Customers are King, right?! Wellllll, that's not how your teams are acting...!

“We live and breathe customer service”, “Our customers are at the heart of all we do”...?

Most retail brands parrot the same buzzwords about being customer-centric ??

(Honestly, how did they ALL end up with the same empty statements on their websites? Was there a secret meeting I missed or something?!)

The reality in their stores couldn’t be farther from it, though.

What about YOUR stores? Are your customers actually king… or are your teams treating them like peasants?

I hope you’re feeling brave, because I’m about to ask you 3 questions to find out (uuuuuuuuuuuuh ??).

But first things first:

Why customers should always be king

In a nutshell…?because your brand literally DEPENDS on customers walking into (and returning to) your physical stores! Especially if you want to maintain a physical retail presence?

When you look at it this way, it becomes so obvious that you’d think everyone lives by this.

In reality?

Retail brands LOVE to shout about their customer service. Whether or not they’re aware of it, though,?they still act as if PRODUCTS were king. And those days? They’re loooooooong gone.

• In the age of eCommerce, it’s easier for consumers to look for products online than to head to your stores
• And even when they?do?get there??54%?are only checking them out to then buy them online (psst: not necessarily from you ??)
• Once they get their phone out, you’re competing against… ANY other online store offering similar products!

So, if someone has voted with their feet and made an effort to walk into your store??

You must give them something they CAN’T find online or elsewhere: a personalised and unforgettable customer experience.

Are?you?doing that? REALLY doing that?

3 questions to find out if you’re as customer-centric as you think

?

#1: Have you got a customer experience mission?

Yes, you must define what that experience should be and?feel?like for EVERY. SINGLE. CUSTOMER who walks through your front door.?

The best retail brands (those who are THRIVING on the high street) are crystal-clear on this mission. They use it as their north star to guide their entire in-store experience.

Average brands, on the other hand, go off track because this “north star” is either:

• A corporate-sounding potpourri of buzzwords that don’t actually mean anything (like “We strive to be the best.” Err, good luck measuring and achieving that ??)
• Non-existent?

#2: Do?all?your team members know and follow your customer experience mission?

If you’re one of the rare retail brands that?already?have a strong customer experience mission, good for you (did you get my virtual high five?).?

I’m still going to keep testing you, though. Sorry! (Or?am I? ????):

Let’s say I walk into your stores RIGHT NOW, pick the first person I bump into—who could be a full-time supervisor or Jack-who-only-works-weekends—and ask them: “What’s your customer experience mission?” Would they be able to tell me?

Based on my experience, the answer is NO (or better, an embarrassed?“Uhm, let me just check with my manager.”)

But?if your team members are not?aware?of what this experience should look and feel like?(and your managers are clearly not leading by example),?how can you expect them to DELIVER it?

You can’t ????

Because even though a powerful customer experience mission is a solid foundation, you must still BUILD on it.?

For example, a well known Rituals’ mission is to “turn everyday routines into more meaningful moments”?but their?in-store?experience didn’t always reflect it.?

So, they hired our Retail Academy to redesign the service experience across all their global stores. And within months??

We increased their service scores, sales?and?time on the floor with customers ??

#3: Are you collecting customer feedback??

Most self-appointed “customer-centric retail brands” boast about delivering the best in-store experiences… and yet they NEVER ask their customers if that’s really the case ??

A bit delusional, isn’t it? Kind of like writing fanfictions about yourself.

Instead,?you must get their direct input?regularly.?

But rather than collecting it from someone who’s NOT your target customer (I’m looking at you,?mystery shoppers), focus on:

• Customer surveys?
• Customer panels
• Calculating your Net Promoter Score

THAT’S how you find out what your customers (you know, the people you insist are at the heart of all you do) actually like and dislike. And once you identify that? You’ll also know exactly what to improve and how.

Basically,?saying?that customers are king isn’t enough. You must act accordingly and make them FEEL that way too.?Otherwise, you don’t get to complain when they stop gracing you with their royal presence ??

So, what did these 3 questions reveal? Are your customers king, or are you treating them like insignificant peasants??

If it’s the latter, let’s fix it!?Book a workshop or talk?to elevate your customer experience?(and make it fit for a king).

????#BafflingBloopers: a huge facepalm moment in retail

Picture a high-end shoe corner inside a renowned department store.?

The kind that offers you complimentary slip-on socks in a nice sheer fabric before you slide your feet into a new pair of shoes.

A premium experience, right?

NOT!

Sooooo, because the staff couldn’t find that box of socks, they left a customer waiting for a few minutes and ended up…

snatching a basic pair of socks from a stand, ripping off the label, and giving it to them!

From slip-on to slip-up ??

Speak soon!

Kayleigh

Founder of?The International Retail Academy?

?? Unlock the full potential of your team and store

Future-proof your customer experience with?The International Retail Academy. In a sea of sameness, YOUR people and YOUR stores will finally stand out.

We offer motivational speaking, customer experience & sales workshops, and leadership development.

Get in touch?to discuss the right next step for your stores or to hire Kayleigh as a speaker for your next sales conference or retail event