Customer Feedback
Recently I red a survey that stated 67% of consumers polled left
or didn't return to a store because of perceived apathy. Stores seemingly or actually not caring
about them as customers.
That got me thinking about the whole customer experience and
the importance of the real connection between you the retail owner and your
customers. The relationship.
Service quality is your #1 concern it's part of the whole
customer experience. Retail consumers measure you in the market place and
against your competition.
In my daily practice as a Retail Business Coach I'm often
asked the question "How does a retailer find out what the customer experience
is in my store?"
The best and easiest way is to ask.
Why I want you to do surveys is that it gets you in front of
your customer. You get to hear what they think.
So what do you ask your customers?
Here are key ideas you want to know from your customers:
Where do you live?
How often do they come to this general area to shop?
How often do they come into your store?
Do they shop for themselves or for gifts?
Do they like your store set up?
Is it easy to find things and to move from one place to
another?
Do you carry the products they like?
Would they like to see something added to your product mix?
How is your staff? Friendly, knowledgeable, available to
help?
Store appearance?
How would they rate your customer care?
Product displays?
Overall shopping experience?
Price points?
Would they recommend your store to friends and family?
Would they like to receive your monthly newsletter?
I believe in regular surveys , once a year is a
must. You should be able to handle this yourself. Create the form and do the
leg work. Surveys can be administered in many different ways: in
store, on line, your monthly newsletter, mailed to your customers home or place
of business or by phone. You choose what works best for you. Use a rating
system 1 to 10, 10 being exceptional and 1 very poor.
In getting ready for this months newsletter, I went into different
retail stores to pick up their customer care cards. From formats that just ask -
How are we doing? Leaving me endless lines to write my opinion - to surveys that were full
of questions with boxes to tick off. There where on line surveys with a contest
attached to it. Or mail me back surveys with a coupon attached to them. In one mall - people hired to ask survey questions. Nice touch - it was personal. So there are lots
of different approaches.
As a thank you, you may want to give an in-store coupon for
let's say $ 5 or $10, it's a nice gesture and the customer gets to spend the coupon in your
store.
So what do you do with the info you get? You react to it and
act on it. If after you do the survey you don't know how to assess what you
need to do. Please contact me - It
will be my pleasure to help you.
Let me know how you are doing with your customer survey.
Helping you create your own economy.
Best;
Barbara
North
America's #1 Retail Business Coach 
