Steven Schlagel

Do you know what your customers or clients want? What would drive them into a store or to a business and then keep them there? You probably think you do, but have you ever taken time to really find out, to talk to your satisfied customers to find out why they are satisfied? Do you ever talk to unhappy customers directly to find out what you could be doing better? No. Well, its time to do so.

The first, and most obvious step, is to ask your customers directly. If you are a bricks and mortar store or stores, are you, the owner, on the floor talking to customers, asking them what they want and need from your store? Don't just look for problems. Look for success that you can repeat. Ask your satisfied customers what they like and why they give you their business.

You can do surveys inexpensively online, but even with incentives they can be difficult to get a response to. Do them frequently and be sure to actually use the data. As you've seen with restaurants handing out surveys on your receipts, most offer some type of drawing. Even so, I rarely respond. Do you? There are also the pop-up surveys after you've shopped online and the "will you take a few minutes to answer some questions after your call?" surveys from service providers. The challenge is getting responses.

Do some real investigation of your successful competitors. How does the experience differ from what you provide? Better marketing? Better store design? Better customer service? Let go of ego and really get in there and ask how you can improve. Not all changes need to be expensive. Look at small changes and measure the results.

What do customers expect? They expect you to keep your word. If something is promised to ship on a particular day, it should. If someone is supposed to call them by a certain time, they should. That is an expectation, not a desire. They expect to be treated politely at the minimum. They expect honesty.

But what do they want? Here are 5 easy things that can make your company stand out:

1. They want a real person to answer the phone. Even small doctors offices require you to "press 1" to speak to someone. How refreshing when a real person picks up your call!

2. They want to be known. They want you to recognize and know them. We all want that. Familiarize yourself with your customers.

3. They want to be pleasantly surprised. Instead of instilling certain policies, the element of surprise can improve your clients/customers attitudes. A surprise 10% off because they've been loyal, an extra session, free shipping upgrade. All of this goes a long way and isn't required for everyone all of the time.

4. They want efficiency: limited wait times, limited paperwork, limited hassle. Train your staff on how to manage walk up vs. phone traffic, how to reassure someone they have been seen, how to keep customers informed on what is going on with their order/service.

5. They want to be involved. Going back up to the beginning of this post, they want you to ask them what they need or want. When was the last time a business did this for you? Customers help shape business now and should be an active part of your business's future.

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