Chris Brogan recently shared a story of a local bookstore in his hometown. He asked them to order a specific book for him that wasn’t in stock. The owner wrote down his name and phone number and told him she’d order it.

The next week, when he walked in the store, she looked up and said, “Hi, Chris!”

That simple act of remembering his name, earned her a customer for life.

Books sign. Photo CC by Joshua Kirby on Flickr

When businesses reopen for customers after lockdown, it’s not going back to the way business used to be. Chris has 5 shifts for you to consider.

As different places begin to allow local businesses to open up, you’re not alone if you’re breathing a sigh of relief mixed with a gasp of worry. We all need the money. We all want to get back to being useful for the people we serve. And some or most of us are worried about what happens next. Let’s talk about some of it.

OPEN UP! It’s the Customers!

Remember this above all else: everyone is tense. No one will likely be their most courteous and their best behaved. No matter how grown up and strong we all our, this really counts as actual real mental trauma. It’s going to take a bit to get over it, and that means you as the business owner will have to smother their customers and prospects with kindness, but there’s a lot more.

1. Clean Up

Customers are going to want to understand how you’re handing a clean work environment after this pandemic. Even if you personally think it’s silly in some cases, don’t discount your customer’s vote on this one. Make it clear and obvious and explain how you are handling everything, even things you can’t imagine someone wondering about like whether you disinfect your cardboard before boxing up their product. (Turns out this is a big and common question now when people consider purchasing something online.)

2. Sell Online

Even after the big bad bug is finally vanquished enough for us not to care about it, people are used to ordering and buying online for many products and services you can’t even imagine people getting remotely. I have a friend who sells hay and the moment he got the web store live on his website, he had orders.

3. Communicate More

Partly because of online sales and definitely because of this “If I can’t see it, how do I know what’s going on?” mindset, people are looking for more “touches” between themselves and companies, even in B2B situations. If the order typically takes a week to build and ship, then give people updates every day or two. When I ordered DoorDash to get a burger sent to me during lockdown, I received five or six texts from the app, telling me the food was being made, the food was ready for pickup, the driver picked up the food, the driver is two minutes away, and the driver is here. Do something like that.

4. Consider New Payment Options in Two Ways

On the one hand, if you’re not using things like PayPal, Stripe, Venmo, and Cashapp, you might want to get some accounts setup. People are sending money through multiple channels. Second, you might realize that with nearly 30 million people unemployed in the US on the day I wrote this to you, cash is tight. You might have to sell “smaller bites” versions of what you offer, so that people can afford you. There are many creative ways to work on this.

5. Reach Out

It’s no surprise that this is my advice. I’ve spent twenty years begging companies to use tools like video and audio and good email marketing to reach potential customers. There’s a lot to this, it seems, but at the root of it all is the same goal: communicate and connect with the people you hope to help and earn the right to sell and serve.

Here’s help

To that end, Becky and Deb have a whole new program about learning to restart your local shopping. If that’s your kind of small town business, then it’s pretty important you check that out.

If not, realize that all businesses are going through some form of what you’re experiencing and that it’s important to accept that it won’t be perfect. But know this, also: people are really getting behind “shop local” in a way they’ve never expressed it before. This might be an ideal time to change up some of your work and really earn their money and customer longevity.

You ready?

Get ready for a dozen ideas for making a better third place. Pictured is Gathering Grounds coffee shop in Avon, Minnesota. Photo by Deb Brown.

At the Main Street Now conference, I sat in on a session about coffee shops. I wrote down bunches of ideas that the audience shared. I thought you might know a coffee shop person, or you might think of ways to use these with other types of small town businesses.

• Hold trivia nights or allow groups to meet in your space to drive more business
• Start a book club in your place
• Tell your story online. How were you founded? What is your history?
• Leverage your relationships with other businesses to put together a tour of businesses, or an experience that includes more than just your business
• Host readings, where customers can come in and share their writings
• Host adult coloring groups or game nights to bring in more evening customers
• Find out more about the people who work from your space, the people who bring in their laptops and work. What is their business? Is there potential to connect with them?
• Display coffee mugs from all the different businesses in town
• Provide vegetarian and vegan choices on the menu
• Support local causes and share about them
• Promote the chance to make friends, especially for new residents
• Reach out to new residents to make them aware of your place (You can find them through real estate agents.)
• Promote how people can connect with people not necessarily like them, how you play a role in strengthening community ties across groups in town.

