One of our readers was shopping in what she describes as a nice clothing/gift store in Texas when she noticed an employee wearing a rather unique necklace. She even got the employee to pose for a picture. (I’ve blurred out the young woman’s face for privacy reasons.)
That’s right, this retail salesperson is wearing a necklace that says “You Suck.” Is that unbelievable or what? But wait, there’s more. When Diana told the woman she found the necklace offensive the employee said she could have worn another one that includes the F word. Alrighty!
If anything it makes you appreciate your staff even more! Unbelievable.
In last week’s Time magazine, novelist James Patterson is asked what he would say to critics like author Stephen King who say that Patterson is not a great prose stylist. Patterson replies, “I am not a great prose stylist. I’m a storyteller. There are thousands of people who don’t like what I do. Fortunately, there are millions who do.”
I love it. A lot of retailers want everyone to love their store. They want every customer to think their products are fabulous and their staff is incredible, and they’re practically offended when someone doesn’t absolutely love the store.
Trying to be all things to all people is a path to mediocrity. We’ll always find more success in being an extraordinary retailer to a targeted group of customers than being an average retailer to everyone.
I know it’s hard to miss sales and see customers walk out empty-handed, but you have to remind yourself they’re not your customers.
Shooting video for your Facebook page is easier than you think. Watch this two-minute video to learn how.
The total time to produce this video was less than 15 minutes. It only took a few minutes to shoot and about ten minutes to load on to the computer and upload to YouTube. After that, it’s a simple link on your Facebook page.
Is the video perfect? Of course not. There’s a lot I would change including the road noise. But you don’t need a perfect video. When you shoot video in the store it’s okay that you can hear customers and employees. While I wouldn’t put something I shot in one take with no editing on my homepage, but for the purpose of engaging your Facebook fans, it’s fine.
You can learn about the Kodak Zi8 Pocket Video Camera I used to shoot the video here.
Apropos of nothing:
1) Unless you’re a mind reader, you need to ask your customer or employee what they’re thinking or if they like something. Anything else is an assumption that may or may not be correct.
2) I still don’t get why more companies aren’t green, or don’t display their green initiatives. I bet fewer than 10% of the hotels I stay in have recycle bins in rooms. Show your green!
3) Trying to complete a sale by lying to the customer about how many of a particular item is in stock is just wrong.
4) When’s the last time you watched – really watched – your customer traffic patterns in the store? Sometimes our primary displays aren’t in the primary position.
5) Will free Wi-Fi at Starbucks be a good thing or a bad thing? I guess it will depend on whether or not you have a table or not.
6) I just spent a few days in Times Square. Anyone who can run one of those stores is a retail hero in my book.
7) I wonder where one buys a necklace like that?
Have a great week!
– Doug Fleener
