The most planned for day in retail is Black Friday. The quality of product and service can set the tone for your entire holiday season. What most people do not realize, is the day after Christmas is also one of the highest traffic days of the year. Most stores communicate how busy they were with total sales, unfortunately returns make such a huge dent on this day, that transactions need to be your measure. I would also say, that to truly make the most of this day....it will require more planning than Black Friday!!
First, stores need to staff accordingly. Transaction count for the day after Christmas is usually within top 3 of December (it is worth noting this article is geared more towards businesses that experience an influx of holiday refund transactions). Merchandise needs to get immediately priced and restocked, this is usually a huge miss. Many customers are not looking to return, but exchange for a more suitable item. There should also be enough cashiers available, as a refund transaction often takes longer than a purchase.
Second, get organized now! Communicate your system to maneuver product as returns come in and sales go out. This day can be a challenge to a manager if they are not prepared to handle the rush of people looking for bargains, as well as those coming in to return product. If you haven't done so already, make sure signage is very organized. As product comes in, you will need to be prepared to be flexible enough to accommodate the unexpected...that means have your "silent salespeople" ready and organized!
Last, and most importantly, communicate to your teams that this is the single most important day of the year!! Sure Black Friday is the money maker and will set the tone for your holiday season, but the customer service delivered on this day will resonate throughout the entire year. Many customers have already played out a negative scenario of how they will "hold firm" if their return is not handled professionally. Many times, customers are having their first ever experience with your store and company as they return something someone else bought them. BE THE SURPRISE!!! My strategy, was having a contest to see which cashier got the most customer compliments that day. They almost seemed to be happier with returns! What amazed me the first time I took this approach, was the amount of people that approached me and said, "Wow, your cashiers are great and made that so easy" and "Your lines are going way faster than other stores". I was surprised that the word that kept getting repeated was "easy", meaning customers expected the day to be difficult. I also don't think my cashiers moved any faster than most other stores, but by the customers walking out happy, they never noticed the time spent in the transaction.
I have said before, that customers are not as price focused as many people believe. It is all about VALUE. By providing people with an unexpectedly wonderful customer experience in the days following Christmas, you will be delivering a value that you will see in increased traffic numbers next year!!
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