Oh my...Buckle up as I take you on a hilarious, eye-popping journey through two very different Shoe Shopping experiences.
If you run a Biz - or plan to, this is your must-read guide on how NOT to lose customers, and your mind!
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"Running Shoes & Retail Reality: A Tale of 2 Stores"
I just had the most eye-opening experience while shopping for running shoes, and I’ve got to share it because it’s too good not to...Or too bad.
So, picture this: I stroll into one of the UK’s so-called "Premier Retailers" to pick up a pair of running shoes
Spoiler alert, I ended up buying them, and they’re fantastic.
But here’s the thing: before that, I wandered into one of the UK's more 'standard' sports emporiums, and wow, talk about a difference in customer service.
I swear on my life it was like comparing a Michelin-starred restaurant to a dodgy kebab shop at 3 a.m.
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"Shopping for Shoes, Not New Friends: My Retail Reality Check"
Now, let me be clear: I don’t go shopping to make new friends. I’m there to spend my hard-earned cash.
But if I didn’t care about customer service, I’d just order online, right?
I wanted to try on the trainers, do a little jog around the shop, soak up the atmosphere, maybe even chat with a knowledgeable salesperson about which shoes would best suit my needs.
Simple, right? Oh, how naive I was.
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"Customer Service? More Like Customer Sabotage!"
So, in shop number one, the "middle of the market" place, the shoes were the same, but the staff... good grief, the staff...
I swear, the primary question during their job interview must have been,
“Have you completely lost the will to live, or at the very least, to provide even a shred of customer service?”
Because if the answer was yes, congratulations, you’re hired!
I mean, I’m not expecting them to roll out the red carpet for me, but could you at least look up from your phone when you’re talking to me? Just a thought.
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"How to Lose a Sale: Step 1: Ignore the Customer"
And as if that wasn’t bad enough, the second staff member was even worse, too busy chatting up an attractive young lady to notice me standing there, cash in hand.
Needless to say, they did not see the color of my money.
I walked out and ended up buying the exact same pair of running shoes at a more expensive price elsewhere, simply because the customer service was out of this world.
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"Treadmills & Beverages: The Ultimate Customer Service Combo"
The second shop? They put me on a treadmill, measured my feet properly, heck, they even offered me a refreshment while I browsed.
The staff were knowledgeable, polite, and actually seemed to enjoy helping me. What a concept!
It was a masterclass in how customer service can make or break a sale.
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"From Meh to Wow: The Power of Great Customer Service"
So, here’s the moral of the story: if you run a customer service-led business, take note.
The difference between “meh” and “wow” can make all the difference in the world.
They call me Mr. Overdelivery in the Coaching, Consultancy and Copywriting game because I always go above and beyond in everything that I do.
And on this occasion, the staff did exactly that, and it truly made all the difference.
Listen the moral of the story is not Rocket Science...
But whether you are a Solopreneur, Coach or - actually...Whatever the hell you do - do it with flair passion and aplomb.
The Customer is King - or Queen and we always need to remember that - and we shall never go far wrong my people.
Yours - Serving you 7 days a week - on everybodies favorite platform. 365 days a year.
LFG ! 🏃
Yours, 💘
Michael Masters - The Info Architect
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