Consumers Have Spoken & Shop Owners MUST Listen

I finally got around to reviewing and analyzing all the suggestions that consumers posted on my @jaftexpresident page when I queried them for advice on how shops can do better and be better. As you know, I am a huge cheerleader for quilt shops and all my customers for that matter. As I always like to say, “Their success is our success.”

Before I dive in, please know that I am going to be really blunt and honest because shop owners need to hear what the people i.e. their customers are saying. Also, please know that these comments may or may not apply to you. It is your job to do some self-reflection to see if any of these issues are a problem for you and are keeping you from being even more successful than you already are. Please do me one favor and don’t be in denial and think none of this applies to you and that you are running a perfect business. Even if you are running a close to perfect business, there are always things you can do better. Just sayin’.

Today, I am not going to do a full analysis of all the comments as there is an abundance of great advice, but rather, I am going to focus on a few subjects that were very prevalent throughout all the comments i.e. common themes.

I am going to start out with a lob. Lighting in shops seems to be a big issue that so many people mentioned. If you ask me, this is an easy one to remedy. With that, before the new year starts, please walk around your shop and analyze the lighting.

Can you get more natural light with the windows that you have? Are the windows blocked? Are there trees outside blocking the light that would come in the window? How is the lighting around the shop? Is there enough lighting? Could you use some new bulbs? Could you use a couple extra lamps or high hats? Are all the important areas well lite? I think you get the drift, but please take the time to evaluate your lighting. Walk around with some fabric and see how the color looks in all the nooks and crannies of your shop. I think what you discover will be enlightening, pun intended.

The second one isn’t a lob and it’s going to be really controversial. I don’t see the controversy though. You ready? GET YOUR PETS OUT OF THE SHOP! NO SERIOUSLY, GET YOUR PETS OUT OF THE SHOP! I mean it. I know you don’t like that comment, but you need to deal with it. Yeah, I know, you think everyone loves your pet. And yes, the people that say they love your pet actually love it. However, all the people that say nothing have zero interest in your pet and they are probably heading for the door when they see your pet to visit another shop that is without pets.

Maybe they are allergic to pets. Maybe they are scared. Maybe your dog barks too loud. Maybe a dog once bit them and they are afraid. Maybe they don’t like to get home and find cat hair on their fabric or the smell of dog urine. Maybe their kids are scared of pets. Again, I am not going to mince words here, “GET THE PETS OUT FOREVER & REMOVE ALL SIGNS OF THEM.” Your pets have no business being in the your place of business. Yours is a quilt shop and not a pet shop. Don’t give customers an excuse to not shop in your store because that is what you are doing. You wouldn’t believe how many people made this comment. I beg you to listen to me. Please find your pet a baby sitter and deal with this right away for the new year or sooner.

This one should be a lob, but apparently falls between the cracks. Please greet every single customer as if they are the only customer left on the planet. As the owner, you need set an example for your team. I don’t care if you are in a bad mood or if you had a bad morning, leave that drama outside of the shop. Wipe off the smirk and put a smile on your face all day long. So much so that your cheeks hurt when you get home. If you have a problem putting on a smiley face and can’t stop being a Negative Nelly, either go get some happy pills or rethink the business you are in. People don’t want to leave your shop more stressed than they were before they entered.

Another comment was about employees and owners with their phones. When I say this, I am talking about all the employees and owners who are spending lots of time on their phones while customers are walking around with questions….easy questions nonetheless. Put the phones away and provide breaks for phone usage. Again, as the owner, you should be leading by example.

While I am talking about phones, one thing I want to say is that you always need to cater to the “counter customers first.” That was a big complaint amongst consumers. Let the phone calls go to voicemail and call back quickly. Treat the customer in front of you as if they are the last customer on this earth. Chat the customers up. Make a lasting impression so they want to come back for more. Let them pay for what they bought and be on their way. Don’t lose the opportunity with a face to face customer to cater to someone on the phone who is not currently buying something. Let the calls go to voicemail and take time later to make call backs when the shop is less busy.

A lot of people commented that they work and would like to see shops opened one or two nights a week late. I also heard similar comments about having one really lengthy weekend day for people to come in and shop. The bottom line is that you have to cater to working and non-working folks alike. From the comments, it seems that many of the customers are non-working or retired and they have more flexibility as to when they can visit shops. Shops need to broaden their horizons and try to cater to as many demographics as possible. Also, keep in mind that working folks have lots of disposable income burning holes in their pockets.

Shops that can stay open late and cater to the people who have day jobs should promote an event appealing to those people. You will probably be surprised how many people would actually come to this. This is the type of thing where the people start coming out of the woodwork and before you know it, you have built up an entirely new revenue stream. Not only that, but you show that you care for the working folks and recognize that they too want some love.

Business is becoming harder and harder each day. It’s becoming more competitive and more cut throat. Your customers want to help you to succeed and thrive. Why not take a moment to listen to all the great suggestions that they have provided to help you be an even better business proprietor? To ignore what is said in this post is a total fools game and you don’t want to be the winner of that game. Rather, you want to be the most successful shop owner you can be.

Thanks for taking the time to listen to what my people have had to say. I would love to hear more about how implementing these ideas above have helped you to thrive. Good luck!

Strengthening Stores Scott

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