Waiting for Service - Is it Worth the Price?
I was rereading some research that our company conducted on wait times this past summer. It noted that 86% of Canadians leave a store because they are frustrated at waiting for service. Of these, 70% told others of their negative experience. This Christmas season, it appears that many consumers are going to shop based on price. Does the experience still matter?
Yes. Price may bring consumers in, but poor service and unhelpful staff will prevent them from coming back. Instead of merely building traffic or pushing price stories, we need to consider a broader customer experience.
Marketing involves the entire range of consumer interactions. Sometimes we forget the human dimension of the purchase decision, that dimension delivered by the sales person. One of the most cost effective tools is education and training. Long overlooked by marketing or considered an HR or Sales responsibility, learning how to properly represent and sell products is critical. The point of interaction between the consumer and the sales person can be the strongest brand message of all.
I feel that the last four feet, that distance between a consumer and sales person, is a key opportunity to increase sales. If that in-store person does not support your brand message, all of your marketing efforts are for naught. Sure there will be a lot of price driven consumers this holiday shopping season. But are we ready to gamble that price is the only purchase or repurchase consideration?
