The Importance of Keeping Customers Comfortable

Listen in! Pick up some expert advice to a reader's question that we selected from CyberSchmooz.

A welcoming environment and facilitates easy access and navigation of the premises is essential to keeping customers comfortable while shopping and eager to return. While it’s easy for employees to overlook customer comfort, attention to critical features can provide customers with a positive and successful shopping experience.

Physical Comfort

One of the most noticeable features of indoor shopping is the air temperature. On warm, humid days, shoppers have been known to stop in at stores to cool off and make unplanned purchases while there. The same is true when the weather is cold, with freezing temperatures and falling snow. Customers enjoy looking at the latest wares in a store with the indoor thermostat set to a suitable level. To keep your store at a comfortable temperature throughout the year, have the HVAC system inspected yearly. Companies specializing in heating and air conditioning in Santa Rosa and elsewhere will be happy to perform this service. Technicians can find and fix problems that could avoid more significant issues later.

Adequate Space

Avoid overcrowding the store with merchandise packed too closely together or stacked in aisles that make passage difficult. For instance, endcap displays need merchandise that gets swooped up fast to avoid congestion. Overstuffing shelves can lead to difficulty in finding the desired product or the toppling of piles of merchandise.

Noise Control

Many customers enjoy low background music with broad appeal. Stick to styles that no one is likely to find offensive. Choose instrumentals or melodic tunes that customers are familiar with and like to hear or possibly hum along. Fun music can make customers linger over various displays and not rush their browsing time. Remind the employees to speak in low voices or use mics to communicate with each other. Loud joking, yelling, cursing, or singing should not be permitted, as it can be unsettling to customers in the store.

Effective Lighting

Keep the building's light fixtures updated by replacing burned-out bulbs. Add lighting to areas that appear dark or gloomy to protect customers from falling. Ensure adequate lighting on stairs and near signage so people can easily find their way around. The same goes for the parking lot and any outdoor walkways leading to your business. Avoid using flashing lights or devices that emit unusual light beams as this can be distracting to customers. These devices may also trigger neurological symptoms in those prone to them. Adjust the brightness of individual lights if they seem too dim or overly bright based on customers' needs.

Convenient Access

Check the entry doors periodically to ensure they are not too heavy for customers to push or pull and do not stick when someone is trying to open them. Keep the floor mats unrumpled to reduce the risk of tripping or falling and remove cumulative ice, snow, mud, or other substances that could be slippery. Signage posted near the entrance can help new customers find their way around and locate specific products they need. Lastly, keep the shopping carts near the entrance for handy use.

Monitoring the environmental or physical comfort and well being of a business will make customers feel more secure and relaxed while shopping. When you address issues like these, your customers will enjoy doing business at your location and possibly return often, bringing friends or family members with them.

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