Have You Created Barriers to Doing Business?

Are your policies and procedures set up for the few that are out to rip your business off in some way or are they written for the hoards of honest folk out there that just want to get served quickly and easily with your products and be on there way with a smile?

It’s hard enough generating new sales from either your current customers or trying to attract sales from new ones, and there are a few dumb barriers that I have seen in some businesses recently that are really trying to make it as difficult as possible.

These barriers should not exist. Why would you try to make it harder for your prospects to get what they want in a friendly way, on time and at the right price? That’s just what some businesses seem hell bent on doing. The amount of negative messages on show really needs to be replaced with more customer friendly ones if you want to stand a chance of customer loyalty and ultimately success.

Here are a few examples I have seen or experienced in the past couple of weeks and what an alternative could be:

Pre-pay and serve yourself

Asking customers to pre-pay for their fuel in case they drive off before paying is not only an inconvenience to them, but it’s also has a detrimental effect on your takings. A customer is only going to pre-pay for what they know will fit in the tank, which will always be under the actual amount so the filling station will definitely miss out on full sales. Multiply that by hundreds of customers per day, and that will add up to a tidy sum in lost revenue.

With some stations now offering to fill up for you, check your oil and wash your windscreen, you won’t be “the pump of choice” for very long. If you are the filling station offering the extras you will gain oil sales, full tanks and a chance to chat with your customers while doing so. Solid business sense.

Public holiday price increases

Adding 15% to your prices just because it is a public holiday is a sure way to turn away customers, particularly new ones eating at your place. McDonald's doesn’t add the surcharge, neither do the big retailers, so why should the smaller ones? The extra cost to opening on those days is part of your operational costs, like heating and lighting. Try posting on your chalkboard “welcome, come on in, we won’t charge you more for the privilege” with a big smiley face. You will pick up sales over your competitors charging extra.

Fitting room farce

Many folk will want to try their clothing choices on before they purchase because we are all different shapes and sizes and they want to see what looks the best. Fitting room queues are pretty common and I get that, but locked fitting rooms (asking the customer to ring for an assistant to unlock them first) takes the biscuit.

The fitting room is where the majority of your clothing sales take place so unless you are busy taking payment from another customer; it’s the next most important part of your store and it needs constant attention. Remember that.

Bag searches possible

Wow, this is a biggy — the sign in the window that says “by entering these premises you give us the right to search your bags at any time.” If that doesn’t scream we don’t trust you one iota, I don’t know what does. Do you really need to advertise that you don’t trust your customers? The only way around this sign is just don't put one up.

Closing checkouts

No one likes queuing to spend money, and on busy trading days queues are inevitable but closing down checkouts during these times will get even the most mild mannered customers’ blood boiling. Take the money while it’s in front of you and worry about the other chores that have to be done later. If you really have to close a checkout, try replacing the standard “closed” sign with something a little more positive such as “back shortly, I have to fill the empty shelves for you so we don’t run short of the items you love.”

Give your business a “customer friendly audit” and see what you could do better, even if it’s simply rewording any negative messages you might have and adding some humour. If you can make your customer smile at any stage of the process, you are on to a winner.

Please comment below: How do you make your customers' experience a positive one?

I do hope you follow my posts in the future.

My latest book “Start with Hello” (Wiley) is out now. It will help you meet more people you don’t currently know and grow your connection base so grab a complimentary sample of a chapter today.

You might like to subscribe to me for more useful updates.

If you are looking for a speaker or trainer for your next event, do get in touch.

Main image from Shutterstock, the other two are my own.