Do you have any small town coffee shop ideas to add? When I asked in my newsletter, here are some ideas that readers shared.

“Whenever you get a new coffee, take an air pot around to all the business near you and give samples out.”
George M. Wurtzel

“Invite a well known Barista to run a Barista course at your coffee shop. Funding could be obtained from employment groups etc. Following on from that conduct a series of classes teaching people how to make simple things like vanilla slice and lamingtons. [an Australian cake specialty] This will follow on to your clients asking you to run classes on what they want to learn.”
Graham Reid

“Our trail organization co-hosts a #coffeeoutside gathering in a park each Thursday morning with a local bike shop. It is an opportunity to walk, bike or drive to share a relaxed social hour together. It is a great way to meet neighbors and solve the world’s problems. It could just as easily be set up outside a coffee shop. The point is: get outside, drink coffee, meet neighbors. We always have one type of coffee already made up, but invite roasters, shops and individuals to roast a pot on a camping set-up.”
Beth Nobles

Here’s the Coffee Outside website.

“We are test driving a coffee shop here in downtown Paulding, Ohio as a result of Deb Brown’s visit here a couple of weeks ago. The test is Tuesday and Thursday mornings through the month of May. First two days this week have been phenomenally successful. Using volunteer ‘baristas,’ the community support has been exceptional.
“Thank you Becky & Deb for all the idea sharing and leadership that you provide to our many small communities!
David Burtch

“All these ideas about coffee shops can be modified and apply to wineries. I say ‘modified’ because of the alcohol restrictions. We have been doing many of these practices at our winery in Knoxville, IA. Tonight I am hosting a fashion show with 5 women business owners in my community. It’s the first time doing this and I hope it works well. I reached out to our business owners that had fashions or a tangent business. I know a jewelry designer that will match her product with the clothes from the boutiques. A local photographer will take photos of the models and the event. A fabric designer that makes her own jackets will model her creations. I charged $5 advance tickets (available online or at the shops) and $10 at the door. The first beverage is free, so there is very little ‘risk’ to the guests, but allows me to gauge interest and attendance. You can see our story on our website NearWoodWinery.com. I think I have a pretty good origin story on the About Us page.”

Joann Schissel

Of course, I asked how the fashion show went, and Joann shared more:

“I think the fashion show went well. We had 15 models (includes kids) and friends/relatives were in the audience. I am focused on ‘gathering my tribe’ strategy and catering to established groups of people that have their own tribe. I loved working with the women business owners and promoting their products.
“Thank you for your great advice to help small towns. I think you and Deb fill a real need for our rural communities as mentors, strategists and cheer leaders!”

What other ideas do you have for coffee shops and other community gathering businesses?

New to SmallBizSurvival.com? Take the Guided Tour. Like what you see? Get our updates.

Photo (CC) by Ron Mader, on Flickr

If this happened to you as a customer, how would you feel?

Our washer has a problem. Service person came out and ordered a part for it. Part should be here in two weeks and made the next appointment. The day before the appointment, I get an automated call. If my issue was a service call, I was asked to press #1. I did. I was then put on hold for the next available representative. Remember, they called me. Is this service?

And the story continues. I then get a text asking me to call in. I do and get someone right away. She asks about my issue. She puts me on hold and checks their database. The part is back-ordered and I should contact them to reschedule when the part arrives. That could have been done and put into the text. Is this service?

After these two contacts, I received three more calls and texts asking me to call in. Is this service?

So let me move to another situation on the same day. I had some medical tests done. The doctor who ordered them had a family emergency. My appointment to hear the results is cancelled. She, however, won’t be back until mid-August. The office staff said they would have my primary doctor order something because I qualified. But I have no idea what the test said. Is this service?

The last one is especially a challenge. What would you do if you have an emergency and your clients had to wait? I know one service person who, in a small town there there were only two of them, connected with his competitor to cover his clients in certain situations. Would you do that?

