this information, but if you keep customer notes, it’s easy to refer back to them the next time you call the customer or set up an appointment; this is where friendships are developed.
When a customer comes into a furniture store for the first time, I don’t think they are looking for furniture. I think they are looking for a place and a person they feel comfortable buying from. I believe they’re part of them is thinking ‘Get me in and get me out with the path of least resistance,’ but subconsciously they’re thinking ‘I wish I had a friend in this business so I wouldn’t have to deal with these people I don’t know.’ Be their friend. The only thing that separates one furniture store from another is the people who work there. Be the human being, the friend, and the professional your customer’s hope and expect you to be.
It really doesn’t take that much extra effort to treat your customer’s exceptionally well. It’s the little things that make all the difference in the world. I think that every time a customer leaves the store, whether they bought or not, they better feel like a confetti canyon just went off in the heads. Companies make a choice to be average or to be exceptional; I suggest that you chose to be exceptional. The bottom line sales and profits will reflect your efforts.
Trainer, consultant, and speaker Brad Huisken is president of IAS Training. He’s published several sales training books, including his most recent Munchies for Salespeople II, More Selling Tips That You Can Sink Your Teeth Into. Contact Brad at info@iastraining.com, www.iastraining.com.