Doug Fleener

As the former director of retail for Bose Corporation and an independent retailer himself, Doug has the unique experience and ability to help companies of all sizes. Doug is a retail and customer experience consultant, keynote speaker and a recognized expert worldwide.

One of thousands, or thousands of ones

0 comments 96 reads

Posted on 2012-05-23

The best customer service/experience happens when I feel respected and/or appreciated, and my expectations are met or exceeded. My expectations can be anything - good food, good service, a knowledgeable salesperson, a fast check-in, open registers, I’m not kept waiting, a product in stock, etc., etc., etc.

While many elements make up a great customer experience, there is one common theme: Me. As a customer, I’m the one that determines whether I’ve had a good experience or not.

I’m sure most, if not all, of the companies I do business with have a defined service approach and training for their employees, but there’s a big miss by virtually every one of them. Me. Companies talk about customers as if they’re all the same; as if each person who walks in the door is just another version of the person before.

If thousands of people walk in over the course of a week I’m one of thousands but in reality, customers are thousands of ones.

That is why...

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Making The Right Choice. . . . For Your Customer

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Posted on 2012-05-16

Retailers make subconscious choices between making things easier for themselves or delivering the best experience for their customers almost every day. We rarely realize we're making this choice, but because everything we do has an impact on our customers they will feel the results of our choices. The more we are aware that we are making a choice the more likely it is we'll make the right one.

A common example of this choice is when a store staff closes down one register early so they get out quickly at closing time. I'll admit that this was my standard operating procedure when I owned or ran a store. The problem is that closing a register early may force some customers to wait if the store is busy at closing time or if there is a problem with one customer's transaction. What's the big deal? Well, it might not be a big deal to the staff but it is if you're the customer waiting in a line as you stare at an unused...

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Selling to men

0 comments 313 reads

Posted on 2012-05-09

With less than a week to go until Mother’s Day, any store that sells Mother’s Day products will begin to see more and more male shoppers. If that’s your store, here are ten tips to share with your team. For the rest of you specialty retailers, these are still good reminders for maximizing your sales opportunities.

1. Assume every man who walks into your store between now and Sunday is there to buy. Remember, we create more sales when we begin by assuming the customer is a buyer.

2. Don't ask if he needs help. You know he's there to buy something and that you are just the right person to assist him. Instead of saying "How may I help you? or "Can I help you find something?" say something like, "Welcome. I bet you are looking for the perfect Mother’s Day gift."

3. Take charge of the sale. There's a lot of truth to the stereotype about men not asking for directions, and a lot of us won't ask for help in a...

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When a customer freaks out

0 comments 771 reads

Posted on 2012-04-25

While waiting for a flight the other day I watched a very stressed passenger freak out on an airline representative. The passenger’s behavior was embarrassing and completely unacceptable, and of course I couldn’t help but watch to see how the agent handled it.

Overall she did a great job, but at the same time I saw things she could have done better. I know you don’t have people freak out on you very often (thank goodness) but here are a few tips to remember when it does happen.

1. Remain calm. Okay, as calm as you can. It is easier said than done, but getting aggravated just doubles the drama and pretty much guarantees things will get worse.

Don’t take it personally. The passenger was screaming that she was going to get the agent fired, but the real issue was that she missed her check-in time and her seat was given away to another passenger. If whatever situation hadn’t happened, you wouldn’t even be involved.

2. Don’t...

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Reading and exceeding the customer's expectations

0 comments 508 reads

Posted on 2012-04-18

One of the keys to meeting and, we hope, exceeding a customer's expectations is to first determine what they are. How do you know if you've met or exceeded expectations unless you know what they are?

Unfortunately, many retailers and sales people take a "one size fits all" approach.

They assume a customer wants to be left alone. That may or may not be true.

They assume a customer wants to chat and look at lots of products. That may or may not be true.

They assume a customer is in a hurry or not in a hurry. That may or may not be true.

They assume a customer is interested in features. That may or may not be true.

I could go on and on, but you get my point. What is important to one customer doesn't mean a thing to another.

