E&S Trading MD shares his insights.
As any retail owner can attest, one bad in-store retail experience can see a customer leave, tell five of their friends and significantly damage brand reputation. E&S Trading managing director, Rob Sinclair says the key to repeat customers is hiring well, encouraging a culture of accountability, training frequently and providing an experience that no other retailer can.
Encourage a culture of ‘leaving no customer behind’
The number one thing that hurts retail businesses is a culture of pride that walks away from customers, according to Sinclair.
“Rather than encouraging a culture of pride for the sales person; our culture at E&S encourages our people to focus on how satisfied our customers are, regardless of their average spend or challenges they face on the shop floor.
“Encouraging a culture of accountability and ‘I can fix that’ is done through empowering staff to make micro decisions on the shop floor. The inability to make quick decisions at store level can costs hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost revenue,” he said.
He believes if a retailer has hired, trained and mentored its people well, it can rest assured the team will make smart decisions that put the needs of the customer first.
“At E&S, we empower our people to be able to make a smart decision without seeking managerial approval. This empowers our team members to become problem solvers and makes the customers needs their own. If our team can ensure every customer leaves our doors happy and looked after with an exceptional experience; there is no doubt in our minds that customer will return again,” he explained.
Hire and train well
In order to deliver exceptional work, an employer or employee has to be in the right industry, using his or her highest value skills, working in a sector they are passionate about, according to Sinclair.
“In retail, the success of your business relies on customer satisfaction. It astounds me the number of people who apply for customer service roles and are unable to articulate why they enjoy the job. If they aren’t able to communicate why they enjoy helping people and providing an exceptional experience; it doesn’t matter if they are the most qualified person, they aren’t the right fit for the business,” he said.
“Regardless of their background, we look for people with an aptitude and attitude for helping others. Our employees range from 19 to 77 years old and every one of them adds value to our business due to their enthusiasm and expertise,” he added.
Sinclair also noted that mastering the complexities of the human psyche is a tool which is refined over years and even his most successful salespeople understand the value of ongoing learning.
“Customers are people, not numbers. If they feel listened to, validated and looked after; there’s no limit to how frequently they’ll return,” he said.
The ‘X’ Factor
“A few weeks ago, I picked up a friend from the airport. It was a Sunday night at 10pm. I called my favourite restaurant in Melbourne. Was it too late, I asked, to pop in for a late night snack?
“Not a problem Mr Sinclair. Looking forward to seeing you again,” the Maître D said.
“At midnight, I realised I didn’t have any bread for tomorrow’s breakfast. I asked if the kitchen had a loaf they could sell me? Ten minutes later, a loaf of freshly baked bread, wrapped on a napkin, was placed on my table with my bill at no charge.
“That small gesture cost the restaurant perhaps $12. The experience I was given was priceless,” he said.
Sinclair believes you don’t need the biggest store or marketing budget or impressive showroom (although that all helps).
“The biggest way you can encourage repeat visitations to your store is by providing an experience no other retailer can,” he commented.