How to Improve In-store Experience to Keep Your Customers Coming

So you just built your brick-and-mortar store, and you’re ready to welcome your multitude of customers bust through your doors. The only problem is, they aren’t. It’s a slow-moving day, and you’re starting to worry about your sales. What can you do? Elevating your customer’s experience is an obstacle all business owners have to hurdle over. Your store won’t be packed every day, but these few suggestions can ensure that they keep coming:

Always keep your store’s tech in top shape.

Broken store devices are frustrating and can keep your customers from coming back to your store. If your UK-based store, you can take advantage of repair services for Zebra devices and other B2B and B2C devices. This guarantees that your barcode and QR scanners, data collection devices, and printers are functioning correctly. You can also enhance your customers’ experience at checkout. To prevent customers from getting infuriated by the queue, store owners now use informative video loops and keep them entertained while in line. You can explore installing mobile or self-checkout kiosks and QR payment schemes to hasten the payment process.

Coach your team to be better customer service providers.

Regardless of their job description – marketing, sales, or customer service – your store employees are your greatest assets in keeping customer satisfaction up. Every employee must be equipped to assist all customers. They should have extensive knowledge of your product range, post-sales services, your store’s reward system, and local or partnered promotions. Train them to be available, but not nosy. It’s not about pushing your customers to buy products; it’s about convincing them about the experience of using it so that they can decide for themselves. A great attitude also pays, but this can only come from a rewarding work environment. Treat your staff like how you treat your customers. Happy employees mean happy customers, not the other way around.

Stimulate your customer’s senses.

The evolution of brick-and-mortar stores across various industries paved the way for unique, interactive, and gratifying gimmicks. From free tastes to flash dances, businesses have done it all to entice customers. You don’t need to stretch your muscles to satisfy, though. Just keep the basics covered. Ensure proper lighting throughout your store. Whether it’s a supermarket, a sneaker store, or a toy shop, people have to see its whole expanse. You can also play some background music – more mellow melodies have shown to be effective in convincing customers to make a purchase. This will depend on your niche, though, so experiment with caution. Keep the experience tactile by making sure that products can be held, tested, or tried.

Synchronize your digital and brick-and-mortar store.

Your store should be able to keep up with the times. Today, that means integrating your business’ digital capacities with your storefront experience to combat what retailers call showrooming. This signals a shift in consumer behavior where they gather product information from offline sources – your store – so they can eventually make the purchase online for cheaper rates or better incentives. You can leverage this by making your digital channels just as attractive as your storefront. Maximize customer reviews, and stir social engagements around your product line. Better incentivize your customers. You can set up quicker payment options online or present them with exclusive online offers or rewards. Introduce “buy online, pick up in-store” alternatives or use QR codes to personalize their shopping experience further. Business goes beyond just selling. Focus on customer satisfaction, and they’ll keep coming around, whether to your online platform or offline storefront.