The Customer Experience

by Sana Turnock

Are there retail shops and spaces that you just love going into? Close your eyes and immerse yourself in this space. Think about what you see, smell, hear, and perhaps touch.  Ask yourself what it is that you love about this space, and why?

Now think about a physical retail spaces that you don’t like going into. Using the same process, identify what it is that turns you away. What is it about this space that makes you not want to go into it, or perhaps spend little time there?

Many small details make up an experience of a space and place. Whether it be the poor customer service or the uncomfortable layout, we have all experienced that feeling of walking into a space and not feeling at ease. Perhaps it is the shop front that has looked the same for years, the lack of natural light, the dust, the unhygienic toilets, the unappealing food viewed through the grimy glass counter, or that general lack of "good vibes".

Creating a memorable experience can take a bit of thought and effort, but once you have it, your customers will keep coming back for more.

Here are three tips to help you create a more positive experience for your customer:

1. Change your shop front window display every few months. You are not only promoting your products but inviting curiosity and engagement from people walking by, especially if it is done well.
2. Include living plants as part of your décor.  Beautiful healthy plants complement and enhance the look and feel of a space. Not good at keeping plants alive? You can always rent plants. The benefit of this is when you want to change your décor, you can also change your plants.
3. Check that you have ambient temperature. If it’s too hot or too cold in a space you may lose a customer. This can be a tricky task, as temperature tolerance can vary for people due to age, time of year and health conditions. Research shows, however, that a good ambient temperature is around 22 – 24 degrees Celsius.  

 
Creating a rich customer experience is essential to drawing customers into your shop, and keeping them there.

To learn more, join us at our next workshop where Business Advisor Sana Turnock delves deep into how to create an experience your customers will remember. More details can be found here.

Book a consultation with sana