We all know the
"customer is always right." But did you also know that the
"customer is always lying?" Maybe not so much as lying as not telling
you what they're really thinking. Yes, you can put out the occasional survey to
get impressions of your business but by then it might be too late to fix
things.
What a customer
won't tell you might end up hurting your business especially if it is keeping
that customer from coming back for repeat business. Here are five things that
customers wants but won't tell you up front.
They want your staff to look good.
This doesn't mean
you have to hire runway models as your sales staff. However, appearances do
matter. How your employees dress and groom themselves sets the tone for your
business. If you're running a sports bar then tattoos, piercings and wild hair
will fit right in. However, if you're selling carpet you don't want a motley
crew being the face of your business. Set the dress code that is appropriate
for your business and make your new hires aware of those codes before they
agree to the job.
They want to matter.
When a customer
walks into a store they should be greeted by a friendly staff member and asked,
"How can I help you?" This lets them know that their business is
appreciated. That same kind of relationship can be built through an online
store. If a customer sends an email query, try to answer that right away.
Hopefully, it will be a personal answer. Whenever possible, provide your
customers with the opportunity to comment on your business. This can happen
through social media, email survey or even directly on your website. When they
feel that their business is appreciated, they'll come back for more.
They want contact.
Like it or not, we're living in a 24/7/365 type of society. Our news is
around the clock. Same for our TV watching. Many big grocery and convenience
stores are open 24 hours. The same can be said for gas stations, diners and
doughnut shops. In other words, we're getting used to getting what we want
whenever we want it. Your business needs to make the effort to appeal to that same
desire of immediate satisfaction. This doesn't mean you need to keep your doors
open around the clock. However, having a voice mail system where a customer can
leave a message will go a long way towards providing that feeling of being open
24/7.
They want consistency.
It's difficult to
image a business that won't have some level of staff turnaround. From a
customer's perspective, they might have grown accustomed to working with a
specific salesperson or staff member. They've built up a relationship. That's
important for a loyal customer. When a change in staff occurs, try to reach out
to your loyal customers and let them know what is going on and assure them
they're needs will continue to be met.
