Is it just me, or does it drive you crazy too, when you visit a restaurant, hairdresser, clothes shop, etc. as a customer, and you’re in conversation with them about this or that. Then at the end of the ‘transaction’, they give you a promotional piece, something that will entice you to return next time, a call to action and it has NOTHING at all to do with your interests, that you’ve just been talking about?

Warning: Crazy Rant about not knowing your customer is about to follow. Yesterday evening, my partner and I went to our local favourite dining venue for a quick and easy dinner. We wanted to be out within 30 minutes so that we could get home for an appointment we had pre-arranged. We ordered off a ‘Special Dietary Requirement’ menu, which we’ve had a number of times previously, at the same store, and we quite enjoy it. Anyway, I digress, when it came time to pay, the cashier asked if we enjoyed our meals, we gave favourable responses while she repeated what we ordered and enquired about the choices specifically. When she gave us the receipt, she gave us a flyer for a promotion that is happening for the rest of the month, which morally, goes against all that we stand for – and what we’d just ordered (and talked about).

All that ‘love and care’ for the customer she just showed us completely went out the window. On our way home we discussed that ‘technically’ she had done everything right, but in practicality, she failed on a grand scale.

Will we go back? Yes, but I may go back begrudgingly because we like what they offer us. Will we tell people about her ‘fail’? Yes, I’ll even blog about it. Will we tell people to go and try the new menu? No, probably not. Will I go back and tell her where she failed? Of course, I’m a trainer, and it’s in my blood, but remember, technically, she did nothing wrong.

Sometimes, we need some intuition when dealing with our customers, and understanding them is 9/10’s of the way there. Knowing what your customers need and want, will put you ahead of your competition every time. Understanding that sometimes less is, in fact, more.

When was the last time you felt like the salesperson didn’t know you? How did it make you feel?

Is there a time that you may have made the same ‘mistake’ in thinking you knew your customer, and if so, what would you have done to change it?

What is your customer retention plan?

Knowing your customers is key to gaining their loyalty! You’ve been in the business for a long time, but you’ve never taken enough time to know and understand your customers’ interests. If this is what’s happening then it’s no wonder why your promotional efforts are not working and you spend so much money on producing beautiful flyers or brochures, but they go to waste. It’s time to seek someone’s advice to pinpoint why this is happening, and that’s where we come into the picture.

We’re open to hearing your experiences, and we’ll be happy to let you know how you can overcome these challenges through our personalised training sessions. Talk to us here.