I am sure all of you have had similar issues. Service is sometimes hard to define but we certainly “know it when we see it.” Know ask yourself as a business owner, how might you have handled the situations above? In hind-sight it is easy to come up with a plan but are you ready to respond on the spot? And is your staff prepared as well? Do they have the authority to take a bold action?

Just something to ponder as you think about your service efforts. 

Photo (CC) by Quinn Dombrowske, on Flickr

Success for a small business means watching your pennies. Margins are usually small, sales are often weak, and there is little or no cushion available to absorb a mistake.

It is also true that small business owners must not get so caught up in watching pennies that they miss the holes that are leaking dollars. Harry Barnes, in 1942, referenced this as “penny wise and pound foolish.” And I have discussed this idea in two previous columns, Follow the Money and Chasing Bright Shiny New Things.

Yet a recent experience suggest that you also need to consider customer perception of your efforts to minimize costs. This may sound funny but here is my story. Consider this picture.

Our refrigerator has a mechanical issue. When the service rep came out, he diagnosed the problem (we hope but that’s another story). The parts weren’t available locally s0 he ordered them to be shipped to us. He will be coming later this week to install them. What we received are the three envelopes shown along with the items you see. As near as my wife and I can tell, all three mailings came from the same location. Two came one day and the third a day later. Each envelope had postage for a pound but all the items weighed only about 7 ounces.

This may have been an effective and efficient way for the company to handle this. But to me, the customer, I’m asking “REALLY?”

Effectiveness and efficiency form part of your business image. We applaud companies that portray, through words and actions, a mission of customer service. Think of the places where you do business. This concept is probably part of why you go where you do.

I might even go further and suggest  we may pay a slightly higher price for a company that demonstrates efficiency than one where we get the cheapest price but its operation is somewhat helter skelter. My rationale would be that the well organized company can probably find a way to bring their costs down while the second company may offer a bargain today but we can’t see how they will be there tomorrow when we need service or want more.

I don’t know where the balance point is between being efficient and your company’s rating on customer service.  My purpose is to remind you that these concepts, efficient, effective and perception, are intertwined.

Developing an on-going sustainable business means finding that balance for your business.

Photo (CC) by Ron Mader, on Flickr

A Business Truth –There is no need to market if your small business does not offer great customer service?

And by customer service, I am not just talking about a good return policy. Customer service starts in the pre-purchase decision making effort through purchase and then right on to use, today, tomorrow and for the life of the product or service.

If your business isn’t offering top-notch customer service, you may as well save your marketing dollars. Why market if you are focused on a one-time customer transaction? Or certainly, change your marketing strategy to one of getting the customer in the door and making a quick sale.

This sound harsh and callous, but think about it. Marketing, in its broadest meaning, includes building awareness, trust and a relationship. It’s branding of your business so that the customer knows who you are and what you stand for. Part of that effort is your customer service effort. So if you ignore customer service, it just doesn’t pay to market. Your effort can be simply advertising and nothing more.

But realize when doing this that your customer pool is finite. And your reputation spreads. Even if you could maintain the cheapest prices over the long term, it won’t be enough to sustain your business.

Good customer service is more than a sign on the wall or a dedicated department. I would suggest taking the sign down and eliminating the department. It is not a job done by only a few employees. It starts with you and must be practiced by each and every employee every day. It’s shown through your words and action.

Good customer service means consistency and something more than one-size-fits-al. It’s offering the customer your full attention. It’s listening and it’s checking back after dealing with an upset customer.

Good customer service is realizing that not all customers are telling you their problems with your products and services. Search them out. Today’s social media is a great way to stay aware of some of these unspoken issues. Make contact and try to resolve the issue.

Customer service and marketing go together. Building a long-term business means offering both.

Photo (CC) by Stefan, on Flickr

Just over a month ago, I asked for your help (see A Question: Service Expectations – Jan 18^th). I thought I should share the thoughts given and an update on my situation.

In brief, my question asked if employees of a food establishment should be able to guide me through the payment process using my smart phone and near-field communication (Android Pay).

The responses indicate slightly  (3 yes and 2 no with one “it depends”) that employees should be able to help the customer. One respondent though indicated that the expectation of how far the employee might help should be limited and reasonable. The employee should not be responsible to help download and setup the app.

