My newsagency software company hosts around 80 face to face user meetings a year and it was during the current round, listening to newsagent interaction, that I wondered whether a similar type of forum could work for newsagents.
At the Tower Systems forums we meet face to face with our customers, share news, discuss ideas and gratefully receive feedback. It is a good forum – away from day to day business, more relaxed. I think it works for our customers as well as it works for us.
So, I was wondering if such a forum could work for newsagents – we do, after all, say customer service is a key point of difference for us. We say it but do we really ask our customers, do we give them an opportunity to engage with us on the topic. I have been thinking about my blog post about customer service last week.
It could be held at the shop or a local hall. The goal would be to ask customers for their feedback so that together you (and them) can build a better newsagency experience – customers are stakeholders after all.
I appreciate that the idea sounds odd, anything new does. Imagine the benefit if you got one great idea from the forum or if those attending left truly believing in your commitment to the local community. Both outcomes would be valuable for you and for those participating.
Sometimes we need to play outside the norm and our comfort zone to really innovate.
we were lucky enough to have help from a resident with vast experience in marketing and advertising help out our towns business group to start a shop local campaign.
he ran focus groups and reported back with detailed results from those meetings.
he then offered to have a private meeting with any of the businesses to report from the focus groups specifically on that business. he also offered advise from his years of experience.
i can highly recomend running or being involved in focus groups. they are much more detailed than a mass survey.
you may not like what you hear, but if it helps taylor your business to your customers, then is should be done.
out of the 19 retail businesses in our town, only 4 took up the offer to hear the results from the focus groups.
all this was done free of charge, paid for by a state government grant.
I like the idea of a focus group. Our chamber of commerce is very much tourism focused. Our local tend to head to bigger towns and centres for xmas, and other major shopping yet most of the things they want are available here at the same or better price and no cost of freight or travel expense. A few of us advertised shop local and we have a big sign up as the customers leave our the store saying “Thank you for shopping Local” but a focus group sounds great. I would also like to be able to have other newsagents to chat on line to other when I am unsure how to handle a particular issue.
I WOULD LIKE SOME IDEAS WITH A STAFF MEMBER WE HAVE, SHE IS A NICE PERSON BUT WE ARE STARTING TO HEAR FROM CUSTOMERS THEY ARE NOT COMING IN ON THAT DAY SHE IS WORKING AS SHE DOES,NT KNOW WHAT SHE IS DOING SHE GETS VERY CONFUSED PAYING ACCOUNTS,SHE FORGETS A LOT OF WHAT SHE NEEDS TO DO, THE OTHER DAY I CAME IN AND FOUND A NOTE ON THE PRINTER THAT IT WAS OUT OF PAPER AND SHE DID’NT KNOW WHERE TO GET THE PAPER FROM TO PUT IN IT, SHE HAD BEEN SHOWN EARLIER WHERE IT WAS,QUESTION IS SHOULD I PUT HER OFF IF THE CUSTOMERS DO NOT WANT TO COME IN IF SHE IS THERE
Kellie,
You own the business and are responsible for its performance -to yourself and to the public.
It therefore is not a question you need to ask the results speak for themselves.
Kellie,
Talk with her. Give her the details of the feedback you have received. Offer her an opportunity to respond. Talk about how she needs to change. depending on how the conversation goes, this could be her first formal warning.
The alternative if she is casual and works a varied roster is to reduce her hours.
thanks for your feedback, the other staff are finding it difficult to work with her also so i really think she needs to go thanks again
You got it right Kellie, all the vibes were wrong in your post. I am not being unkind, if its wrong then fix it. I feel you were looking for some support and I believe your decision is the right one.
Best of luck