Managing Your Customer’s Experience

May 16, 2016

If you Google “customer experience” you’ll be surprised by the number of hits you get labeled customer experience management.  Who knew your customer’s experience needed to be managed?

It wasn’t that long ago that you simply put merchandise on the counter, turned on the lights, opened the doors and… voilà, instant customer experience.  Oh sure, somebody would throw in some clever visual merchandising to spice things up, but in the end the customer’s experience was pretty much unmanaged.

As with many things, somebody saw a need and stepped in to fill it.  In this case, someone realized that occasionally your customer experience needed a management consultant and if hiring a consultant isn’t in your budget, then let’s see how we can adapt a few their principles to an operation like yours.

The world of nonprofit institutional and museum stores is already a unique opportunity to create a memorable experience for customers.  After all, you’re associated with an institution that caters to your customer’s imagination and passions. Your store is not Walmart or Walgreens, it’s an extension of your museum and customers are there for a reason.

First, you need to define what you want your customer’s experience to be.  Are you extending the experience of your institution through your store?  Or, are you content to sell some tchotchkes to capture a few more bucks from the patrons on their way out the door?

Let’s go with the assumption the two goals of maximizing profits and maximizing your patron’s experience are your mission. The simplest path to a great customer experience is creating a culture of customer service in your store. This means, from the front door to the back of the store, you consider every aspect of how things work for your customer. Remember, a great customer experience can easily lead to higher profits.

With a lot of retail migrating to online transactions, it’s critical that you master your face-to-face interactions with your customers.  Make customer satisfaction a responsibility of your entire team and empower your team with the tools they need to get the job done.

While complaints may be rare , occasionally they do pop up.  The best thing you can do is to handle the complaint quickly, without argument, and without taking it personally. Be sure you have an easily understood return policy and make sure your customers are aware of it, particularly, if your return policy is restrictive. Customers should be aware that they may only receive store credit on returns rather than a refund.  They should also be aware if there is a tight window – or now window at all – for returning items.  As with most things, clear communication helps avoid problems down the road.

This may be obvious, but understanding your customers’ needs allows you serve them better.  As you review your sales data, look for trends that can provide insight to enhance your customer experience.

If a lot of your sales are gifts, then adding gift-wrapping and shipping is an easy way to add value to the transaction. Greeting cards and gift cards may be another way to enhance the upsell. If you sell a fair amount of clothing, you may want to consider adding a well-lit space where customers can try on garments. If you sell hats, jewelry or glasses make sure there is a mirror nearby.

Think about the synergy among the items you sell.  For instance, if you sell books you could also sell reading glasses and bookmarks.  If you brew fresh coffee or tea for your customers, then be sure to sell a packaged version of those offerings so they can take some home.

Think about creating more word-of-mouth marketing for your store that utilizes social media. Find a spot in your store you can turn into a selfie-station.  All it would take is an interesting backdrop and a selfie stick.  (You could even add those to your inventory!) Of course, it wouldn’t hurt to have the name of your store on the backdrop.  Remind your (satisfied) customers to give you positive reviews on Facebook, Google, Yelp, Instagram, Twitter, and TripAdvisor.

Creating a great customer experience may be the most important and useful marketing you’ll ever do.  Every customer you satisfy becomes a customer who will help market your store throughout their circle of influence.  You’ll never go wrong if it’s your mission to make a lasting impression on every person who walks in your store.

Patrick Mulcahy is the Director of Marketing at MSA