What do your customers think of your store?

I recently went shopping for pots for my garden at some local nurseries. What struck me was some of the major differences between three nurseries all within a short driving distance of each other.

All three were quite large, established for many years, widely known and advertise regularly on radio and in local newspapers.

In terms of price all three were fairly similar.  The difference for me was the way the products were presented.

At one, the large range of pots had moss growing on them, were dirty and many were chipped.  It was not hard to see why the price had been reduced. Sure the price was low but I would need to spend a lot of time cleaning them up before I could use them.

Another had such a small range that I could not find what I wanted.

The final nursery had a large range, was well laid out and all of the stock and display furniture was clean and well looked after.

It wasn’t a hard decision to make.  I chose to buy from the nursery that:

• Had a good range
• Was well laid out
• Product was clean and well maintained
• Product was not damaged.

Businesses spend a lot of time and money on advertising and marketing.  It takes a lot of work to establish a brand image and reputation.

All of that time and money will be wasted if what you deliver is not consistent with the image you are trying to establish through your marketing activities.

If the product or service you deliver does not meet your customer’s expectations, you have reduced the chances of making future sales to that customer.

Action point:

Take a quick walk around your shop, office or workplace and try to view it as if you were one of your customers. Ask yourself these questions:

1. If this was someone else’s store would the presentation and cleanliness assist or prevent me from making a purchase?
2. Does it look like I take pride in my business and look after my customers?
3. What are 3 small things I could do to present better to my customers (e.g. dust and remove cobwebs; remove damaged stock from display; clean up and organize my office etc.)

Paul Sweeney is a Chartered Accountant who specialises in providing business development and consulting advice to small and medium enterprises focusing on creating business value and unlocking a business profit improvement potential.