Customer Service

What consumers say makes for a great in-location experience in 2021

Raydiant CEO Bobby Marhamat offers up five pillars of a positive in-location experience and explains why it's all about understanding the consumer's priorities.

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February 24, 2021 by Bobby Marhamat — CEO, Raydiant

Consumers' attitudes and actions arguably shifted more drastically in the past year than any prior year on record. In-location businesses who accept and adapt to those changes will be best positioned to dominate—or, at least survive—2021.

Success for offline businesses in 2021 will depend on the draw of their in-location experiences. Ask yourself: can your business provide the consumer an experience that is sensorily stimulating and safe while also providing an in-demand good or service?

Those who answer in the affirmative have the makings of a good in-location experience, and have a shot at overcoming the undeniable obstacles that lie ahead.

Our State of Consumer Behavior 2021 report provides insights directly from the consumer, revealing what in-location business owners must do to attract and retain customers who may be inclined to consider online alternatives now more than ever before.

Why in-location experiences matter

In-location experiences matter because consumers say that they do.

When the customer is always right, and the customer is the battery that keeps your business running, then you better pay attention to what they want when they visit a store, restaurant, or entertainment venue.

Just over 60% (61.4%) of consumers in our survey confessed that they will spend more money at a business that provides a positive in-location experience. 90% of them said that they're more likely to return to that business (spending even more money) based on a positive experience.

Is attracting return customers and having those customers spend more money something that you find appealing as a business owner or operator?

We thought it might be.

How you choose to create a positive experience is up to you. You might use in-store signage to communicate critical messaging like business safety protocols, and set up self-checkout kiosks for independence- and safety-minded customers.

Before you formulate your strategy for upgrading your in-location experiences in 2021, consider what consumers define as a positive experience through their eyes.

5 pillars of a positive in-location experience

One advantage of consumer-derived data is that you don't have to wonder whether some supposed expert is slinging hollow conjecture. Instead, you can glean insights from the one group that matters the most to the future of your business: the customer.

Consumers know what they want when they visit a location, and understanding the consumer's priorities can help you emphasize what matters most to your customers through in-location experiences.

1) Having the goods or services that you sell readily available
Can being sold out of a product be a positive thing? It can, such as when the item is flying off the shelves faster than you can restock it.

However, being without the good or service that a customer seeks because you are not strategic about your ordering, or because you convinced yourself no customer would want that item can cause you to lose a customer who was ready to purchase.

Consider that 33.1% of respondents to our State of Consumer Behavior 2021 report said 'availability and variety of product' was most important in providing a positive in-location experience. This was a higher respondent share than any other category.

2) Providing immaculate customer service
Customer service is nearly as important to consumers as the availability and variety of products or services — 30.9% of respondents listed customer service as the greatest indicator of an in-location experience.

Being friendly to customers is a prerequisite for any successful business, but today it means more than it used to. Curbside pickup and self-checkout are two branches of customer service that could become standard in 2021.

Employers must find ways to communicate positivity to customers, especially when masks cover their employees' welcoming smiles.

3) Having an organized, accessible layout
The organization of a business has always had the power to communicate order or sloppiness, and can define how a customer views a brand. Overwhelming racks and shelves of disheveled products can be the sign of a business on the outs, while pristine organization shows care for the product and customer alike.

Our report revealed 13.9% of consumers said they base their experience largely on the layout of a location, as well as the specific way that products are organized. In addition to brand perception, customers may also judge the physical layout and organization of a business through the lens of social distancing.

4) Respecting customers' health concerns
Our report confirmed that a significant segment of the consuming public — 9.9% of our respondents — are primarily concerned with health protocols when assessing their in-location experience.

This segment of consumers may not even enter your business if they do not feel safe, and those who manage in-location experiences must be aware that this health-conscious contingent could have an impact on the success of their business in 2021.

5) Providing efficient checkout
Even those who utterly enjoy the experience of getting out and visiting in-location businesses don't want to be stuck in the checkout line. Waiting in line can never be considered part of the in-location experience, and you may provide multiple checkout options to quicken the pace of customer checkouts.

Using self-checkout kiosks, and using signage to direct customers to the specialized checkout lines (10 items or less, etc.) may prevent customers from using slow checkout times as a reason to avoid your business in the future.

Design your experiences around the customer in 2021

2021 will be a year in which virtually everyone is eager to turn a new page. If you have not always had the most strategic, customer-driven approach to in-location experiences, don't sweat it — 2021 is a new year befitting a new game plan.

Now you know what customers value most. Organize your in-location experience around efficient checkouts, safety protocols, and clear, logical organization of your goods and services.

You can use digital signage to provide information, direct customers' attention, and allow those who are ready to buy to checkout on their own. Use this and all other tools available to enhance the customer experience to the utmost, as the customer experience is the linchpin to your business' future.

Bobby Marhamat is CEO of Raydiant