
On behalf of the entire Canadian POS team, we hope that if you celebrated Family Day yesterday, you were able to enjoy some time with your family. Now that the long weekend is over, we hope you’re back to doing what you do best as a small business owner. And that’s treating your customers like family!
In today’s world, consumers want more than products and services. They want relationships with the businesses they support. That way, they can rest assure they’ve found the places they need to go whenever a requirement for your products and services is had. Are you going the extra mile to secure repeat business from your customers? What are you doing to ensure they choose your store over its competitors?
Here are three ways to show your store is a cut above the rest:
1. Remember your customers by name.
What’s a relationship if you don’t even know the name of the person you’re in it with? Put forth the effort to get the names of the people who visit your store. Do your best to keep them in mind so that you can address these shoppers by name when they come back. The familiarity you develop will work wonders in securing repeat business.
“Make surprise and delight key components of your customer service and retention strategies,” writes Francesca Nicasio on VendHQ.com, “Repeat customers are the best types of shoppers to have and they’re very appreciative of retailers who remember them. So, make it a point to let your frequent customers know that you’re grateful for their purchases.”
2. Work to solve problems.
To reiterate, your job entails a lot more than simply selling products and services. It’s your responsibility to solve the problems had by the members of your target audience. Listen to the specific concerns of the people who visit your store. Offer more than what you have to sell. Provide advice, tips and solutions while demonstrating how your products and services can resolve such problems well into the future.
“Take a survey and list all the pain points of your customers,” suggests Guy Sheetrit on Business.com, “It is essential to ask open-ended questions to find exactly what your customers want while using your products or services. The key here is to provide solutions to the prospects and supply them what they need as opposed to selling them what you want to sell.”
3. Offer sincere apologies when necessary.
Nobody’s perfect. And your customers know that. However, if a mistake is made or an inconvenience is experienced, the way in which you handle the situation can either strengthen or destroy your customer relationship. Did you deliver the wrong item? Did you sell a defective product? No matter the case, be sure to offer a sincere apology and take immediate measures to remedy the situation. Being able to own up to a mistake is a hugely revered character trait.
“Things don’t always go your or your customer’s way, and it’s during times like these that your customer service is really put to test,” says Nicasio, “While the ‘right’ way to deal with unpleasant situations will depend on your circumstances, often you’ll fare a lot better if you apologize and try to compensate for what happened.”
At Canadian POS, we proudly offer Canadian business owners the opportunity to accept credit and debit with the Poynt Smart Terminal. It is truly a cut above the rest in the world of payment processing. For more information, call us at 1-877-748-2884 or email us at info@localhost.