Customer experience is a critical part of attracting and maintaining customers at your brick and mortar business. Customers want to feel like their needs are being met in the most efficient, competent, and comfortable way possible. To keep your customers coming back time and time again, invest in amenities that make them feel not only welcome but well cared for. Here are four must-have customer amenities for your brick and mortar business.
Comfortable ambiance
Creating an ambiance that is both comfortable and professional is key to impressing your customers, It is important to give them a place where they won’t mind passing the time, especially for businesses that need to keep customers waiting for a service or sales process. Make careful choices about the colors you use in your decor, the room’s lighting, and any sound that may be projected through speakers or a television. Provide comfortable chairs, and be sure to place the waiting room where there is a good amount of natural light from windows that let in outdoor views.
Pick the right temperature
Getting the right indoor temperature can make all the difference for your customer’s comfort. The wrong temperature can lead your customers to think they have been waiting longer than they have. If it’s too warm, your customers will be uncomfortable, too cold and all they’ll remember is how they shivered for 30 minutes. A consistent temperature between 65 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit will work in almost any season (though you may want to go a bit cooler during an especially humid summer). Keep your HVAC system regularly maintained to ensure that your heating and cooling is running smoothly year-round.
Customer connectivity
Customers expect to be able to keep connected via their smartphone, tablet, or computer while they wait. This expectation is a benefit to your business: if you can provide connectivity the customer can stay occupied and pass the time quickly. As a baseline amenity be sure to offer free, easy-to-access Wi-Fi service. In addition, and especially for businesses who frequently require longer waits, invest in a workstation or two to satisfy professional clients. Provide an area with a small desk, comfortable chair, and outlets to plug in laptops and other electronics.
Friendly communication
Keep your customers apprised of their status at regular intervals without being intrusive. If you have a receptionist in the waiting room, make their desk inviting to approach and train your staff to provide pleasant yet professional assistance. Other options for status updates for your customers include mounting a television screen that frequently displays updates (be sure not to share confidential or personal information), or implement a text alert system that can send updates directly to your customer’s smartphone.
Keep your customers coming back by providing an exemplary customer experience when they are in your brick and mortar business. Invest in a comfortable ambiance and temperature, free connectivity, and just-in-time updates to allow your customers to feel welcome, cared for, and appreciated.