July 2023 NEWSLETTER
We were talking the other day at School of Retail about refunds. When I say talking it was more of a moan about the 5 weeks taken to receive a refund from an online retailer.
We got onto comparing the joy of a retailer like Zara that makes it so seamlessly easy and wondering why others choose to make it so damn hard.
The team members on the frontline are the ones who are either empowered to make the customer happy or restricted by antiquated policies that nearly always make the customer unhappy.
Think Nordstrom and their good judgement ‘rule’.
We get asked a lot to train on how to handle ‘difficult customers’.
Our response is ‘When are they difficult?’
The answer is nearly always when refunding.
Interesting.
The average return rate sits at around 20-30% of sales.
It’s a high amount to factor into your business but if we know that a repeat customer is easier to win than a new customer (think marketing spend etc) then why would we jeopardise making them even slightly disgruntled?
A survey recently showed that 41% of shoppers said they had stopped using a retailer following a poor experience with returns.
And why would we put the team member in such an awkward, confrontational situation?
Even worse - we’ve all been there where a call has to be made to head office or an area manager to seek approval to override the refund policy.
How cringeworthy and disempowering.
Our classes educate your retail leaders on how to create great team and customer experiences.
Let’s be an industry that does that!
THINGS WE LOVE IN RETAIL THIS MONTH
We love the retailers that hold their team’s favourite products in high regard. If ever I see a review by a team member in a book shop or a wine store, you can be sure that’s the one I’ll buy.
Incu do such a great job of promoting the talent of their team and consequent engagement levels must be sky high.
Simple and free but effective ways to create the customer and team experience we all want to be famous for.
STUDENT OF THE MONTH
We’re giving School of Retail the vote this month. With our customers always at the front of our minds, we went back to school ourselves to continually improve our presenting skills, educated by the always impressive Simon Sinek.
RETAILER OF THE MONTH
We admire the retailers who use their business as a platform for the greater good and the work Camilla and Marc do for Ovarian Cancer research is something to be truly proud of.
LOVE NOTE
We always survey our students once they’ve been to our classes and this one from the Austin Group is up there with the ones we’d like to frame.
Question 10. Any other feedback you would like to share?
See you in store soon
Love, Claire, Janelle and Aba