Does Your Floor Creak?

“Let’s go to the Candy Barrel”, said my mother. To a little girl, no other six words strung together in one sentence could be more exhilarating. As we entered into Mast General Store in downtown Boone, we were met with friendly greetings and smiling faces from their various attendants. The store’s appearance was always the same, outdoor clothing lined the racks, which surrounded a central cashier’s station in the middle of the first floor. The smell was always the same --- a mixture between sweet and earthy, and the floor seemed to have a voice of its own. Customers perusing the displays seemed to make music as they made their way across the scarred wooden boards. “How can I help you?, one associate asked, however, having been there before and distracted by my excited anticipation of digging through heaps of sugary goodness, I bolted past. As I breached the doorway, I grabbed my bucket and made my rounds. From Mary Janes, wax juice bottles to strips of candy buttons and more, they all ended up in my bucket and eventually in my belly after rationing my stash for weeks, almost as if I wanted the feeling to last as long as possible.   

I relived this exact experience, almost in the exact detail when I had the opportunity to meet and connect with Lisa Cooper, President of Mast Store, last week at a regional conference in the high country. As I described “the feeling” that I had on the few fortunate occasions with her store as a child, she smiled and replied, “Oh yes, the floor has to creak.” To my pleasant astonishment, she told me that in all 10 locations, the floor is made to creak. When they began to grow and expand, all of these details and more that I described were elements of the “Mast Store brand” that they didn’t want to lose. Her desire is that regardless if you are in downtown Boone or in downtown Greenville, SC, each patron will experience the “Mast Store” experience. She laughed as she described the puzzled look on the flooring installers' faces when she relates the mandate that the floor must creak.  

This conversation truly inspired this marketing and branding guru and I’ve reflected on it ever since. When one thinks of customer experience, I’m sure like me, your mind automatically thinks of service ---- Are you pleasant and friendly? Knowledgeable of your products and services? Timely in filling customer orders? Resolve complaints in a constructive manner? Is your place of business tidy and presentable? Your customer interactions are critical, but as demonstrated by my experience as a little girl, a memorable customer experience involves all five senses - sounds, smells, taste, sight and touch. 

 To add to my own data points from my memories, I went to social media to see what others had to say.  “What are some of your fondest memories of businesses and/or places that “take you back” based on one or more of your five senses?, I asked. The responses came flooding in and what a pleasure it was to relive these experiences along with those who took the time to share:  

“The Young Men’s Shop in Newton had its own smell...I loved buying my husband suits there in our younger days (30 years ago).”

“The Winn-Dixie in Viewmont regularly played “Hey Good Lookin’” in their store. I remember hearing it when I would go grocery shopping with my mom as a girl.”

“The smell of the Waldensian Bakery in Valdese, where I grew up. That smell of fresh bread baking is “home” to me.”

“The smell of the pipe and tobacco shop in Valley Hills Mall with the gentle sound of rain from the water fall.... circa 1985”

“The “department store aroma” (perfume, cologne, leather, new clothes) always takes me back to when I used to shop with my Grandmommy on Saturday mornings at Spainhours, Burands and Lazurus.’”

“The smell of grilled cheese sandwiches at H&W Drug in Newton.”

“I have a very distinct memory of skating at the Roller Palace in Lenoir to Journey's 'Don't Stop Believing' when I was about 12.”

 Just as Lisa challenged and inspired me, I want to challenge you to ask yourself the following questions around your customer’s experience:

• Have you identified and/or sought to understand your customers’ journey? 
• What matters to your customers? How to you collect their feedback?
• What differentiates you or makes you unique from your direct or indirect competition…ie, what is your “floor creak”?
• How can you ensure every customer leaves with a lasting memory that makes them want to return or retell it to someone else at a later date?