Of course, this answer fit well with my situation. I didn’t want to be embarrassed that I couldn’t work my smartphone and that I was also holding up other customers.

Also to me, it seems there is some implied promise that some help might be given if you offer something.

Yet other respondents offered some excellent reasons why this expectation probably exceeded what I should expect. One reason was that knowing how to use the phone and its apps rested with the user. I was doing this for me. The store had multiple ways I could pay and the method I selected was my choice.

One business owner said the issue does not seem to come up often based on her experience. This makes it something that, given all of the training and procedures employees need to have, something less than a priority.

There was a mix of feelings. As I mentioned in the article, I had not prepared myself on how to use the app. Watching others made it look so simple and isn’t that what we expect of modern technology.

I think the comment about expected use of the app is important in your decision. If you have a customer base likely to use this tool a lot, you may want to be prepared. If little use is expected, it probably need not be as high on your to-do list.

Bottom line – If I can offer a path it would be this:

• Know what tools are out there
• Think about the potential use in your situation. This starts with deciding if you will even offer something.
• Train your employees.  The training might be as simple as teaching them how, in an acceptable way, of saying you can’t help people with such issues.
• And be prepared to follow future changes and new tools

So to an update on my progress as a techie. 

After going home and looking at how it should be done, including a YouTube video, I had another unsuccessful attempt. Again, I got nervous as I was holding up the line. This time the staff member did offer a couple of suggests but I just gave up and swiped my credit card.  But on my third attempt, success.

Since then I have used another “pay-by-app” tool. This did not use near-field communication but another method. Again, I was unsuccessful the first time. It was my error though as I did not remember my PIN number. After resetting, success!!

And since then, as I have been in other stores, my phone has informed me that I could use my Android Pay app as well (thanks technology).

These tools, and many more coming, are part of the continuing technology explosion. Not all will go into the mainstream. And even those that make it may only last a few years.  As a business owner, you need to evaluate which ones to use and then help yourself and your staff to learn them and possibly to assist others. 

Enjoy the challenge.

Photo (CC) by Ninlan Reid, on Flickr

No doubt about it: We all like to have a “wow” customer experience.

Yet research has found that, while the “knock your socks off” experience is one you remember, what gets customers back in the door is when they receive ongoing solid, good service from your company time and time again.

Consumers like consistency. They want to know what they had today, while shopping in your store, will be the same tomorrow, next week and next year. That is the standard you need to strive for in your small business.

Great experiences get talked about, but through time, the memory fades and other experiences begin to color what happened. As I think back through the years, I can talk about several outstanding experiences I have had. Yet ask me about the company today and I also will talk about how on later occasions, these businesses failed to meet my standards, let alone continue to hit that high plateau.

Thus the one “wow” moment gets your business visibility in the short run only. Companies that offer continued solid customer service though are where the consumer becomes an ambassador.

Focus your efforts on understanding and fulfilling expectations. Achieving that becomes part of your brand. It’s what people are looking for.

Mark Twain’s comments on this still are valid today, “Always do right! This will gratify some people and astonish the rest.”

Photo (CC) by Stefan, on Flickr

If you have been reading my Wednesday contributions to Small Business Survival, you know to expect some tip for your business operation or some new idea seen elsewhere.

This week you will find something different. I need your thoughts. I have an opinion but am I realistic?

Here is the situation. Over the weekend, I stopped into a local café. It’s the type of place where you place your order before you grab a table.

As I was placing my order, I noted that they took “Android Pay” (not an endorsement – it’s just a popular payment option, one of several).  I had the app loaded on my smartphone but had never used it. Also it was quiet in the restaurant so I had the time to fumble around.

So my wife and I place our order. I then indicated I wanted to try the app. I brought it up on my phone assuming that something more would appear on the app that I would press and then be on my way.

Wrong!!. Nothing happened. I tried a couple more things but couldn’t find a menu or list of instructions. Of course, now I am feeling somewhat embarrassed. So I asked the clerk for help.

She responded, “I don’t know what to do.”

After fumbling around for a couple of minutes, I just dug out my plastic and paid.

