You Say Customers Are King ?? But Treat Them Like Peasants
Kayleigh ?? Fazan
Customer Experience & Sales Coach ?? Founder: The International Retail Academy; helping your teams sell more products through outstanding service | Workshops | LinkedIn Top Voice | Keynote speaker BIG energy!
“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 branches? 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!?
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.
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?
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:
#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.”)
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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 me to redesign the service experience across all their global stores. And within months??
We increased their service scores, eNPS and time on the floor ??
#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:
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: my latest 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?
PS. The Retail Comedy Club is the newsletter for retail leaders and managers craving to feel heard and brave enough to feel seen. All while having a good chuckle—not that fake customer service laugh
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