Increasing showroom sales by creating the ultimate customer experience

by jason_cramp | January 17, 2017 10:30 am

By Ted Lawrence

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Pool and hot tub retailers are unique; just like people, every business has its own style and personality. However, when most business owners compare their stores to their competition they always tend to forget about all of the unique qualities they have to offer. This uniqueness, or impressions, is the driving force behind consumers returning to the same store time and again. That said, this article will discuss what retailers can do to leave more lasting impressions and control their customers in-store experience.

Retailers do not need to make radical changes in their store all the time. Instead, small changes here and there can add up to create a ‘total customer experience’ that will help keep them coming back for more. Creating these ‘impressions’ has a lasting effect. Each time a consumer visits a store they leave with a good or bad impression. The idea here, obviously, is to ensure they leave with a great impression, which gives them a reason to keep coming back and remain loyal to the brand.

Gone in 60 seconds

The first 60 seconds after a customer exits their vehicle is the most critical. This is when consumers are the most judgmental as they are looking for signs as to whether they should or should not do business with the retailer. If a customer has ever said, “Buying from you just felt right,” it means staff and the business were firing on all cylinders and, as a result, left a lasting impression. This is also a good signifier the customer feels right doing business with that particular retailer.

The hotel and hospitality industry, for example, is one that realizes the importance of first impressions. It starts the moment the customer steps out of their vehicle. In this case, there is typically someone there to open the client’s car door, take out their luggage, and hold open the door to the hotel. Upon entering, there is a fresh inviting scent in the air that is relaxing, and background music is soft, soothing, yet hip. Further, friendly front desk staff welcome clients to the property and explain everything that is included with the stay. Sometimes (depending on the location) the client is provided a snack, infused water, or even a glass of champagne. In most cases, the client is thinking “Wow.” By doing this, the hotel does not give the client the opportunity to be critical; instead they set the tone of what they are about to experience. With a few modifications, a pool and hot tub retail store should be no different. What the hotel industry has done is create numerous impression points throughout the customer’s stay. Further, the client is willing to pay for this additional level of service.

Keep in mind, the guest does have the option to go to the ‘Budget Inn’ down the street and get none of these perks for less.

Creating an experience

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So, what can a retailer do to create an experience that is different for the consumer? For those who 
are unsure, consider the following.

Remember, the first 60 seconds are the most important. This means the walk from the car to the storefront has to be memorable; therefore, retailers should look at what they have going on in this space. For instance, what type of signage is on the doors, windows? Is it old? Is the information relevant to the business? This author has visited many retail stores where the signs on the building or windows did not match what was in the store. An example would be a hot tub or chemical brand the retailer used to carry but no longer does. The same can be said for products like billiard tables and patio furniture which are no longer available. If this relates to any retailers, change this immediately. Think of it like Canadian Tire no longer carrying tires. It makes no sense and the store immediately loses its creditability with the consumer. Once trust is lost, it is hard to get back.

Once inside the store, the retailer should provide the customer some decompression space, as well 
as enough room for them to take two to three steps inward before marketing any products to them. This is a transitional space where the consumer walks from the real world to the world the retailer is about to create for them.

This author equates this occurrence to visiting Disney World, where the consumer’s experience is of utmost importance. For example, when getting off the train, boat, or monorail, visitors are not immediately inundated by rides. Instead, they see characters walking about; they hear the sounds of the park; and they smell the food and candy in the air. Then, visitors have to walk down ‘Main Street’ past all of the eye candy to get to the one thing everyone who goes to Disney wants to see—the castle.

Make the transition

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A pool and hot tub retailer’s transitional space should be filled with items that encompass the fun and joys of owning a pool or an outdoor recreational item that has yet to sell. The ‘Main Street’ is the path the customer has to travel to get to the ‘castle.’ One retailer may have a different castle than their competitor. For example, for one retailer the castle might be a pool with coloured lights and fountain in the showroom, while for another it might be a hot tub in an outdoor setting, or a backyard setting with a fire pit and an outdoor kitchen. Either way, the path to the castle has to be impressionable. Therefore, items along this path should appeal to almost every customer who visits the store. They do not even have to be items that correlate to a pool; they can be products such as outdoor speakers, light-emitting diode (LED) lighted globes, water bottles, paddles boards, sunglasses, etc. The path to the castle encompasses some of the most valuable real estate in a retail store and should be reserved for items that are nonessential to the business. Essential items such as chemicals, maintenance accessories, parts, and 
major equipment should be placed in areas which are considered the lowest dollar per square foot.

