In the everyday hustle and bustle of keeping a business going (and growing), our intuition tells us to keep moving. There is a never-ending list of tasks and to-do items that constantly require your attention. The thought of sitting and observing seems foreign to most of us.
But when was the last time you just sat and observed your business and customers? Not watched for them to make a purchase, but really observed how they are interacting with your business.
A lot can be learned by really watching – from customers and staff, to store layout or marketing messaging. Taking a step back and putting yourself in the position of your customer can lead to learnings you never noticed before. When you identify ways to improve the customer experience, you are ultimately leading to increased customer satisfaction. And a satisfied customer loves to share with their friends! But before you can improve the experience, you have to understand a customer’s pain points and anticipate their needs. This is where observation comes in!
While it might sound like a simple concept, follow these three steps to observe your business and increase customer satisfaction
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- Each week, pick at least a 15 minute timeslot to just observe
- Don’t work. Don’t do any items on your to do list. Don’t fix anything…just watch
- Change up the day of the week, time of the day, where you sit, on each observation day
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- What is the customer experience when they walk in to your store? What do they interact with first or where are they getting held up?
- Can you sense frustration as they look for napkins or a pen? Does their mood shift from when they enter and exit your doors?
- How are their interactions with staff? How are staff-staff interactions?
- Is your marketing, website, social media easy to understand? Have you ever watched a customer try to use your website…was it a frustrating experience or could they quickly find what they needed?
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- Note things that are interesting or might need adjustment but Do NOT fix or adjust during your observation
- If you are not sure why something is happening, make a note to watch during the next observation session
- Ask questions both big and small – if customers cannot find a pen, could you move the pens to the other side of the counter or even consider a digital signature option?
- Avoid assumptions or conclusions – keep an open mind as you observe
