The book follows the story of Mary Jane. Recently widowed, she works out of necessity. She is promoted to sort out a department with a terrible reputation within a large organisation. The department, otherwise known as the ‘Third Floor’ has been nick named the ‘toxic energy dump.’ Her boss believes the Third Floor needs more ‘energy, passion and spirit on the job.’

Needing to get out of the environment, Mary Jane goes out for lunch and finds herself at ‘The world famous Pike Place Fish market.’ Experiencing this positive, energetic, passionate, fun filled environment she is guided through its principles by one of the employees, Lonnie. These are:

1. Choose your attitude – there is always a choice about the way you do your work, even if there is not a choice about the work itself.
2. Play – be serious about your business, but have fun with the way you conduct business.
3. Make their day – engage with your customer, create great memories and make someone’s day
4. Be present – engage in the moment, in your work and with the customer.

I particularly like principles 1, 3 and 4. When you truly live these at work and at home, the impact is tremendous. I have to work hard at principle 2, to find ways to play and have fun in the work place. It is however a principle worth working at.

One company I work with have long 4 to 5 hour meetings on a fortnightly basis. They are important meetings but everyone struggles to stay focused. They introduced ‘play’ into these meetings. Different people take on the task of designing the play element each meeting. After a couple of hours they complete a fun activity, to break the meeting up, to encourage some activity and energy. It has worked a treat and it is no longer a meeting to bemoan.

I work with organisations today that like the principles of FiSH but fail to follow through consistently. Those who stick at it really reap the rewards.

I have only mentioned the headlines, to give you a flavour. However there is much, much more in the book. I would encourage you to get hold of a copy and give it a read. If you love it, like I do, think about how you can share the message with your team.

If you would like some help on doing this please do get in touch, I would be happy to share some of the work I have done.

I am a fan of books such as ‘Raving Fans’, by Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles and ‘FiSH!’ by Stephen C. Lundin et al. I personally love them. They are a positive reminder of what can be achieved with a change of attitude.

The teams, although sceptical at first, are now enjoying working with these principles in mind and challenging each other to move forward in positive, constructive ways. This is good for the customer and good for business.

I thought I would provide you with a summary of the books to whet your appetite.

So let’s start with ‘Raving Fans’, by Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles.

Harvey Mackay, founder of Mackay Envelope Corporation, kicks off with the forward “Successful organizations have one common central focus: customers” “….success comes to those, and only those, who are obsessed with looking after customers.”

Raving Fans! follows the story of a newly appointed area manager, appointed to drive for quality within his department. He is in a panic. Help arrives and he is taken on a journey to experience different customer orientated retailers and businesses. On this journey he picks up the top tips required to deliver raving fans.

The first, the source secret, is “Decide what you want” and then “create a vision of perfection centred on the customer”. Once you know what your vision of perfection looks like then you know what your goal is. Compare your vision with the reality of your business today. This will show you what you need to work on to move closer to the vision.

Next, the market secret, “Discover what the Customer wants”. This section includes determining the real customer of your business, asking the customer what they want and listening to the answer. Find out what customers really think of your service and continue to measure the service you provide.

Once you have discovered what the customer wants, “Deliver Plus One”, the experience secret. I.e. deliver plus one percent consistently. Meet customer’s expectations every time. When you are sure you can do this, raise the bar to exceed the customer’s expectation consistently.

Finally be flexible and alter direction when your customer alters theirs. “Listening to customers is powerful. … Responding to what customers say is dynamite.”

The book is filled with examples of both good and bad service that everyone will relate to. It is a great tool to get you thinking about your own offer, customer and service. I have only mentioned the headlines, to give you a flavour. However there is much, much more to the book. I would encourage you to get hold of a copy and give it a read. If you love it, think about how you can share the message with your team.

If you would like some help on doing this please do get in touch, I would be happy to share some of the work I have done.

Sadly the customer service I received was not even lukewarm. I would go so far as to say I even got a sneer. I know it is disappointing for stores when merchandise returns, having to give back those pennies but seriously guys, learn to hide that disappointment! But don’t, as in the case of these 2 local retailers, hide it behind a thin veil of loathing.

If retailers and their staff change their mindset returns can be seen as a great big opportunity. If you want to succeed in winning the hearts and mind of your customers, greet a return with the same delight as you would a sale.

The customer is back in the shop; show them that you are not fickle with your service. When you ask the customer the reason for return, do so with genuine interest. This will help you serve them better. Put yourself in their shoes.

The fact they returning the item will probably have been a disappointment for them. Think about times when you have had to return products. Perhaps they loved a piece of clothing but it didn’t fit them, suit them or match another item. The picture for the wall didn’t suit the room or over-powered it. The present they chose thinking the recipient would love it, was greeted with ‘oh I already have one’. In each case they will be disappointed.

