Those who don't ask, don't win!

How to practice inexpensive market research and earn the love of your customers!

Many retailers and retailing companies spare no effort to discover what and how much customers buy, what they want and how satisfied they are. Extensive market research, customer surveys and customer relationship management are no doubt helpful and necessary to identify trends and developments as well as to prepare and make decisions.

Mystery shoppers and customer focus groups on-site in the stores can also be reasonable and useful methods.

But market research can be much easier, more cost-friendly, more direct and personal!

On a trip to the United States, I bought something in an apparel shop. As I was paying for my purchase, the friendly cashier asked me two questions:

1. »Did you find everything you were looking for?«
2. »Is there anything that you think we could do better?«

I was truly astonished. And pleasantly surprised. When I answered her questions, the woman looked at me frankly and with sincere interest. She at one point posed a follow-up question, pulled out a little notebook and started writing down my comments. Then she cordially thanked me for my purchase as well as for my constructive feedback and suggestions for improvement.

How impressively simple this was and how valuable! Just imagine: If you asked ten customers a day two questions, you would get 10 people´s feedback a day, 60 per week, 240 per month and 2880 per year!

What a chance to receive countless possibilities for improvement as well as new ideas. And immediately, in an instant, and at no extra cost! And at the same time you show your customer you care and that their opinion is important.

A simple and effective method and easy to copy, too.

Who asks, wins – they say in Germany. And this is how it is done:

• Ask few, but the right questions
• Define who the one to ask is and ask regularly
• Show true interest in your customers' answers
• Systematically note down the answers
• Appreciate your customer’s opinion and suggestion by saying thank you very much – never by any means disagree or justify the customer’s criticism
• Consequently and regularly collect and analyze the answers with your team – make sure that the customer feedback is always viewed in relation to your company/store strategy as well as to the performance and value proposition of your brand
• And most importantly: Put the new findings, improvements and ideas into action!

I am pretty sure you will be surprised by your customer’s answers and feedback. If you are not afraid to ask, you will learn a lot and most likely get a lot of positive feedback as well!

When will you start to ask your customers?

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