From the President

GREAT EXPECTATIONS

Make good on the promise to impress your customers.

by Chris Cook - MEA President

You never get a second chance to make a great first impression. The best advice would be to not take your chances! When you open the doors to your business every morning, you have the unique opportunity to make someone’s day. To do this, you must take steps to prepare your team to make a lasting positive impression. I have heard it said that no good deed will go unpunished. This can be true when dealing with customers or people in general. Not every interaction will be perfect. Not every customer experience will exceed their expectations. Don’t let this become a point of discouragement. If you create a plan that outlines how to respond to varying situations, you will move toward a better experience for both your customers and your team members.

Create the Plan

Start with a simple mission statement. May I suggest something like the following: “Deliver an exceptional customer experience.” You get the idea. Then look to your own experience to define each step of the process. What has worked in the past? Are there practices that you know cause contention? Are you able to draw a conclusion from what you know of your own business? Are you able to draw from the experiences of others? What positive and negative experiences have you had when doing business with other retail establishments? These are all questions that you should be able to answer, allowing you to form a basis for creating the example of a great customer experience.

Let’s review a specific area of your business. Your brick-andmortar store. Once you have a solid plan, you can easily apply it to other areas of your business. First, your plan should include a consistent method for greeting each customer. Find ways to make that person perceive that they’re the most important thing on your schedule for the day. Dismiss any distraction and greet them with eye contact and concern for their time. They made the effort to visit you, so make sure it’s worth their time. Don’t ignore them. Don’t miss the opportunity to acknowledge their presence when they arrive. Don’t just say, “can I help you?” or, “Let me know if you have any questions.” This person came in for a reason, and your mission is to find out why and then impress them with everything you have to offer.

Prepare to impress

With your greeting plan in place, it’s time to make a great impression. Is your store clean, organized, and properly merchandised? If not, stop now and make it happen! No more holes in your displays or clutter on your counters. You’re not Costco, so don’t look like it! Your store should exude greatness. Less is more. Clutter is a distraction.

Think about your own experiences visiting other retailers. What left you impressed? Think about that first impression. What did you notice? Remember, the first impression is a lasting impression. You might say once the customer gets to know you and what you can do, most of this won’t matter. Trust me—it will matter. Should anything go wrong, their initial impression will be the first thing in their mind. Don’t take chances. Make sure you and your team are fully prepared to impress. If not, it’s time to refine the process.

Every time you impress someone, they will be inclined to tell others, and this will propel the future of your business.

Coach the process

Regardless of your intentions, not every experience will meet the expectations you outlined in your mission statement. When it doesn’t, take time to review with your team and play out alternatives that may bolster the skills needed to up the game. Yes, I said coach. This is your opportunity to build the skill level of both you and your team. Don’t wait for a formal meeting time to review. Do it on the spot if there are no customers in the store, and review the experience. Think about what could have been done to live up to your mission. Role play it. Then play it out with the next similar customer experience. This is not to say that you should skip a weekly meeting that includes this topic. You should also review your week of customer interactions, both good and bad, to create more positive responses. Then you’ll begin to see a change in how you and your team meet and greet customers. Once you solidify a consistent positive experience, add a follow-up to seal the deal.

Finish with the follow-up

Every time you impress someone, they will be inclined to tell others, and this will propel the future of your business. Take the time to add a follow-up call or an email for every customer you meet. This is a simple process that will allow you to fully understand their impression of your business. It also lets your customer know that you care about them. You’re letting them know you appreciate them taking the time to stop by your store. You will be amazed how much this small but important mission to impress your customers will pay off for the future of your business!