I am a quintessential shopper; I like to understand the retail proposition and see what a retailers offerings are with respect to competition and customer experience. Do they understand their customer? Who are they attracting? Who are they not attracting? What is the assortment? Is there a sense of passion for the business? Product? Visual Merchandising? Or does it happen to operate but without a reason for being? Soul-less? Passion-less?
I have traveled many places and always seek out interesting retailers of every category- food, wine, apparel, home, art, etc.
• The retailer’s soul can be found in every touch point (or there lack of) – what is the name of the business?
• What are the products?
• What are the assortments?
• How complete and relevant are the assortments?
• What is the merchandise mix?
• Is the private label program in your benefit—i.e. do you get value products or just cheaply produced products?
• Are all the proprietary brands you need in stock?
• Are the sizes you need available?
• Are they competitively priced?
• Does the retail proposition leave you many more things to buy then you intended?
• That you could go time and again and never get everything you want?
And these are just a few of the marks of a retailer’s business proposition.
With this being said; on a visit to the University Art’s San Francisco in late June of this year (2008); I found the above to be a soul-less business that was pronounced with a customer experience that is by far the worst; the store was dishelved; had no ambiance or music; no way finding; there was no visible marker of passion or excitement. I have visited thousands of stores both chain and independent and there are visible signs of the raison d’etre; on any and all measures I could not see how this store was able to make their lease payments; the customer service was horrible; the worst I have ever experienced; to call it customer service is a complete misnomer; there wasn’t any; and in fact it was hostile; I cannot recall any time in my life where I would cite any store visit as hostile but it is certainly this store; if Pretty Woman was filmed in San Francisco it could have been filmed here and the “please leave” would have been cited. I was starred down by a beady character on the second floor office; and the cashier had the same beady eyes. Their approach with me was like I have never experienced before; and frankly would never step foot in this store ever again; and I wish I could have returned every single product I have ever purchased from this store; I have never said that about any retail store I have been a customer. Given today’s retail environment being offensive to customers does not work in a retailer’s best interest. Sometimes a business needs to be reminded why they are in business and this is one of them.
I then went to Flax Art and Design on Market Street to make my art supply purchases; this is a compelling retail store for art, design and gift products in an exciting retail space with product arrays and extensions that make you want one of everything. This store is wondrous, competitive prices; beautiful gift-wraps, extensive art supplies, cards and all delivered with plenty of associates to help if you need someone but also you will not be stared and scared away. A great example of two opposite customer experiences; demonstrating that there is competition and that will be the benchmark that sets business apart. That will either make or break them. Rare is it that there is little competition; and in this category is filled with many retail players; understanding and appreciating customers is key; customers are earned one at a time and the opposite is also try—are also lost one at a time; losing or gaining a customer is essential; by gaining a customer; a business must not loose it’s footing and it is much easier done by belief that you will always be number one; for a losing business there is a myriad of loss that is accompanied that “our customers don’t understand us!” What? Would a business actually ask this question? And the correct response would be that it is out-of-touch and truly a recipe for disaster; that is why some business succeed and many fail. Loosing a customer should make a business work smarter; but the opposite is true—they either work harder or not at all.
Flax Art and Design and University Art are two tangible business with radically different customer experience trajectories.
© 2008 James Meléndez / Jaime Patricio Meléndez
Posted by jamesthewineguy 
