Back Page: What customers want

We’ve all done it ourselves.

We go into a store, knowing full well what we’re looking for, but when the sales clerk asks if they can help us, we respond, “Oh no — I’m just looking.”

Sometimes we just want to be able to find things on our own or take in the prices without a heavy sales gimmick, but you know you’ve done it, and you can bet your customers do this too when they visit your store.

“Not many wander into a nursery and say, “How did that happen?’” Denise Ryan said at the 2012 OFA Short Course in Columbus, Ohio. “They come for something.”

At the Short Course, Ryan, who leads FireStar Speaking and is a professional motivational business speaker, talked about this and how to increase your customer relations in her presentation, “Takin’ care of business- It’s all about customer service.” She said there are five things that customers want, and the first is friendliness. She says there are two things associated with friendliness — a smile and a greeting.

“It’s a welcome — not, ‘How many people are in your party?’ or, ‘Can I help you?’” she says.

Instead, it needs to be a genuine welcome that’s sincere and friendly.

The second element is understanding.

“They want to know you care and not be judged,” she says. “It’s easy to make people feel criticized or judged.”

For example, if someone comes in and they’ve killed their plants, it’s better to listen to them and encourage them instead of immediately jump into every single thing they did wrong that killed that plant.

The third thing is customers want to be treated fairly.

“When people think something is not fair, they get upset,” she says. “You have to communicate that things are, indeed, fair.”

This may mean reiterating the store’s policy and that it’s not just them, but it’s for everyone. It may mean explaining why the policy is there. This is simply an educational moment for your customer.

The fourth thing customers want is options. If they have a problem, figure out a few options that could solve the problem so they can choose which one would be best for them. If you have policies in place that limit options, she challenged people to ask if your policy is working for you or hindering you.

The last thing customers want is information. It’s better for them to learn about your policies and procedures ahead of time. When they do, it’s fine, but when they kill something and try to bring it back and your policy is to not exchange or refund it, they’ll be furious. Make sure they understand not just how to care for a plant but also what will happen if it does die and how you can help them if they have any problems.

For more: FireStar Speaking, (919) 788-0291 or www.firestarspeaking.com