If we had to name the most important component to succeeding in modern retail, it would not be great wholesale pricing or aggressive marketing. It would be something a lot more fundamental: customer service. Yes, customer service is just as important to the eyewear dealer as inexpensive sunglasses in bulk.
Inventory Just the Start
Let us say you are just getting started in the retail eyewear business. Of course you are going to shop around for the best products at the best prices. That is what business owners do. That's why customers come to Olympic Eyewear for fashion sunglasses at great wholesale prices. But the inventory you purchase is just the start of building a successful business.
You will have to engage in some form of marketing to get people into your retail location. You might put up signs, pass out leaflets, and post a handful of social media announcements. All of that is great because it brings people in the door. Still, you have just begun the process of building a successful business. What you do when customers actually walk through your door the first time is what will truly determine your success as a business owner.
Consumers have very definite expectations of what constitutes good customer service. Furthermore, they will not tolerate bad customer service. If the experience you provide in your retail shop is not what your customers expect, they will walk out and never come back. It won't matter what your inventory of fashion sunglasses looks like. It will not matter how cheaply you sell your products, either.
What Good Customer Service Looks Like
Now that you know how important customer service is, do you really know what it looks like? A lot of new business owners do not. We don't say this to speak negatively of anyone, but simply to point out that it takes time to fully grasp what customers are looking for in terms of service.
To get you started, here are a couple of tips:
- Pricing – While pricing isn't everything, it is part of good customer service. People don't want to feel like they are getting ripped off.
- Appearance – Believe it or not, the appearance of your retail shop is part of customer service. It should be clean, attractive, and well organized.
- Staff – Your staff is the single biggest factor in customer service. They should be polite, respectful, helpful, and knowledgeable.
- Inventory – Inventory is part of customer service inasmuch as your customers expect to find the kinds of products they are interested in. You will have to get to know them to keep them happy.
- Engagement – Good customer service means engaging with your customers whenever you interact with them. Talk with them; get to know them; show an interest in them.
- Problem Solving – When problems arise, and they always do, good customer service is attuned to fixing those problems as quickly and effectively as possible.
