I happened to be reading a NY Times article about another Wal-Mart marketing gaffe, "Customer Contact Reduction," and found a link to what I believe to be absolutely true about merchandising;
All of us have those times when we know we carry an item but we just don't have it in stock right now. "I can get it for you!"
As long as I know the person has the time and patience to wait for something to come in or be delivered to them, I'm going to avoid losing a sale!
I'm going to give them "The Ultimate Customer Experience!"
The most important thing I'm going to remember is: my customer is not an idiot! They're savvy, intelligent and worth all the effort I can offer them. I'm going to do whatever it takes to keep my promise!
Once I've done this, guess what will have happened. Loyalty!
That customer will keep coming back again and again. I can begin to create a base that I will work off of in the months and years to come. I'll develop an idea what level of business I can expect from month to month and year to year.
When my boss asks "What is driving our business today?" or "What is slowing our business down?" I'll know. Will you?
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