For those retailers that are not sure of 
the value each area their store represents, they should treat each space like property, e.g. beach front, near beach front, and swamp land. Clearly, the former is the most expensive and the latter is the least expensive. The following can be used to determine the different property types in the store.

Beach front

1. Near the door or entry of the store since a consumer has to walk by this area twice (on the way in and on the way out).
2. Front counter or water lab.
3. Back wall of the store.
4. In the ‘Main Street’ path.

Near beach front

1. On the sides of the ‘Main Street’ path.
2. Centre of the store or shopping area.
3. Side walls of the store.
4. Behind the front counter or water lab.

Swamp land

1. Corners of the store.
2. In a room or closed off area.
3. Front of the store away from the door.
4. Up or down stairs (other than part of the main store).

Now that the value of the ‘property’ is known, it is important to understand how to properly use it. In general, the following items should be placed in the different zones.

Beach front

1. New items, introductory, or upgrades to existing products.
2. High-margin products which are non-essential.
3. Toys, games, and other fun impulse items.

Near beach front

1. Major product lines such as pools, hot tubs, grills, outdoor kitchens.
2. Pool cleaners and gadgets to make maintenance easier.
3. Maintenance (pool tools) and testing supplies.

Swamp land

1. Chemicals.
2. Bulk items such as filter media (e.g. sand, cartridges, diatomaceous earth, etc.) and liquid chlorine.
3. Parts
4. Office and work spaces.

Put on the thinking cap

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Chemicals and parts belong in ‘swamp land’ because these products are considered to be reoccurring purchases and are typically the main reason why consumers visit a pool and/or hot tub retailer. Therefore, the reason why retailers should avoid putting these products by the front door is to stop the customer from immediately picking up what they need so they peruse the rest of the store. This is the reason why bread, milk, and eggs are commonly found at the back of most grocery stores.

Another reason why chemicals and parts should be placed in ‘swamp land’ is a new customer coming in to look at a pool might change their mind once they see all of the chemicals. If a retail location is one where chemicals need to be located in the front, the area must be organized, merchandised well, and the amount of stock on the shelf should be limited. To the potential consumer who is looking at a pool, they will think they need all of those products, otherwise why would it be there?

Looking at a retail store in dollars per square foot, or in this article’s example of generalizing the space and considering its property value, is a good way for a retailer to exemplify how to departmentalize their store and get the consumer shopping and moving about the space.

For every minute a consumer spends in the store it increases their purchase on average by one per cent. Gone are the days of turn and burn sales. Companies like Starbucks understand how loitering equates into more sales.

Make peace

Other ways to enhance the consumer’s experience is to give them peace offerings. This can be as simple as a cup of coffee served in a mug, as the customer will feel obligated to stay and finish it before leaving. This also serves to lower the customer’s criticalness of 
the business.

Other peace offerings could include a beach ball with the store’s logo or a toy for kids. Another way of doing this is offering a surprise item with a purchase. For example, towels with a pool purchase, robes with a spa purchase, or plastic wine glasses with the purchase of a patio set. This author knows a retailer who sends customers an ‘Omaha Steak’ package after every outdoor kitchen they install. These are great ways to surprise customers and reward them for making a purchase. Further, this appreciation will spill into more sales from their friends and family.

As mentioned earlier, Disney World has mastered the art of consumer experience. One way the amusement park has done this is once a ride is over, patrons are exited through a gift shop that is specific to that ride. The reason is to get people to buy something to remember the ride’s experience. This 
is Disney’s reward for providing their customer an amazing experience and is a business model every pool and hot tub retailer should follow. Consumers will continue to buy from the same retailer every time if they provide an experience like no one else. Σ

[5]Ted Lawrence is a global retail specialist with Pool Corp., a wholesale distributor of swimming pool supplies, equipment, and related leisure products in Cleveland, Ohio. He has served the swimming pool industry for more than 20 years and is an authority on retail, sales, and management. Lawrence is a regular seminar presenter at national and international industry events, and participates on several professional retail boards and councils. He is also a member of Pool & Spa Marketing’s Editorial Advisory Committee. He can be reached via e-mail at ted.lawrence@poolcorp.com[6].

Source URL: https://www.poolspamarketing.com/trade/increasing-showroom-sales-by-creating-the-ultimate-customer-experience/

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