An essential part of the Retail Industry is to experience different types of customers and to deal with them. There are customers who are flexible and easy-going. On the contrary, there are also such customers who are demanding and difficult. Their needs are unique and complex. Retailers have to deal with various types of customers on a daily basis.
Dealing with these various types of customers is necessary for retailers. Below is a list of the type of customers that retailers might encounter and ways to deal with them.
Up to date and Well Informed Buyer
Most of the buyers are up to date and well informed these days. Buyers thoroughly and carefully research before shopping at a particular store. They are well aware of the products in stock. Therefore be prepared because when such customers walk into the stores, they are already fully aware of the products available in that store.
For successful sales experience, connect with customers during their research period and we should know what types of customers they are and what are their needs. For this purpose, make sure that the customers are getting relevant information regarding products on their mobile phones or through emails.
Increase the social media presence and have maximum engagement with your customers. Also, be aware of the customer queries either through mail or social media and respond instantly.
The best way to deal with well-informed customers is to listen to what they have to say, instead of flooding them with offers.
Also, make sure to provide the well-informed customer with such knowledge that is new to them and something that did not come across them in their research period. Further, highlight such aspects that only your store has to offer.
The Window Shopper
The window shopper has no intention to buy. They just visit stores for amusement and pastime. They might be interested in particular products but their aim is not to purchase. They just want to view and analyze products.
Although dealing with such customers seems boring and aimless, but it is essential to acknowledge them. Simple acknowledgment is enough. Do not keep chasing them as they have not visited the store with the intention to buy. Such customers usually inform the salesperson that they are in the store just to browse. Make them feel welcomed and introduce them with one or two new products or about the sale. It is better to let them be until they require assistance.
To get these wanderers to buy, retailers can enhance the presentation of their store. Also, the best and the most profitable products can be highlighted to attract them. Retailers can also encourage Impulse Purchase. Easy-to-grab items are compelling enough to the window shoppers to grasp one or two items.
The Indecisive Buyer
The Indecisive buyer is not sure as to what to buy. They are confused about the items in the store. Such buyers are either not well informed before they come to shop or they are too informed and like too many products that confuse them and affect their decision making power.
The best way to deal with such customers is to know about their needs and lead them towards such products. Guiding them and trying to resolve their confusion is the key to such customers. If such customers are interested in buying more than one product, it is easy to persuade them to do so. Provide them with detailed information about the products, in case they are comparing several products.
Loyal and Regular type of Customers
Retailers should make sure to remain in contact with regular buyers through email, social media, etc. They greatly influence sales and are an asset to the business. There is nothing more valuable to a loyal customer than to appreciate them and their frequent presence at the store.
Regular customers are the best and easiest of all customers. They know well about the store and its latest products. They exactly know what to purchase. There is a level of trust among such customers and that is what drives them towards the store frequently. This makes the selling process easier as such customers are not demanding and difficult.
Need-Based types of Customers
The purpose of Need-Based Customers is to search for their desired product and leave the store as soon as the need is fulfilled. They are in search of the product that they are in need of and shall leave if they do not find it. Their reason to shop can be limited to a particular event, a specific need, etc. Although it is a bit difficult to deal with such customers, they can be turned into loyal customers if their demand is fulfilled and if they find products that they are in need of.
There is no need to get in their way and to bombard them with the information they are not in need of. They are on a mission and they are firm at only achieving that. They should be provided with simple and to the point replies to their queries.
If such customers are in a hurry do not bother them. If they are done with the buying process, speed-up their check-out process to save time. Retailers should know the types of customers
The Bargain Hunters; Types of Customers
Bargain hunters are in search of products with the lowest prices. They are not regular buyers and have no intention to be amongst such buyers as well. Although it is also not easy to handle such customers as they are not willing to buy products that exceed their desired price rate. Such customers need to be assured that they are getting a good deal. Retailers can also highlight high-quality products.
If they are not willing to buy on any term, note down their demands so that they can be informed later during promotions and sales.
The Talkative Buyer ; Types of Customers
Such customers love to talk while shopping. At times, they can keep the salesperson from doing their job. The salesperson needs to be polite to such customers, but they need to make sure that in doing so the other customers are not being affected and ignored. There is no need for the attendant to indulge with them if they are off-topic or are affecting their duties.
Conclusion
Handling customers on a daily basis is a necessary aspect of the retail world. Retailers need to be engaged with their customers to an extent where they know what their customer demands from them, before customer demand, as Steve Jobs states while explaining the retailer-customer relationship;
“Get closer than ever to your customers. So close that you tell them
what they need well before they realize it themselves.”
Success in the retail business highly depends on knowing customers and understanding their unique traits and thought patterns. In order to deal with these various customers and to be able to fulfill their demands, retailers can keep a record of their purchases and preferences. For this, a good POS System for retail is required. It helps retailers and attendants to a considerable extent.
The pressure is always on when it comes to the retail industry and shall only increase in the coming times. To be able to overshadow the evolving competitors, tolerance to understand the customer psyche is required. It is essential to keep a keen eye on the set behavior patterns that operate the customers’ decision-making process.