So my question. Is it fair to expect people in a food business (or any other business) to be able to answer your tech questions? She had been helpful on our food questions that morning.

POST YOUR RESPONSE IN THE COMMENT BOX!! Perhaps you might respond differently as a small-business owner and as a customer. If so, indicate that. (This question is a great way to learn from each other. After you respond, share the question with your friends.)

So, what are my thoughts??

I am flip-flopping between she should be able to help or that’s beyond her job description as my smartphone is not part of their business. In terms of the latter, she deals with food. Tech may not be her thing. How far does customer service go? It’s a new world with new tech coming out all the time. Or (now my bias comes out), maybe a millennial could help but can I expect a boomer (of which I am one) to do so? But doing this represent a whole new category of employee training (and it would be constant training as fast as technology changes).

Yet on the flip side, not being able to help might cost them business. Plus what do customers think when you can’t help. How does it affect not only sales but your brand?

Is there a middle ground?  Just saying we can’t help you, doesn’t help your business. Would having the instructions on your website be an answer?

HELP!!!

For me, it’s a challenge. I am going back as I know have checked out the instructions. Here is a YouTube video showing someone using the app as well as instructions from Google.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyEWsB128Dc

How to pay – https://support.google.com/androidpay/answer/6224824?hl=en 

You don’t have to open the Android Pay app to make a purchase with your NFC phone. Just follow these steps:

1. Wake up and unlock your phone.
2. Hold the back of your phone against the contactless payment terminal.
3. If prompted, choose “Credit” regardless of your type of card.
4. For debit card transactions, you may have to enter a PIN. Use the PIN you set up with your bank.

Photo (CC) Dan Lacher, on Flickr

How often have you entered a store only to experience one of these two scenarios? You can’t find anyone to help you or a salesperson descends on you and just won’t go away so you can shop.

You hear a lot about the importance of customer service. Yet, much of what you read and hear is in terms of “after the purchase” support. The question addressed here is how you or your staff can best help customers while they are making their decision.

Why is this important? That’s because the more you can assist customers to make the best decision at this stage means the fewer customers coming back with a complaint or the fewer who are offering negative comments to their friends and co-workers.

Understand that helping the customer who walks in the door is a tough job. You don’t know if the person is a serious shopper or if he or she is just browsing. Even if you determine the person is  a serious shopper, you probably don’t know where he or she is in the purchasing process. Is the person just starting and gathering information or down to picking between choice A or B?

Perhaps the customer already know what he or she wants and is deciding where to buy it.

Getting answers to these and other questions about the customer’s intentions is key to a successful interaction. Such information comes through two sources. The first source of information is  obtained by asking questions and then actively listening to what the customer said. Greet your customers as they enter the store and ask if you can be of help. Listen hard to the answer for clues to guide your next action.

The second source of information comes from body language. Does the customer comment that he or she needs no help but then stands there looking around? This may be a sign the person does need a little help but doesn’t want to have someone following his or her every footstep. I am reading a book by Bill Bryson, “The Road to Little Dribbling,” in which he comments on some retailers who feel the need to blurt advice whether wanted or not.

The information you gather from customers should guide you. If the customer indicates a desire to be left alone, honor that wish. However, don’t abandon the person. Again, watch the body language and check back. If you hear again that he or she just wants to browse, listen but be available. When a customer does determine he or she needs some help, research shows the person doesn’t want to have to run all over the store to find it.

Regarding the help wanted, the No. 1 desire among customers is to have knowledgeable staff. So if a person needs help with something you are not familiar with, don’t try to bluff your way through. Get someone who can answer the customer’s questions. You never know the depth of the customer’s knowledge.

Customers want to be treated with promptness, respect and fairly. They also desire your time once they’ve made a decision to buy. Don’t try to handle two or three people at one time.

Surprisingly, retailers only rate knowledge and promptness as fifth and sixth.  Friendliness is their idea of what is most important to customers.

Customer interactions skills grow with practice and as you reflect on the interactions you have. You also can ask customers, as you get to know them, about how you and your staff might improve. If possible, ask them to think back to those first times they came in to your business.

In-person interaction with the customer forms an important part of his or her rating. Make every effort to bring your business to the top of the list.