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Not Lip Service Why fair prices and top-notch service are still the way to grow and
thrive, even in the digital age. by David LewisThese days doing business is getting more
complicated. You can be on-line, brick and mortar (meaning if you have a physical space), or click and mortar (meaning you are both on-line and have a physical space). This means you have more competitors
than ever. Once you just competed within a few block radius. Then the car came along ... and you started competing with someone across town. And, as technology grew, so did the competition. With the growth of the
Internet, your competition isn't just around the block, but around the globe. Whew. It's tough being in business. How Do You Compete Today? Believe it or not, I am still a firm believer that a fair price and top-notch service is the way to grow and thrive.
In the current market, you may not think you can compete with the big guys. But you have one advantage they don't—personal
service. Many of the on-line only businesses, especially the big ones, sell products at or below cost, they don't charge shipping, they do whatever it takes to get the customer ... but they don't necessarily support
customers very well. In few years (or perhaps even months) when the company has lost money to the point where they can't operate? Poof, they disappear.
Your Advantage One big advantage a small retail business has over a huge one—speed and flexibility. See a need. Fill
the void.
- You are small.
- You are quick.
- You can adapt.
- Best of all, you can "hold a customer's hand."
- You can be the things a large business can't.
There certainly are customers who go after something purely for the lowest cost. Hey, I do it too. But there are also several places where I shop without
comparison shopping because I value the service and know I won't find better anyplace else. There are lots of customers that need and want help. They want a human to interact with. They want a
reply to an email within the day, not a canned response and then silence. They want a phone number to call and ask questions, not to be put on hold for an hour. They want guidance. Throughout my retail career, and
now with my own business, I have stressed the value of "above and beyond" service and a fair price. Here are my rules that I try to adhere to:
1) Treat your customers as you would want to be treated.
So simple, yet I can count on one hand the businesses in my area that I would return to. There is a contractor who I could trust with
just a handshake. I don't even call others, even though I know he charges a bit more, but I get excellent service, good work, and above all, trust. There is the audio/video store that I can go into, tell them what I
am looking for and know that they will find what's best for me. And they don't ask me how much I want to spend first. Many of the others just seem to look at me and my money as an inconvenience.
2) Don't BS your customers.
Doing that will bite you in the backside. Maybe not this time, but down the line. Take the high road. For example, if there is a problem with a customer's order, like being late,
let the customer know as soon as you know. By doing that, you show respect for your customer. That's a much better route than letting it slide and having an irate customer to deal with. And if you don't know the
answer to a question asked by a customer, don't fake it. Say you will find out and get back to them. You are only human. 3) Offer a fair price for your product.
Face it, you need to make a
profit. I know many businesses that crank up their profit margin for the quick "kill" only to find that customers never come back. 4) Back the price up with value-added features.
For
instance, add a 1-800 number or an email address with quick turnaround, or a Web site that offers lots of info to help your customers. The more your customers can do on their own, the better their experience. You
can also do things like create a mailing list to let customers know of upcoming sales, or maybe build a personal database of customer purchases so you know if you get a new product, that Joe B, who just bought a new
Widget would love. And do it without high pressure. 5) Make it personal.
The most important thing you can do is to answer your email and phone. Don't overlook the potential of
follow-up. Calling or emailing a customer a few days or weeks after a purchase, just to see if they are having any problems, or to see how they are enjoying their new Widget can make a world of difference. 6) Know what your competition is up to.
Yep, it's always good to see what your competition is doing either globally or locally. This never ceases to amaze me. If you can't help your customer,
or don't have a product that suits their needs, recommend that they see Company X. Yes, your competition. But you'd be surprised how many customers will return to you just because you made the effort to help them
out, even if the first purchase wasn't yours.
 David Lewis
owns and operates an eight-year-old, one-man, electronic publishing company,
taybridge.communications that provides a broad range of online services.
Prior to starting his own business, David did several tours in the retail sales sector in areas ranging from food services to sporting goods.
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