The other day I visited a local sporting goods store. I was looking for a strap to hold my daughter’s new glasses on when she starts tennis lessons later this week. As I entered the store I saw what I was looking for right by the cash register. There were three employees in the store. One at the register ringing up a customer and two others chatting mid-store. My daughter and I perused the options but didn’t see any youth sized bands. The two employees chatting didn’t offer to come help us so we waited patiently for the person behind the counter to finish with the sale. When he was done he still didn’t acknowledge us but we waved to get his attention. When I asked if they carried youth-sized bands he said “No.” When I asked if there was a way that we could slip an adult strap on my daughter’s glasses he said “No.” After two strikes we left the store empty-handed. Yes, lack of inventory was a problem. Employee apathy was a bigger problem in my opinion. Use our online inventory system to help with the former and try focusing on the later by providing a much better customer experience. Your name depends upon it!
A few days later, I tried another local store with much the same result. Then I turned to the internet where I found suggestions on how to alter an adult sized band to fit a child. Since the first store that I had tried was the only place in town that seemed to carry what I needed I called another branch. This time the inventory was the same - no youth sized bands available, however the employee on the phone was helpful. He mentioned that they had adult sized bands and even offered to check for the particular colors that my daughter was interested in. They carried a color that would work. Their price was lower than what I had found on the internet and we could have it before her first lesson. SOLD! As expected the band was too big but a quick fix with a rubber band provided a perfect fit.
In a perfect world, I would have been able to find what I needed in the size and color that I needed at the first store. Barring that, I would have been happy to just encounter an enthusiastic, engaged employee who listened to what I needed and offered alternate solutions that they did stock.
Inventory management software can help you track your stock, but your employees are the ones who sell your product. Having what someone is looking for is only half the battle. The first store I visited had the product that I ultimately ended up buying, yet they didn’t make the sale. It was the customer service at the third local store (and the immediacy of a local purchase) that finally persuaded me to purchase. Because the first store was so uninterested in helping me, I tried multiple times to take my business elsewhere. If any other local store had carried the youth size that I was looking for, my sale would have gone to them. Now, I know that one glasses sport strap won’t make or break anyone’s business. However, there are multiple family members who engage in sports, our sporting good needs are varied and ongoing. In the next several seasons we will be in the market for cleats, shin guards, racquets, shoes, balls, and a plethora of other products and I can assure you that despite the convenience of the first location I visited we will be going elsewhere to stock up.
At Canvus we understand the value of good customer service. That’s why when you have an issue or a suggestion we’re always ready to listen and respond. You can be sure that we value your comments and will reply in a timely manner. Our goal is 100% customer satisfaction. We realize that we might not have everything you’d like right when you’d like to have it but you can be sure that we’ll do our best to find a solution that will work for you. Talk to us - we’re listening.
