Seven Reasons Why Your Small Business May be Losing Customers

Have you as a customer ever walked into the entrance of a shop, turned around and walked out again? I have and have no hesitation in doing so if I think I'm in the wrong place. What makes me think a business is wrong for me? Here are my seven 'pet peeves'.

If I am driving on a busy street and the shop signs or street numbers are not clearly visible. It is hard enough managing traffic without having to hold a magnifying glass to an eye to see the street numbers or to try and read the signs, drive and dodge traffic and pedestrians all at the same time. This is not only discouraging, it's just plain dangerous to myself and everyone else. I tend to avoid these shops and will always go elsewhere to avoid them, even if I have to pay a bit more for an item.

Next would have to be cluttered premises. If I think I'm going to have to climb over 'stuff' to look for something that isn't showing positive signs of being well labelled or in an easy to find 'logical' place, why would I want to waste my time and possibly do myself damage in looking for something?

If the car park is full and I have to park out on the street, I expect to be able to have a drive through area so that I don't have to carry heavy items any distance to my car. If there is no drive through, and the items I have purchased are bulky, heavy or awkward, I will return to any store that offers to assist me by carrying the items to my vehicle. This is real customer service and will get me back every time. If I am just left to flounder and manage on my own, I won't be back and I'll recommend to my friends that they don't go there either.

On the other hand, if I walk into a shop that has well laid out aisles with goods neatly stacked and I am met with a friendly smile and a hello, I feel so welcome I'm inclined to browse and pick up extras that look of good quality or 'could come in handy one day'. Particularly if I am assisted with getting what I originally came into the store for, and I am then asked if I would just like to browse on my own. Brilliant strategy for selling those value-ads in any business. One is usually in an area of immediate interest to them because that's why they are at the store in the first place, and when they see the other things related to the product they went in there to purchase originally, there's a pretty good chance they will find something else along the same lines.

If I am left to comfortably browse at my own pace, I will usually end up buying a few extras this way. On the other hand, if I feel that I am being watched unnecessarily, it discourages me from picking up and investigating other like products in case they think I'm shoplifting so I leave. Not a pleasant feeling and it does discourage anyone from buying extras to what they went in for.

If the shop floor is unclean and needs sweeping, or smells old and dusty, it doesn't invite anyone to browse any longer than absolutely necessary. If I feel dust on my hands after examining an item, I know they don't have a big turnover so in some cases, I will try bargaining. Sometimes this works and sometimes it doesn't but there's no harm in trying.

Poor lighting is another thing that discourages me from returning to a retail outlet. Poor lighting when combined with dog eared price tags is also another reason I will walk out of a shop and never return. If the price is not easily read I always feel that they are hiding something. Unless it was urgent or the only place an item was available, would be the only reason I would ever return.