THE COVER STORY
The close is just the beginning pay to have a piece re-delivered, but delivery personnel have to be paid. It all adds up. It may not always be easy or cheap to fix your customersâ problems. Sometimes doing the right thing costs money, and thatâs just the way it is. But, in most cases, you will be paid back many times over. A smart businessperson has to weigh the positives of doing the right thingâand becoming the
go-to store in your areaâagainst doing the wrong thingâand becoming the store that people seem to avoid. Have a conversation One company that has built a reputation on customer service is Rooms To Go, the nationâs third largest furniture retailer, with over 115 showrooms. Founded in 1992 and still family-owned, the com-
pany is quite a success story. RTG has several policies in place to ensure that their customers do not become vitriolic bloggers filling the Internet with their bad experiences. One is that every customer gets a phone call from someone at the company on the day of delivery. Itâs a courtesy call to make sure everything arrived OK and the customer is satisfied with their purchase.
After âIâll take itâ
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etail superstars know that closing the mattress sale is just the first step in a series of selling opportunities. Here are some of the proactive steps you should be taking after âIâll take itâ to maximize the sale and to make sure that customerâand her family and friendsâcomes back to you for her next purchase.
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Enhance the sale. If enhancements or add-on options havenât been incorporated into the mattress presentation, donât forget to suggest the accessory itemsâframe, pillows, protective pad, sheet setsâthat may meet their needs and save them the inconvenience of shopping elsewhere.
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Reinforce the decision. A decision to buy a bigticket item is often followed by doubt, especially these days. Your customer may begin to tell herself that she shouldnât be buying it now or should shop around a little more. Itâs up to you to put her at ease. Compliment her decisionâcongratulate her on making the right choice for her sleeping comfort, health and well-being. This is easy to do if youâve done your best to identify and meet your customerâs needs. Smile and stay focused. Your job doesnât end with a smile and a thank-you. Stay focused on the customer throughout her visit until she has left the store. If youâre writing up the order, donât let other employees and customers distract you. Walk her to the door, wish her a great day and invite her back. Keep her information. Is your store collecting all of the information youâll need to follow up with each customer? Be sure to add email address to the list of basics. Then establish a way to keep a personal file of your customersâ informationâit can be anything from an index card system to a simple database fileâso you can keep them as your customers.
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Call after the delivery. Post-delivery follow-up is a must if you want happy customers. A quick personal courtesy call to check their satisfaction: âWas everything as you had expected?â A chance for the customer to make suggestions: âIs there anything we could do better?â This manages customer expectations so they feel they are genuinely being looked after and flushes out problems so you can take care of them early. Send a personal note. A few weeks after delivery (once theyâve adjusted to that new sleep surface), send the customer a personal note of thanks and a wish for many nights of blissful, healthful sleep on their new bed. Be sure to invite them to recommend you to family and friends. A handwritten note is a nice touch that leaves the customer feeling valued and special. Stay in touch. It may be years before that customer is ready for a new mattress, but when she is, you want to be the name that comes to mind. And you want to be the one on the tip of her tongue when others ask for her advice on where to shopâwhich could happen anytime. So make sure she hears from you at least once a year. A preferred customer discount could be your ticket to a new sale.
SleepSavvy ⢠November/December 2009
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