October 23, 2024
Focus on service for retail success
BY ART VANDEN ENDEN
In this issue, I would like to focus on how the quality of service your customers receive can affect your retail business.
Retail is a tough business to be in. It can be an even tougher business to thrive in. To thrive, it is important to know what your most valuable customers like about your business. It is equally important to know the type of customers that are attracted to your business. I am referring to their preferences and expectations. Does your business attract experienced gardeners? Are many of your customers looking for new and unique plants and products? Are your customers price sensitive? Or are they new to gardening and relying on your support and guidance to help them navigate purchases?
A shift in service strategy
A large portion of independent garden centres (IGCs) in Canada have long promoted their businesses as offering “high service” and their staff as experts with deep knowledge and experience. Then suddenly, that strategy had to change.
The pandemic and few years since have been tough on many IGCs, as we are still thinking about the heavy demand for garden products brought on by lockdowns and a rekindled interest in plant parenthood. This truly unique time was perhaps the only time in recent memory where a sustained demand outweighed supply. Business strategy was turned upside down. Social distancing became the requirement to keep staff and customers safe, and retail businesses adapted to a self-serve environment. Close face-to-face interactions were not permitted for all of the important reasons. Garden centres that relied on and promoted service as a business strength were required to shift away from the high service business model that had been a core part of their strategy.
These were truly scary and unique times; however, all sectors of horticulture experienced a boom in business like nothing that had ever been seen before. With COVID-19 now a distant memory, many of the traditional challenges have returned to operators of IGCs. Managing the complexities of purchasing, marketing, staffing and operations now all require close pragmatic attention.
The first (simple) step in service
I have observed that retailers in general are struggling with the practice of service. I wonder how many businesses realize their service levels have changed. I cannot count how many times I have walked into a garden centre and not been greeted upon entering. I could spend several minutes shopping, walking, looking at products and while I can see staff around, there seems to be no effort to engage with customers. I suggest all business owners and managers look at their own businesses and reevaluate the level of service their customers are experiencing.
It is a well-known fact that welcoming customers and making them feel appreciated has a positive impact on how much money they spend. Better service leads to higher sales, and I’m not talking about the process of selling products and solutions. Simply making customers feel welcome by proactively offering assistance is an easy action that many floor staff members struggle with these days. This change is affecting all retail business sectors.
If you are one of the few who are doing a good job on servicing your customers, then congratulations! Great service seems to be rare these days. Great service means caring about and appreciating your customers who visit you in person, over the phone and even online. But how can you tell if you’re giving great service?
Hire a friend or a professional company to evaluate the level of service your customers are receiving. Mystery shoppers provide invaluable insight into the in-store experience. Ask the mystery shoppers to record a few simple statistics: How long does it take for an employee to greet them or other customers? Do employees acknowledge their presence as they walk through the store? Do they respond to questions in a friendly tone? If the level of service is not being met, you now know what areas need to be addressed. This becomes an opportunity to gather your team and share results without shaming individuals. If you receive positive feedback from the mystery shoppers, please share it with your team. Celebrate the behaviours you are wanting, but privately coach the areas that need improvement.
First service, then sales
When you have fostered a great service environment, it becomes easier to maintain. Once you have achieved a solid base, you will be ready to take it to the next level and provide the right type of training to help staff sell the best complete products, solutions and services. The challenges of retail will always be there; however, constantly evaluating, measuring and planning for improvement, along with implementing the plans, will lead to much better overall results.
I would love to see your business challenge itself to provide the best service possible. This is one of the best reasons why customers are attracted to independent garden centres. If you’d like to take a self-assessment survey to evaluate your business, please send me an email at artvangarden@gmail.com. I have a short, simple but concise survey I would be happy to share.
Art loved every minute of his 44-year garden centre career with Weall and Cullen and Sheridan Nurseries. In retirement, Art enjoys giving back to the profession with Landscape Ontario’s Garden Centre Sector Group and sharing his experience with Landscape Trades readers in the Art of Gardening column.