Of course a customer may not share all this with you but believe that somewhere within this return there is an air of disappointment on the customer’s behalf. Empathise with that customer and try, as a friend might, to soothe the disappointment. Perhaps there are other products, styles, sizes that would better meet their needs? If not, do you have another suggestion, perhaps you have seen something suitable elsewhere. Remember to make this interaction about them not about the chance for quick sale. Done well it will lead to more sales, if not today at some point in the future.

Do not forget if returning items to you is easy and comfortable, people will buy more from you. They buy more because they feel safe in the knowledge it can be returned with ease. The net result is almost always a gain.

What we should always try to do as retailers is put the customer first. This ensures they return. When they return to ask for a refund it is another opportunity to serve them, to ensure they keep returning time and time again. Don’t sneer; seize the chance the delight the customer once more.

Halfords – shame on you.

I visited my local Halfords recently and witnessed the most appalling example of customer service I have ever seen. The incident upset me so much I wrote to Halfords on the customer’s behalf. I don’t know the man concerned but I do wish I had taken the opportunity to let him know I for 1 agreed with him.

The service in question was tantamount to bullying. One older gentleman returning to the store because he did not receive a free tool kit with a battery he had purchased the day before. I don’t know if he had this right, I only know that the behaviour of the 2 assistants involved was utterly reprehensible. Talking with their backs to him while they signed on tills and served others they told him if he continued to talk to them ‘in this manner’ they wouldn’t serve him at all. This man was calm; he spoke in a soft voice with the air of a retired professional. The female middle aged assistants were disrespectful, loud and rude. At one point the gentleman calmly stated that he ‘would not be treated like this’ as a queue of customers looked on. It was uncomfortable for everyone. It still makes me angry and sad when I think about it. When the sales assistant said loudly he ‘would give himself a heart attack’ looking to the queue for support I can at least say report that no-one agreed.

The response I received from Halfords was a standard customer service letter. I was told how important customer service is to the company, that the manager is responsible for the service and that area managers also get to see the complaints. I was disappointed my complaint had not been read properly, the reply assumed I was the customer who had received the service. I am further disappointed that 1 week on there has been no further follow up from the manager.

Why am I sharing this with you? Firstly for the same reason I have told all my friends and family about it – it was absolutely shocking and Halfords need to do better. Halfords need to speak to their staff and make sure a customer is never treated in this way again. I can only make my point with my feet and I for 1 will not be shopping there again. I have said it before and I will say it again ‘Treat me poorly once, shame on you. Treat me poorly twice shame on me.’ I am sure Halfords have lost the gentleman’s custom and they have certainly lost mine; how many others in the queue feel the same?

Secondly, all this could easily have been averted. I don’t know how much the toolkit was worth but it certainly wasn’t worth all this bad feeling.  Even if this gentleman did misunderstand the offer, give him the very best service, make this man’s day and give him the toolkit anyway. What a customer service coup that would have been.

Thirdly, there is a lesson in here for all of us. We should treat people how we would want to be treated. This drama reminded me starkly of that. We must also never forget that customers gift us with their custom. It is our job to serve them and to serve them well if we want them to return.

And finally I learnt over 20 years ago that however good a retailer is, sometimes things go wrong. That’s life. What is important is how you deal with each situation, how you put it right. This is where customer service reputations can be won and lost. Halfords squandered this opportunity and lost, make sure you, your team and your customer come out winning.

In fact when I shop at Waitrose it is not a ‘big shop’ it generally turns into a huge one. For this reason I could not possibly visit Waitrose weekly. When I do however, it is an absolute pleasure to spend time there. The environment, the product, the people, the customer service is right up my street – and the street of all those who regularly vote it as their favourite supermarket or the best for service.

Everything about the store now, from its windows, the aisles, the staff is crisp, clean and fresh. The team takes our expectations and 99.9% of the time exceeds it.

My 3 year old loves it too. The staff are attentive generally but come into their own at the fish counter. My daughter loves to look at fish in every supermarket or market we go to; but only in Waitrose do staff enter into her world and entertain her. (The team behind ‘FiSH!’ would be delighted!) It is quite remarkable the difference in both her experience and her resulting behaviour whilst we spend up to 2 hours (seriously!) walking the aisles. Of course as all good retailers know, if the baby is happy, mummy is happy and more time and money is spent in the shop.

There is another bonus to shopping at Waitrose. The pleasure the customers experience is borne out in their temperament. People are generally in a pleasant mood, smile at each other, help each other find that elusive product and will even stop on occasion for a quick chat with complete strangers. Shop elsewhere and the experience has more in common with the London tube.

I was therefore delighted to see that Mary Portas covered it in her regular Telegraph column, voting it a well deserved 9 out 10 and that she too is a raving fan.

Waitrose knows its customer and works hard to exceed their expectations in all that they do. It really feels like the customer is at the centre of every part of the retail operation and at the heart of every Waitrose Partner.

