Tis the season alright!
That time of year when everyone temporarily puts aside their faculties of logic to indulge in mindless spending. We even spend money we don’t have, but hey, that’s ok, it’s all in the name of … hmmm … I’m not quite sure what it really means anymore.
Whatever the case may be, Christmas is a time for sharing and a time to spend with family. It’s also a period that retailers should be cashing in with a beaming grin.
In 1988 I watched in horror as my childhood hero Carl Lewis was blown away by Ben Johnson in the men’s 100m final at the Seoul Olympic Games.
The ripped and bulging Canadian sprinter launched out of the blocks to blaze to a new world record time of 9.79 seconds. To my relief, three days later, Johnson was stripped of his gold medal and banned for testing positive to steroids. Lewis was then unceremoniously anointed as the Olympic champion, and faith was restored to my little world.
Not many records can endure the vacillation of time. Johnson’s drug assisted time was considered only possible because he used a banned substance. His time has since been broken on several occasions. Usain Bolt is the reigning Olympic champion and world recorder holder, clocking in a 9.58 seconds. May I be so bold as to suggest that one day a man of freakish ability will run it in eight seconds?
There I stood three deep in a queue that seemed to be moving backwards compared to the other isles.
At the head of the line was an elderly woman laughing and conversing with the checkout chick. They appeared to be having a gay old time. I on the other hand was decomposing in my own anxiety, hot and noticeably bothered. Just let me pay for my stuff and get out of here, I scoffed under my breath.
The ash haired lady eventually paid for her groceries. She waved goodbye and then gleefully snatched her bags and wandered off. Finally we were moving. I quickly twitched my toes to make sure they were still there. I then skimmed through my iPhone, something I tend to do neurotically when I’m bored. With nowhere else to look, I slowly peered up… oh great…
Last week I made a reservation to stay at the Novotel hotel in Darling Harbour, Sydney.
The booking was for this coming Friday. However, to my surprise last Sunday morning I received a survey email from the hotel’s parent company Accor asking to rate my stay. Perplexed by this, I rang Accor and quoted my membership number. I proceeded to query why this email had been sent given I was due to stay the following week? The response stunned me.
The customer support person told me the booking was complete. I explained the booking was for the following Friday. He disagreed. The customer support person then put me on hold and came back a minute or so later. He scoffed, ‘the booking was for the previous day and that had now passed, I’m sorry but there is nothing we can do as your credit card has been processed. He then suggested I call the hotel directly to see if they could resolve the matter.
The retail industry in Australia is in disarray.
Sales are down across the board. However, the online space is growing rapidly, and for a good reason. Not only is shopping on the internet convenient, but we dont have to suffer the experience of front line staff who couldn’t care less about us.
Let’s resist the urge to blame the internet for the decline in retail sales. More sinister is the blatant lack of care and duty to customers from retail staff. Think about it, what customer in their right mind would willingly re-frequent a store that made them feel like a burden? Many of us have experienced standing at a counter for a long period waiting, only to be met by a sales person that appears as if they are doing us a favour by serving us.
Strolling through a market one Sunday afternoon, I was approached by a short, podgy, shiny-headed man.
He stopped me with a gentle tug on my shirt and a big warm smile. He had large glowing white teeth — which had to be false — and he beamed infectiously with enthusiasm.
He asked me how my day was, I responded, “Fine, thanks. Yours?” With a thick accent he responded, “Always a good, my young friend, always a good!” He guided me back to his tiny stall which consisted of a small table covered in punnets of baked beans.
In a panicked state, I exited the terminal three hours late after my flight was delayed due to fog and inclement weather.
I rushed to pick up my hire car while apologising over the phone to my client and assuring her I wasn’t far away.
Bleeding beads of frustration I anxiously took the sixty minute trek to my new business pitch. Being late to a key presentation seldom sets a positive tone and negative first impressions are always challenging to overcome. Driving with a sense of defeat, I questioned whether my many hours of preparation, flight and now pained efforts would be all in vein.
The courting process is an important aspect to most living things.
Therefore, it should be no surprise that the same engagement principles apply to customers. The thrill of being pursued by a would-be suitor and the emotions associated with hope of finding true meaning in a relationship is to no exaggeration, exhilarating.
In the animal kingdom it’s not unusual for some species to go to extreme lengths to attract and seduce a mate. Most fascinating, to me, are the peculiar and often spectacular rituals conducted by birds.
One happy customer plus another should equal three.
For every two customers you win at least one should buy again or refer you to a friend. We all exist in a hyper-connected and transparent business world. If people aren’t sharing their positive experiences about you with others, something about what you do needs to change.
Although competition is vicious and margins in most markets are being eroded, customers still and always will pay for value and quality service. In fact, we crave it. Deep in our psyche we all have an innate need to be loved and included. Moreover, to be valued, appreciated and remembered. This is the essence of what I refer to as, RetroService.
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This week Aussie model and aspiring social worker, Jesinta Campbell was decorated with the second runners-up sash in the prestigious Miss Universe pageant.
She also won the award for ‘Miss Congeniality’ for her sense of humour and warm personality. Good on her! I’ll admit, when I heard Jesinta had been recognised for her personality; I was more impressed by that, than her third place in the pageant. The fact her personality shone so brightly, in my mind, makes her more attractive and more interesting.
In “sales”, all things being equal—personality wins! To stand out in a cold, crowded and competitive market you can differentiate by showing your personality and inviting your customers in, rather than telling them what door they should walk through. In the process you offer contrast that gives them choice—either the same or you?