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What customers really remember from the holidays
Long after the holiday and the online deals and big box sales, it's the shopping experiences that most customers remember.
Both the good and the bad.
To this day I still remember a bad experience I had ten years ago returning a gift. I vowed to never do business with that store again. And I never did, right up to and including the day that store went out of business. Hmmm.
For the life of me I couldn't even tell you what other gifts I bought that year.
I also remember the wonderful shopping experience I had last December at Sur La Table. The woman who helped us was extremely nice and provided us with valuable information as we decided which item to purchase. I know exactly what I bought there.
I also bought some gifts online last year. I don't remember what they were.
People will remember the experience.
Of course people want a good deal. Everyone wants a good deal. But I also know that people like to do business with stores that give them the opportunity to leave feeling good about their purchase and their experience.
While much of our focus on this blog and working with our clients is about maximizing our customer opportunities, we never want to lose sight of how important the customer experience is.
Yes, that experience is a part of maximizing our opportunity, but that experience also is what our customers remember and why they come back.
How they felt welcomed. They remember an employee treating them like an old friend. Of course, some of them are.
Customers remember the smiling person who clearly enjoys his/her job.
They don't forget how the person helping them seemed genuinely interested in them and the people on their shopping list, or getting them checked out in a fast and friendly manner.
Customers remember little things like someone walking around the counter and presenting the purchase to them, or holding a door for them as they leave, or that they never felt rushed even though the store was crazy busy.
Customers remember it when a retail associate looks them in the eye, says thank you and wishes them a Happy Holiday or Merry Christmas. (Whatever works for you and/or your company. I stay out of that debate.)
Here is what I would like you to take away from this posting and, more importantly, remember throughout the holidays.
1. Don't underestimate how important what you do and how you engage with your customers is, and how that makes them feel. That's what people remember.
2. No matter how busy you get, the most important thing you do is deliver the best possible experience. That's what people remember.
3. The better the experience the more you'll maximize your opportunities, today and in the future.
So let me ask, are you and your team(s) delivering a memorable experience?
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