There is a proverb that says “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush” but I want to change that to “A customer in-person beats 2 online clicks”
I thought it was just me, but I recently heard a customer screaming “Your online customer service is so much better than your in-store service and that don’t make any d**n sense!” as he walked out of the store obviously frustrated. We are all aware of online shopping demands and all the “pivots” taking place for virtual customers due to COVID-19, however, that does not mean you neglect or forget the customer experience for the person that gets dressed, uses gas, time and other resources to visit your establishment. When I was in business development, we said “That customer is showing buying signals” or called them “A hot client.”
Please don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with virtual customer service. In today’s times, online customer service should be provided and we should consistently work towards satisfying your virtual customer. However, we can’t forget the customer who will not shop online. With businesses who have had to shift to a multi-channel support during Coronavirus slowly opening back up, we have to keep in mind the customer who wants to see, feel and have the person to person, social shopping experience. The question at hand is, “Is your online customer experience better than your in-person experience?”
There are several businesses, restaurants, and retail outlets specifically that have had to shift to a multi-channel platform. However, with businesses slowly opening back up, you have to keep in mind that you have a minimum of two types of customers: virtual (online) and in-person.
I recently went into a home improvement store and spent 22 minutes without a single associate willing to assist me. I tried to wave down three to no avail. If I go online I’ll find these same business prompt me to “chat” almost immediately. I thought to myself, if you want to chat online but ignore me in person, there’s something wrong. When I was a National Account Director, we always wanted to get the customer to our city. We needed a face to face (in-person) experience because it increased the purchasing conversion percentage by a great deal. If we never got them face to face, the conversion to buy percentage would be under 20%. If we got them face to face, however, the conversion to buy percentage would increase to over 65%!
You have to consider the customer types for your business. At minimum, you have virtual customers and in-person customers. The objective in business is to remove any obstacles in customers’ spending, no matter their interaction channel. One surefire way to negatively affect their experience and ultimately their spending is to not ignore them and not figure out what made them visit you.
How can you ensure you maximize your face to face customer experience?
- Acknowledge them
- Ask and listen to what they are there for
- Meet their need (or be honest if you can’t)
- Ensure they are satisfied
If a customer enters your business in person, there is a reason they are there. You have something they want or need. You are not the ONLY business in town, so if the customer made the decision and used resources to visit…Acknowledge, Ask, Listen, Meet, and Follow-Up. If you want to increase sales, have your associates become less transactional and more relational. Remove all purchasing obstacles.
