Over the course of the last few weekends I have had to venture out into the world of High Street retail, predominantly to purchase clothes. I may be a little old fashioned, but I like to try things on; there really is no substitute for seeing and feeling the goods before you buy.
Here’s how it went; On one visit I drove to the city and spent a fractious 20 minutes trying to find a space in a multi-storey car park that allegedly wasn’t full. I ventured into several shops to be greeted with either antipathy, disinterest or (mostly) I was ignored. Furthermore, the goods that I was attracted to weren’t available in my size to try. I ended up spending money on a frighteningly priced coffee and returned home, somewhat dazed, frazzled and totally underwhelmed.
The news is currently featuring stories about the demise and decline of traditional High street retail; how the internet has deemed this route to market as being an anachronism that has no relevance in the modern world – and this got me thinking. Motor retail is going through a seismic change at the moment with more and more manufacturers looking to modernise and overhaul the route to market by embracing modern technology. In many cases this means that the customer is being steered more and more towards an online purchase.
I do need to make it clear I’m not some kind of Luddite who views ‘all of this new-fangled technology’ with fear and suspicion. I believe that in many cases the consumer will prefer to conduct their research online and, in many cases, buy as well because of the poor customer experience that they receive in a face-to-face retail environment.
And this is where we have the opportunity to shine. Regardless of technology, the vast majority of purchasing decisions are made based on the customer’s experience. Was I made to feel like a valued guest? Did they actively listen to me? Did I feel like I was helped and assisted in the decision to buy the right car for me rather than being ‘sold to’? Was I given a great demonstration? Was the product immaculately prepared and presented? These simple things make a profound difference but if the people providing the experience don’t know how to build rapport, qualify and listen actively the customer will receive a transactional buying experience at best and this in turn drives more people to an online purchase.
In the interests of balance, whilst I was out I visited a shoe shop. The staff were energetic, focussed, smiling, present and totally ‘in the moment’ with a maniacal focus on the customers in the shop, even though it was a busy Saturday afternoon. Their process was blisteringly good - I hadn’t even gone in to buy but was treated so well I left with a cheeky pair of Converse that I didn’t really need but, because of the experience, I wanted.
There’s hope for face-to-face retail based on this.