This post is provided by Jason Dirkham.
The last thing that any business wants to do is turn its customers off and cause them to move away from the brand, but it is a very common occurrence indeed. If you don’t want to follow in the footsteps of so many failed businesses that have come before you, then, you need to do whatever you can to keep the customers happy and willing to return to you time and time again.
Okay, but how exactly do you do that? A good place to start would be by knowing the kinds of things that could turn your customers off, which you simply have not thought about much before. So, let’s get into it.
When they feel like they’re shouting into the abyss
Okay, so this is tricky one because there are a lot of people who do not like to be bothered unduly by sales staff when they are just browsing, but conversely, a lot of people are turned off when they perceive that they are not getting much in the way of service. If there is no one there to greet them when they enter the shop, or deal with their requests immediately online, they might feel like they are shouting into the abyss and this is sure o turn them off, so work on finding the right balance between being helpful and going for the annoying hard sell.
Bad bathrooms
If you run a company where customers and clients are likely to come to a physical place to do business with you, then it is really important, more important than you might think, that you keep your bathrooms clean. After all, if a client needs to use the toilet and they find them to be dirty, disgusting, and with an odor that is so bad it makes them gag, they aren’t going to be impressed or think much about your company are they? That is why decent cleaners and washroom hygiene services really are worth their weight in gold. When the toilets sparkle, your customers are not going to be turned off by them.
Over-personalization
These days, it seems like every other bit of business advice is about personalizing the shopping experience, and there is no denying that a bit of targeted awareness towards the customer can be effective. However, when you go too far with it, it can start to really creep people out. If it feels like you are being too overfamiliar with them or that you know way too much about them, then they may start to have privacy concerns which cause them to take their business elsewhere. So, it is really vital that you are able to find the balance between personalization and overfamiliarity. This may take a little trial and error, but it will be well worth it in the end.
Too much choice
You might think that giving your customers as many choices as possible is a good way to keep them happy and keep them coming back for more, but the opposite may actually be true. You see, there is a paradox of choice whereby when someone has too much choice they find it harder to make a decision. They do not know how to weigh up all the options and make the best decision for them so they end up not making a decision a all, which could be really bad news for your bottom line!
The smell in physical stores
It might surprise you, but the smell of your physical store can have a real nose-to-nose impact on customers. Ever noticed how certain shops have a distinctive aroma? It’s no accident! Scents can create a warm, welcoming environment or, smell of cleanliness to a subtle hint of vanilla or lavender, the olfactory experience plays a vital role in shaping customer perceptions. Get it wrong, and it’s a turn-off; get it right, and you’ve added an extra, appealing layer to the shopping experience. Just bear in mind that even pleasant smells can be overwhelming, unpleasant, and overpowering for some people – a lot of people cannot shop in Lush stores for this reason – so often a neutral clean smell is the best way to go.
Your values do not match theirs
These days, customers are much more savvy about who they shop with and it is not just researching the best prices or the greatest value for money that they think about; today, people want to spend their money with businesses that share their values. That means, if there is a misalignment between the values you run your business by and the values your main target audience hold, they could well be turned off from using you.
For example, if you have a young audience who are more likely to be engaged in sustainable awareness, and you package your products in plastic instead of biodegradable materials, you will probably see a decline in customers. So, be sure to work out who your audience is and what they expect from the companies they do business with.
Employee appearance
This is tough one, but the way your employees look can often turn your customers off. For example, if you are running a high-end fashion store, but your staff are dressed in a scruffy manner, then it might cause some customers to walk right back out of the door, or if you are running a very niche company, but your employees on social media to not look like the kinds of people who enjoy Marvel or Kawaii or running, for example, then it could cause them to look elsewhere because how you look can represent how much you know about the products and services you offer. So, bear this in mind during the recruitment process.
Now that you know a bit more about the kinds of things that can turn your customers off your business fast, you can start making the necessary changes within your business to keep them happy and keep them coming back for more. Good luck!