As a nation we have come to expect poor service. But Waitrose proves when we get exceptional service in every sense, we are delighted, hooked and tell the world.

Customer Service

Customers turning to discounters – but what of their service?

The rising costs of petrol and food have led many of us to reassess our spending habits. Many now split their shopping between retailers to ensure they get the best possible value.

I spoke to a group who have changed their shopping habits over the last 3 years. These couples and families are now heading to discount food retailers to purchase basic product in bulk, such as tinned food, bottled water, drinks and household products. Whilst shopping they are often enticed by other products like large slabs of pizza “perfect for parties!”

So I went to check out a local discounter for myself.

The main reason for the switch to discounters is price. I found there are certainly some great prices to be had on basic product at discount stores. The best prices were those on promotional offer. Those at their usual price however are often in line with the big 4 and some items can be considerably more expensive. To get the best deals consumers need to know their prices and price per weight as packaging does vary. A single pack of Lurpak spread was the same price as Sainsbury’s; however Sainsbury’s had a BOGOF offer running on the same product. Bleach at this discounter was at 80 pence; however a branded promotion at Sainsbury’s offered 2 bottles for £1.20. Sainsbury’s basic range of bottled water also beat the discounter on price per bottle without having to buy a bulk of 6.

The discount environment is generally in keeping with the ethos and promotional product was stacked high. Some outlets have better standards than others, but most of the people I spoke to just don’t mind. “When I am buying tins and bottles I don’t require the same standards as I do when buying fresh meat” said one male shopper. It can also be difficult to navigate the store. I had to do several laps of my local outlet before I had located each product category. However the converts really don’t mind this, especially those just popping in for bottled water.

Sales floor staff are few and far between and few customers shopping here expected to see any. Price tickets and signage were a little confusing and certainly took some deciphering. I noticed that people shopped much more slowly than at a comparable Sainsbury’s or Tesco. They spent much longer looking at each product and its price.

The set up at the tills does disappoint those I spoke to. Some retailers have little space at the till to pack which can make the experience a little pressured and not accepting credit cards is inconvenient.

Having visited the discounter I went on to Sainsbury to compare prices. I spotted 4 different customers who had done the same. Talking to them they all had the same story. They buy their basic cupboard items at the discounter, fresh meat and produce from Sainsbury’s.

Personally, they are not for me. Having compared prices they can be matched or beaten by the larger supermarkets if you opt for basic ranges or make the most of the price promotions. In addition, the little things add up – the environment, the ease of paying and packing for example, not to mention the time and money saved by visiting just one retailer.

Those I spoke to, have converted to a new shopping style. These discounters have the opportunity to further maximise their business. Customers accept and acknowledge that service in these outlets will be basic. However by focusing on service in the wider sense, in terms of ticketing and the till point operation they may well find that they can increase their popularity further.

You do not need to work in retail to understand the components of good service. Ask anyone about their vision for the very best service in any environment and they will tell you vividly what service means to them.

I recently watched the new Mary Portas show, Channel 4, with interest. She produced some great results with the businesses she has worked with and helped big retail brands improve their customer service and sales.

Am I alone however when I say I was a little disappointed in the show? It has tackled many of the issues that have us, as customers, climbing the walls with frustration. However there is one key element of service that is missing on almost every high street – good old fashioned service and good manners. It doesn’t need fancy slogans to describe it; good old fashioned service and good manners are missing and rudeness is very much in evidence.

I have worked as a retail consultant for and with companies who have delivered the most beautiful, customer friendly, service driven shops and environments. These companies have put everything together with passion and motivation that has captured most of their teams. In every single case there have been individuals however who do not get on board, who just do not want to serve the customer. I bet you don’t have to think long before one such individual comes to mind. Sadly, I can pick out several from today alone.

Small independent businesses struggle with the same problem. Few have the resources to deliver full customer service programmes to their staff. So how can they deal with what is sometimes a delicate subject? Here are some tips on how to improve the situation.

1.    ‘Be the change you want to see.’

Make sure as the retailer owner or manager that you are providing a consistent, courteous service to all your customers. Make it important to you and it will become important to the team.

2.    Show loyalty to your customers

Do not enter into character assassinations with your staff when customers leave the shop or make negative facial expressions. Talk only in positive terms, if you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything at all. If one of the team says something negative about a customer do not join in, instead offer a positive alternative and support the customer. Join in and you will affirm their negative beliefs, providing a green light to offer poor service. Remember any customers overhearing such comments will assume you talk about them in the same manner.

3.    Practical exercises to recruit.

When you next recruit think about the qualities you will need to see in the candidates, don’t just assume a good CV with oodles of retail experience will deliver the service you are looking for. As part of the interview allow time for each candidate to spend time on the shop floor whilst you observe. Let them do whatever they want for half an hour. Approaching and talking to customers with ease, genuine smiling, making eye contact, being helpful are all good traits to build positive relationships with your customers.

