This is the season to be jolly.

For the first time in several years, customers want to spend money. An

improving economy and a stronger employment picture is fueling a more

upbeat holiday buying season. Therefore, if shoppers are ready to spend

money, then the question is: Are you going to be ready?

The winners of this holiday

season will be the ones who know exactly what they are doing. The recipe

for shopper-friendly service boils down to some important ingredients.�Some

of those ingredients include friendly sales people, short lines, easy

access, and catering to the unique shopping patterns people expect during

this holiday season.

A one-size-fits-all approach

may not be the best strategy. Each shopper, whether man, women, young

or old has unique needs and expectations. If those expectations are not

met, that could represent a lost opportunity and that holiday sales dollar

may go to the competition.

What is shopper friendly service?

There are two key factors creating a shopper friendly place of business.

Develop a system of service.

When you walk through the doors of Bates Ace Hardware in Atlanta, you

feel a major difference in the attitude of the people working there.�When

a customer asks for a special type of hammer, employees don't point,

they escort them to the proper location.�It was not always this way. Store

owners realized they had to create a system to insure all employees treated

customers the "right way."

Facing competition from large

retailers, they realized they had to improve customer service or face

extinction. Following the example of the Ritz-Carlton hotels, a team of

Bates employees designed "20 Customer Service Commandments."�

Each commandment identified a trait/behavior the store wanted employees

to display when dealing with customers and fellow employees. They printed

the commandments on a small card and asked employees to have it on them

at work.� Furthermore, supervisors quiz employees on the commandments

during each shift.�

Passionate service pleases

customers.

Keep in mind your employees

are your internal customers. When employees feel good about working for

you, then that attitude will reflect on external customers and sales increase

accordingly. To get employees passionate about their jobs, IKEA has an

annual 'Staff Bonus Day' where stores take the gross receipts

of the day and split the proceeds between all employees.�It is divided

in half, one-half paid on the basis of a management assessment of each

worker and the other half paid on the basis of years of service and number

of hours worked. This has been a massive morale builder and a great retention

strategy.

Take care of your senior shoppers.

By 2025, nearly one out of every five Americans will be 65 or older. Make

senior citizens feel welcomed in your store. Senior customers appreciate

personal support and additional informative material. Guarantee or warranty

offers for the product give the sale more credibility. Show your senior

customers you care how they get along with your product. Train your salespeople

on the right approach to help and respect senior consumers. Music is one

of the first elements customers perceive when they enter the store. Try

to understand the newest rap hit would make senior citizens turn around

on their heels and walk straight out of your store.�Consider the following

shopper friendly services for senior citizens:

�Larger print on signage.

-Easy and safe access

from parking lot.

�Good lighting.

�No steep steps.

�Put products within easy reach.

�Wide aisles to cater to wheelchairs

and scooters.

If you would like a free subscription

to our newsletter, please fax us your letterhead to 770-760-0581 or e-mail

us the word "Navigator" to [email protected].

Greg Smith is a nationally

recognized speaker, author, and business performance consultant. He shows

business owners how to attract and keep loyal customers and retain great

employees. He has written numerous books and featured on television programs

such as Bloomberg News, PBS television, and in publications including

Business Week, Kiplingers, President and CEO, and the Christian Science

Monitor. He is the President and "Captain of the Ship" of a

management-consulting firm, Chart Your Course International, located in

Atlanta, Georgia. Phone him at 770-860-9464. More articles available:

https://www.chartcourse.com

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