About a year ago, I wrote a post about how I had experienced excellent customer service, only to feel that the shop owner had missed an ideal marketing opportunity. It only seems fitting then that I should write something similar about an almost identical situation that happened a couple of weeks ago.
Retail Therapy in Harrogate
It was a cold, windy Sunday morning in Harrogate (we’d decided to go somewhere “different” and since I was driving, this was the destination I chose (she says, fluttering eyelids in comtemplation of the retail opportunities that beckoned!)) and as per usual, we took the dogs with us. We parked in our usual place, on the outskirts where the parking’s free, then walked across the fields with the three dogs to give them a run before hitting the shops.
We managed to make it past Betty’s Tea Rooms without succumbing to their delightful treats (I’d like to say we survived all day, however we had to go past it again to return to the car!! D’oh!!) and as we descended the hill towards the Turkish Baths, I clocked an interesting looking little shop. I did no more than pass Cuba’s lead to Steve and left him hanging onto the three dogs whilst I meandered on in.
The Lady’s Smile Lifted My Mood
Having entered said establishment, I immediately began to ponder various rather luscious looking handbags and was met with a huge smile from a beautifully dressed lady who said nothing at first, instead allowing me to browse at will. The smile was welcoming and I immediately felt at ease to browse without being “sold to”. Having then found a rack with 4 or 5 bags to select from, the lady offered some further information about the bags, again in a very non-pushy kind of way.
To cut a long story short, having been unable to decide between two eventually shortlisted bags, I decided to buy both. The lady at the till, whilst obviously pleased about my decision (nailed on after negotiating a good price for both), didn’t try to over-sell at all. She remained very professional and pleasant throughout and did no more than invite me to visit her website – it truly was a thoroughly enjoyable experience from start to finish.
Know, Like & Trust
Now, from a business perspective (given that the lady had secured the sale of two bags and could thus deduce that I liked what she was selling), she would have done well to ask me for my contact details. In doing so, she could have added me to her customer database / mailing list and emailed me when new collections / ranges came out or made me aware of promo offers / discounted stock etc. If she had, I would have given my details freely and she would have had another means of displaying her wares to someone who already “Knows, likes and trusts”, as they say in networking circles. After a sale has been made, the need to “cold sell” has gone and repeat business is not to be sniffed at!
I would add that knowing when you can be so brave as to ask for someone’s contact details may be a fine art, particularly if no sale is made. Having said that though, in this instance, with two items sold, I think it would have been acceptable to most if not all to be asked for their email address. Taking a look at their website, there is the option to be added to a mailing list (which I have now done), so the option is there. So, if the option is there online, why not extend the same opportunity face to face?
Notwithstanding this, I would thoroughly recommend this shop to anyone visiting Harrogate – it’s called Bijouled on Parliament Street, www.bijouled.co.uk I will end by saying thank you for your customer experience and I look forward to visiting your shop again soon (though I bet Steve doesn’t!)
DATA BUBBLE UPCOMING SEMINARS
Data Bubble will be holding some free seminars at a few upcoming events – the idea is to impart some advice on ways to get more new customers. We’d love you to come along, although numbers are limited, so please book your seat in advance.
Tuesday 8 October & Friday 11 October – “How to Conduct a Direct Marketing Campaign” – Everything from profiling your ideal customers, through using the information you already have, choosing a data list and implementing the campaign. This will be run in conjunction with Rachel Gough of Inspired Marketing, who has years of experience in running direct marketing campaigns. The events will be held at The Watermill, Halifax (Tuesday 8th October) and Brewers Fayre, Wakefield (Friday 11 October), with both events running from 10.15am – 12pm. Please contact Steve directly on 01274 542379 / steve@databubble.info if you wish to book onto one of these events.
Tuesday 15 October – “So You Want More New Customers” – As part of Kirklees Business Week, there will be a series of Marketing related seminars from 9.30am – 1pm at The Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce in Huddersfield. Each seminar runs for no more than 30 minutes, with 15 minute intervals in between. You are free to enrol on as many or as few as you wish, though you must register on the events individually. Steve will be presenting a seminar on how to gain more new customers, starting at 11.45am. The seminar will advise on how to utilise the information you already have in your midst, as well as imparting some tips on how to use information in the piblic domain to your advantage.