4. Support the best

Recruiting a good role model will mark a change and send a message to the rest of your team. Make sure however, that you support the new team member and others in the team providing great service. Praise them for their efforts privately and publically. Without such support a real gem of an assistant can either become indoctrinated into the rest of the team or will leave what they see as a toxic environment.

5.    Review Performance

Make sure you make time to review performance. Have 1:1 discussions with each of the team. This is time for feedback on both sides, so be ready for some criticism about the operation, other team members or indeed yourself. Use the discussion to examine how things are for you both, what change you would like to see and what individuals need to do to achieve the change.

6. Re-deploy

If your business can support it, consider jobs that need doing that do not involve customer interaction, jobs for example that take place back of house. The member of staff may surprise you and flourish. I recently worked with a small grocery store who took this approach. A member of staff now does all the back of house administration and stock handling; they have flourished and provide the business with positive support appreciated by the rest of the team.

7.  Part company

Sometimes you have to accept that some people are just not suited to retail. I have always said that to work successfully in retail you need to enjoy communicating with people, you need to enjoy the interaction. You will need to take some HR advice on dealing with individuals that are in the wrong job or who resist the opportunity to do things differently. There are lots of free resources for small business to help you with this. Do contact me if you are stuck and I will forward some to you.

Finally, don’t give up!  Change takes time and even the smallest of steps can make a difference to your customers. Here’s to treating our customers as we would wish to be treated, with good old service and good manners.

• To support retail businesses through the current climate
• Assist Higher Education organisations to develop and deliver better retail, to maximise retail performance and generate an increased surplus to support the institution further.

Anne’s passion to deliver on these 2 objectives has not waned and her enthusiasm to find cost effective solutions for clients, and the Higher Education sector as a whole, is unwavering.

In addition to supporting HE clients on individual projects, the University Retail website and the launch of training seminars, devoted to developing retail skills within the sector, are testament to these endeavors.

Supporting Higher Education is woven into the very fabric of Consult Retail. For example, all courses run by the company are held at venues within the sector.

Several HE organsiations have asked for help to support their member universities and student unions. These partnerships underline the very essence of Consult Retail’s work.

Convenience stores, book shops, branded merchandise or entire retail centres; one off projects to strategic plans or a ‘retailer on call’ Consult Retail continues to provide a service tailored to your needs.

Supporting the Higher Education sector is one of Consult Retail’s corner stones. There are many challenges ahead and the company looks forward to doing all that it can to support its colleagues, clients and partners.

There was the John Lewis new online pledge, Marks and Spencer’s first stand alone beauty store, the Waitrose concept store and Boots adding 50 retailers to their loyalty card. Each retailer focused on their strengths, looking to turn them into further competitive advantage.

We have also seen retailers deliver short sharp sales like House of Fraser and Next and as the Christmas cards and wrap are laid out we are left wondering what the next few months will bring.

Independent and small retail businesses may feel like they are getting left behind, or even that all this is irrelevant to them. However now is the time for analysis and action.

Now is the time for smaller retailers to  review their offer, their own competitive advantage and ensure they really are focusing on the customer and their own strengths.

Now is a good time to revisit the position with regard to stock and sales and re-forecast their projected performance through the Season of Goodwill and make adjustments where necessary.

Now is the time to look again and focus on the plan for the next 11.5 weeks as regards their windows, visual merchandising and shop layout. How will these changes entice the customer in again and again over the next 3 months, to maintain the customer’s interest within the store and lead them to make a purchase?

Now is the time to re-consider any activities, marketing and promotions that can be instigated to drive footfall and sales. 

What we have seen over the last week are high street retailers grabbing our attention with the launch of the new or the sale of the old. Get in amongst them and grab your customer’s attention too!

Anne discussed some of the highs and lows of Leamington Spa’s retail, a town which has faced increasing competition in recent years.

“I am always delighted to share my passion for retail and what can be done to maximise performance,” she said, “so I was thrilled to be  invited to talk to the team at ‘Warwickshire Life’.”

“I am always delighted to share my passion for retail and what can be done to maximise performance,” she said, “so I was thrilled to be be invited to talk to the team at ‘Warwickshire Life’.”

The article is planned for the October publication.

I talked in the last blog about changing your windows to create interest. You need to do the same internally too. Regular, simple colour theme changes, visual merchandising tweaks and product moves, however big or small, will attract your customer’s attention.

If a customer spots something they haven’t noticed before they will come and have another look. A local fashion retailer does this to great effect. By moving product and pairing clothing pieces with different items she creates new looks giving her customers the impression she has had new stock.

As the season progresses create new displays and new interest. Moving your stock really is proven to move your stock!