The sign on the store’s front door read, “No shoes, no shirt, no service, no food, no drink, no eating, no smoking, no strollers, no pets, no travelers checks, no credit cards. Welcome to the store.”
No thanks. We don’t even want to come in and browse. At least not here. That warm greeting made us want to turn around and shop somewhere else, but were stuck because the store’s owner had invited us to visit her store, and we were expected. We were also going to have to tell her how we felt about that sign on her front door.
Wake up and smell the 21st Century, we told the retailer. It's no longer business as usual. Today, customers can buy what you sell in any number of places: the Internet, catalogs, through e-mail marketing; even eBay; not to mention the hundreds of competitors in surrounding towns who would be more than happy to steal your customers from you. These days you simply cannot afford to have unfriendly signing hanging in your store.
Take a look at the signing messages in your store. Every sign can be re-worded to send a positive message. “Absolutely NO Refunds or exchanges without a receipt ” can be changed to read, “We will gladly exchange your item or refund your money within _________ days. Your receipt guarantees it.”
As the saying goes, you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Take a look at your own store policies and at every single sign that hangs in your store. Do it yourself and have your staff do it too. Make sure that each one is geared toward the customer’s satisfaction. Your policies and signing should invite customers to shop in your store, and maybe more importantly, encourage them to return.
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