Money is walking out the door

Our Caravan

Are you or your people letting money walk out of the door, customers are fickle creatures and in this new world they need reassurance. They need to feel that product or service is right and that you are the best place to buy. Back to that mantra “Know Like and Trust”.  

A few weeks back we took some time out on the west cost of Scotland, Oban in particular is a fantastic west coast town. It has a busy port, and is the gateway to Mull and beyond with lots of great coffee shops and restaurants. It is clearly a big tourist destination and close enough to Glasgow and Stirling to be a weekend escape for many people.

We have a little caravan and found a great campsite just out of town down a narrow road; It had amazing vistas of the loch and surrounding hills. We pitched in a perfect place to appreciate the views, drink red wine and have a BBQ during these endless June evenings. (This far north it does not get dark until 11pm)

However, all of this bliss is totally spoilt by that Scottish devil the Midge, I might have wanted to sit out and enjoy the evening but that meant being the main course. Reluctantly we retired to the van, but that did not give much respite as they were getting in through the vents.  

The following day we ventured into town looking for solutions, we were offered creams, candles and coils. However, what I wanted was an electric flytrap, something with the UV light that pulls them in and zaps them.

I found a hardware shop and went up to an assistant at counter who was looking busy not serving. After explaining what I wanted, we are in a caravan etc. He said. “No we only have 240v ones over there.” (Pointing at a shelf across the way)  Where? He reluctantly came around the counter took us to a shelf and quickly walked away.  Although the product would not work on the van battery, it would be fine while we were on power hook up.

Sadly he has successful planted the seeds in my head that this was not suitable; they also had a solar powered version which he did not mention. His lack of interest gave my wife had the impression that it was not a good product as he did not draw it to our attention to. So we left the shop with nothing.

That evening the smoke coils we bought did not repel enough of the blighters to make a difference.  It occurred to me while drinking my wine and swotting insects   that the sales assistant let a £20 sale walk out of the shop. Had he engaged us d shown some interest in our problem, he could have had a sale. He could have talked us through the options show some empathy.  When the trap was not in the van, I could have used it at home may be.

This was poor customer service and poor salesmanship; I have talked customer service on this blog before the last case was rude behaviour. In this case, it is poor relationship, we both lost out, the business lost £20.00 and I had to contend with the midges with nothing to protect us but smoke.

For the business, this is much more serious I am just one customer, how many £20s left the store on that day through apathy.

 Know like and Trust  

Engage with customers make friends with them, be helpful ask questions and smile. Make the interaction interesting and even if they do not want what you have, wish them well and suggest somewhere else they might try. It is simple stuff and so often missed.  Our assistant was not being likable he did not take us on the sales journey. 

If you have, sales or retail teams train them to engage with people good customer service costs nothing and earns so much more.