How do you know what someone is expecting from you and your store? The easiest way to find out would be to ask your customer when he/she walks in the door. Although some people...

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Bragability

0 comments 254 reads

Posted on 2012-04-11

Bragging is usually regarded as a less-than-admirable quality in a person, but I actually enjoy hearing people blow his/her own horn. Excessive self-importance turns me off, but I like to hear people share their pride in their accomplishments. It can be a fine line.

Hearing people cross that line when they're bragging about the company they work for or the stores where they shop is music to my ears. There is no better advertisement, or more effective recruiting method, than a bragging customer and/or employee.

When someone is bragging about your store(s) you can be sure you're doing a lot of things right. As a matter of fact, getting the people who work for you or shop with you to want to brag about you is the result of the same actions. Here are five elements that contribute to your store's bragability.

1. Making an emotional connection. People take pride in being a part of it. It's not "a" store, it's "my" store. When your employees and your...

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Give them more of that human touch

1 comments 537 reads

Posted on 2012-03-28

In all of the talk about online sales and technology dominating the future of retail, people are missing what Bruce Springsteen sang about in 1992.

I just want someone to talk to

And a little of that human touch

Just a little of that human touch.

Most people like experiences that are enhanced by the people. It doesn't mean they don't also buy online, but when given the opportunity they are more likely to do business with companies with which they feel a connection. The human touch, if you will.

Before disagreeing and citing your own shopping experiences, break down the difference between a store that employs people and one that delivers great customer experience enhanced by the human touch.

Here's an example. An independent bookstore can hire wonderful people, but if those wonderful people don't proactively engage customers and add value to their shopping experience, there is little, if any, human...

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Keeping top performers

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Posted on 2012-03-20

CareerBuilder released a survey last month reporting that almost half of retail hiring managers are concerned they’re going to lost their top employees. That’s not surprising. One third of retailers saw an increase in turnover in 2011, and with a rebounding economy I think we’ll see that number jump.

While some turnover is healthy for a store/company, too much turnover, or losing top talent, can have a direct impact on the top and bottom lines. And while some people leave for more money, that’s usually not the reason people start looking in the first place.

I’m sure we could find plenty of surveys and studies about why retail employees leave their jobs, but it’s more important to know why good employees voluntarily leave. I believe it gets down to a few very avoidable reasons.

1. Not feeling appreciated by their manager or company. In some stores and companies, especially those that don’t track individual sales...

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Coaching a bad attitude

0 comments 1,635 reads

Posted on 2012-03-14

No matter how good we are at hiring and motivating a team, there almost always comes a time when we have to deal with an employee who has a less-than-stellar attitude. Coaching a bad attitude, I find, is one of the more challenging aspects of management.

A bad attitude is hard to quantify, and the person in question often doesn’t agree that there is an issue. However, if you don’t address and turn that attitude around it can spread throughout the team, affecting teamwork, the customer experience, and ultimately sales.

Here are some tips for coaching an employee with a bad attitude.

1. Address the problem as soon as it arises. Everyone can have a bad day, including you and me. It happens. But when it happens on a regular basis and starts to have an impact on the team and the customer, then it’s a bad attitude that needs addressed. Some managers hope it goes away without his/her involvement. It rarely does.

2. Separate the...

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Follow-up for success

0 comments 349 reads

Posted on 2012-03-07

A few years ago I presented a seminar to around one hundred retailers. These people run stores whose products have a fairly high price point; they often offer delivery and sometimes installation of the products they sell.

So I was shocked when I discovered that maybe 5% of these retailers make a habit of following-up with their customers after the sale is completed. No follow-up phone call. No thank you card. No customer survey. But then again I don't know why I'm shocked because I see this lack of follow-up with retailers in just about every category.

Think about all of the benefits of following up with customer. You're able to demonstrate your appreciation to the customer again. That's a good reason. You can find out if there are problems or issues and possibly save the sale. That's a good reason. You might make another sale. That's a great reason. You might so impress the customer that he/she tells friends and family all...

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