Brick and mortar retailers bemoan their fate, blame Amazon and customers who shop only for the lowest price. I have news. It’s not rocket science but apparently some retailers have failed to take advantage of the opportunity they have. What’s that you say? Face to face contact with your customers!
Stores, you know, literally places that you go to and walk around, have an opportunity that no fuzzy logic on a website can match. You can look me in the eye, listen to what I want and try a few things. Not dozens, a few well reasoned recommendations. Below is a list of the stupid things retailers tolerate from their employees that make me a “former customer.”
1. Sales people who do not make eye contact when speaking to you. Are you serious? You can’t be bothered to turn around?
2. Sales people who move at the speed of molasses at cold temperatures. Maybe the “Art of Slack” is something you are proud of. I’m not interested.
3. Employees who say “you guys” every five seconds.
4. Repeat of #3, but replace “you guys” with “like.”
5. Talking, talking, talking. No listening. Interrupting, talking, blathering on.
6. Blindness. How else can you explain long periods of being ignored?
7. Trying to impress. “Oh, I have the iPhone 5 too, want to see my case?” No.
8. Employees who yell at you from across the room – “Let me know if you have any questions!”
I have one question. Do you think treating customers as an inconvenience is going to make you successful?
