Education

Being Counter Productive

May 5, 2006 | By: deaneparkes

Paaco Underhill, author of ‘Why We Buy’ [which everyone who retails should/must/better read] claims the checkout counter experience either completes a shopping experience or could ruin everything experienced up to that point.

With this in mind let’s checkout the checkout and look at a few key points to consider.

• Can customer’s checkout quickly? – A shopper will spend 20-30 minutes browsing, picking up products they need, asking questions and receiving product knowledge HOWEVER when they want to leave they want to get out quickly and efficiently. Any wasted time at the checkout is perceived as poor service and will degrade any positive impressions made up this point. Be sure everyone understands this and is aware at all times if the checkout is getting backed up to get in and help out [a buzzer to the back room is worth having]. You should make sure all your front-end systems are well organized and everyone has good training. Even changing a till tape can cause customer frustration as you search for another roll.
• Line-ups happen – If you run a good store there are times when line-ups are larger than the staff can handle quickly. The staff, at the checkout, needs to understand the importance of making people feel at ease. It is important to acknowledge the people waiting and thanking them for their patience. Humor works well, being up beat and very understanding.  This is not a time for complaining about how so and so is sick and you are all alone and life is a drag, no one really cares, the key is to have a positive attitude. [Somebody does care but they are not probably standing in line].
• Keep area clean and clutter free – 80% of shoppers are women and when they are standing as you ring in their order they notice EVERYTHING. If your counter is messy and they see dirt behind the counter they will assume the entire store is this way. Take care in accessing the entire look of your checkout. I have seen many stores use the area as their office space, pricing station, bulk bagging area, countless products etc. All this leads to making poor impressions and also leaves little room for counter space. Paaco Underhill says fresh flowers change the whole perception of an area for women shoppers.
• Great place for signs – No matter how fast you check customers out they will need to spend some time standing at the counter. Keep the area ‘interesting’. Have some signs behind the counter, maybe your store values. If you use signs change them regular, easy to read and above all interesting. Examples: Folic Acid helps protect the health of you and your baby during pregnancy, Why Organic?  Children receive up to 35 percent of their lifetime dose of cancer-causing pesticides by the age of five; walking 10 minutes 3 times a day reduces hot flashes.
• Great place for information – Keep the information neat and if possible highlight the key benefit of the info. Example – Menopause, Arthritis, Benefits of, Organic Produce, etc. If you are going to bag stuff give value to what you put in the bag, ‘here is some great information on women’s health’ then put it in their bag.
• Great place to get names for your mailing list  – A retailer called me recently  to say ‘anyone not using a mailing list is missing out big time’. He went on to explain how he only recently began getting customer names however when he mailed out to the 350 on his list he had a huge response. ‘68% of consumers never return to a store due to apathy after the sale’ a mailing/email list helps you stay connected. Getting names and addresses is easy – ask customers to fill out your form just before you ring in their sale…. you will be surprised how many will do it without any fuss.
• Great place to add on – A few stores recently have told me how well they do by suggesting an add on for a product at the counter as the customer is checking out. The key is do not have too many product offerings and make the benefits easy to determine. Generally a special price helps the counter sale.
• Smile – We all know the feeling when you are buying something with your hard earned money and the cashier has a long face and poor tone of voice. Keep upbeat, friendly, caring and if you are not in the mood smile anyway!
• Say Thank you – I know this sounds obvious. And if the purchase was for a product the customer has never used before make a point, after they have paid, to come back and let you know how they liked it.

This is just an overview. The key is to remember that every sale goes through the checkout area and the impressions made during this vital part of the sale could make or break your customer’s loyalty. Make the checkout experience a positive lasting experience…. BE COUNTER PRODUCTIVE!!!!!!