Customer service is at the top of the list for sure. Customer service means genuinely having the customers best interest at heart. If I have a strong sense of this from a retailer, I'll be back time and time again... thats for sure .... even if I have to pay a bit more in price for trains or whatever the product may be. Take total care of your customer be it a first time novice to the hobby or a veteran hobbyist. The value of excellent customer service is absolutely priceless! You want your store to be known as the go to place for trains!
Part of the customer service equation, for me, is having a staff that isgenuinely passionate about trains and model railroading... a staff that will happily help the customer by answering questions, demonstrating, helping the customer with problem solving.
Creating a retail space where the sales staff is authentic & genuine, passionate, deeply knowledgeable, and enthusiastic about the hobby of model railroading is paramount to success. A staff that takes a personal interest in their regular customer's ( and new first time customers as well ) experience with the hobby. Having a staff that understands the vital importance of " creative play time" and how play is a healthy activity and a great anctedote and stress reliever to our every day busy-ness of life. A staff that is all ( or most ) of these things will be most infectious and therefore most effective in bringing customers back to the retail space be it brick and mortar or on line. Face it, we all love positive experiences ... connecting with people who are passionate and joyful about what they are doing in life ... be it at a train shop, doctors office, auto repair facility, banking, home repair person, etc. When we have experiences in making connections with these kind of folks they gain our trust and we always come back for more.
The customer service experience begins as soon as the customer walks in the door. A friendly greeting with a smile, making the customer feel special and welcomed is important. Offering assistance and not overdoing it is also important.... don't make the customer feel uncomfortable as if they are being pushed into buy something ... let the customer browse leisurely ... if they have questions you have already made it clear they can ask you... again allow the customer to feel comfortable in your store ... this is your opportunity to win them.
Brick and mortar stores can also offer family days where parents and kids can come learn about model trains and layout building, basic maintenance, etc, run their trains on the store layout. Allow customers to run the store layout ( supervised of course ) ... there is no substitute for hand on experience! Put up a big screen TV and play train DVDs of all kinds ... have a few seats in front of the screen for folks to sit down ( space permitting ) Perhaps offer some classes in various aspects of layout building & loco maintenance, have a local railroad historian, railroad official, locomotive engineer, come to your store and give a talk. Offer free coffee on Saturday mornings, perhaps some free pastries as well ( donut holes ). Create an environment of well being.... if people have this experience at your store they will come back. Have a clean clear up to date website. Use social media to the max. Find free ways to advertise your store every time you have an event. Keep your store clutter free.
If you are an internet store, the same applies as for a brick and mortar stores .... staff
need to be authentically genuine, personable, passionate about trains and model trains, have the customers best interest at heart, have deep knowledge of the products you sell and the hobby as a whole, be honest, and enthusiastic. Ask the customers about their experience with the hobby .... let them know that you genuinely care about them.
