I have a confession. I have been involved in a “shopping love affair” since I was a little girl. I love to shop. I love the intoxicating arousal of the senses – the smells at the perfume counters; the sounds of my favourite Michael Bublé song playing in the background; the touch of a beautiful silky dress to the dazzling sights of sparkly baubles on display in a jewellers window. Shopping is fun.
As Australians, we love to shop. This is, after all, the birthplace of that iconic shopping Mecca, Westfield and any visit to a centre will uncover full car parks and crowded escalators. Considering how much shopping we do, it’s a shame our customer service trails behind the service level of other countries.
My shopping experience involves comparing what we receive in some stores here with the very impressive shopping experiences being delivered to customers in other countries.
I shopped at Saba recently and was stunned that the assistant chose to ignore me even though there were only two other shoppers in the store.
I even came out of the change rooms to check myself out in the store mirror, and still no service. I say she chose to ignore me because she stood only one metre away from me, happily chatting away with the other customer.
She could have said, “How is that size on you?” or “Would you like me to show you a skirt that looks fabulous with that top?”
In fact, I can think of a million things she could have said or done to engage me, but she didn’t and, in the end, I helped myself because I should not have to ask. I tried on five tops, chose three, paraded around the store in them and, when it was clear I was still being ignored, I walked to the counter and purchased them. I left the store feeling ignored.
That same weekend, Saba was running a promotion – 25 per cent off all tops – but I wasn’t excited about the discount and I certainly didn’t tell anyone else about it. I did, however, tell everyone I knew about how annoyed I was with the terrible level of service.
I don’t like being ignored, especially when I walk into a store – even if I’m just browsing.
I don’t like staff talking about their personal lives to each other while customers are around. I also don’t like department stores who are so habitually under-staffed that I must search for someone when I wish to make a purchase.
One particularly bad experience was when a salesgirl in Myer told me I could not purchase two $500 gift cards because the amount was apparently “too much”.
When she told me I would have to go upstairs to Lay-by I let her know that it was unsatisfactory, not to worry about it and I was going elsewhere. I also told her that I understood it was not her fault, but that she should tell her supervisor of my dissatisfaction. I then took my money to David Jones where they happily processed my purchase.
Myer lost a $1,000 sale simply because it made things difficult for me, the customer. Who knows how many gift vouchers I may have bought in the future?
Sadly, the managers of many Australian stores have allowed themselves and their staff to become lazy, ignoring the customer in the process.
It only takes one bad experience to sour the general feeling that a customer might have about a retailer or their store.
One of my favourite retail stockists in Sydney asks his staff to hand Georgini brochures to customers browsing in his window. This small gesture opens up conversation with the customer and creates the invitation to come into the store. It’s not a surprise that his sales are amazing!
Another stockist has created her own VIP club within her store by adding customers to a database. If a customer has bought a particular brand in her store and the brand introduces a new range, she will send them an invite to the launch with a VIP discount or gift with purchase. She might also send them an invitation for a personal appointment to view the range and present them with a gift.
Customer service is not just about “servicing the customer”; it’s about creating an overall experience. After all, people “need” food, they do not “need” jewellery. Jewellery is a “want” item and customers are buying it as much for the entire purchasing experience as for the item itself.
Customers love to shop. Is it too much to ask that the shops love the customers back?
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