I was in a rather uninspiring airport waiting to connect to another flight and wandered over to a Liquor store. It was more of a conventional shop with a doorway as an entrance rather than open plan like most stores are these days. There was one shop assistant sat in deep concentration at the till. A good sign you might think but unfortunately she was not concentrating on at what was going on in the store.
I decided to leave. I wasn’t going to interrupt her concentration. After all, that is what most shoppers do… they are silent. I slipped out unnoticed. I walked round and looked through the window to see what she was doing. She was having a conversation on Facebook using the computer on the till.
So, there we have it. I was the invisible shopper. For the retailer, Facebook was more important than the shopper!
Key Lessons
- Remove internet access (via PC terminals or smart phones) from the shop floor
- Inspire staff to deliver a great experience
- Give frontline staff the tools & confidence to be able to sell more
Remember, even your biggest fans can become a silent shopper, leaving without making a purchase. Even worse, a silent assassin – sharing their experience over a coffee with a friend or 2 and before you know it a wave of bad word of mouth publicity is affecting your business which could turn into a wildfire.
Who is the face of your retail business?
As ever, thank you for reading and sharing.
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