{"id":23314,"date":"2021-03-15T09:57:45","date_gmt":"2021-03-15T13:57:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/smarttan.com\/news\/?p=23314"},"modified":"2021-03-15T09:57:45","modified_gmt":"2021-03-15T13:57:45","slug":"listen-customers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/listen-customers\/","title":{"rendered":"Listen to Your Customers, They\u2019re Smarter than You Think"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>By Kizer &amp; Bender<\/em><\/p>\n<p>A successful retailer once told us to, \u201cListen to your customers because they\u2019re smarter than you think.\u201d He also pointed out that the letters that form the word LISTEN also spell SILENT \u2013 you can\u2019t listen to a customer if your mouth is open.<\/p>\n<p>So we listen, and we recommend that you listen, too. In a world of social networking, it\u2019s dangerous to think you have all the answers. What if you\u2019re \u2013 <em>GASP<\/em> \u2013 wrong? Here are some ideas to help you zero in on what your customers think:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Focus Groups. <\/strong>Invite 15 customers to participate in your focus group, but set the room for 8-10. It\u2019s always better to have to bring in extra chairs than to have empty seats \u2013 it makes your meeting seem even more important. You can hold your focus group in your store or off-site. Either way, you will need someone to mediate because it will be hard for you to be objective if someone says something less than stellar about your salon. Serve refreshments and have a list of questions ready to keep the conversation moving. You will need to give each person a gift of value for participating. We generally give $50 in cash (you could substitute a salon gift card), plus a jar candle valued at around $20.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Customer Advisory Board. <\/strong>Similar to a corporate board of directors, your Customer Advisory Board will meet with you once a quarter to discuss the things you\u2019ve done in your salon, and your future plans. For best results, choose people from different generations.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Exit Interviews. <\/strong>Station yourself near the front door. When a customer is about to leave, politely stop her and ask if she found everything she was looking for. Exit interviews are great for identifying products customers wish you carried; you\u2019ll be able to save the sale when customers find out you do carry whatever they wanted, but couldn\u2019t find.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Customer Comment Cards. <\/strong>Place <em>\u201c<\/em>Tell Us What You Think<em>\u201d<\/em> cards on your cash wrap, in tanning booths, and on your website for customers to fill out. These are great for time-starved customers who have something to say, but are short on time to stop and talk.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Associate feedback. <\/strong>Ask salon associates to fill you in on what they\u2019re hearing from customers. Place a notebook at the cash wrap so they can easily jot down customer comments. You can discuss these comments in detail during staff meetings.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The BIG Question. <\/strong>You\u2019ll get extremely useful information when you ask customers our BIG Question: <em>\u201cWhat ONE thing could we do to ___________?\u201d<\/em> You fill in the blank.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The customer has to put thought into her answer, so you\u2019ll hear constructive things you\u2019ll be able to easily implement. Don\u2019t be surprised if you hear a variation on the same theme \u2013 that\u2019s a good thing! If it\u2019s positive then you have one more thing to brag about, and if it\u2019s negative, then you know just what to fix.<\/p>\n<p>These simple tools will help you uncover a great many things to help you grow your business, but you\u2019re likely to hear things you didn\u2019t want to hear as well. Your responsibility after asking customers for their input is to make sure you let them know what you plan to do with what they told you. When you implement their suggestions, and especially when you can\u2019t, let them know. Post your responses on a \u201ccustomer interaction\u201d bulletin board in your salon, in your newsletter, on your website, and on your social media pages.<\/p>\n<p>Let your competitors ignore what their customers think. Not you. The relationship you have with your customers is like any other relationship; it\u2019s based on trust, coupled with your ability to interpret, meet and even exceed their changing needs. Knowing your customers, and what they want, will keep your merchandise fresh, your promotions fun, and your salon crackling with excitement!<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Kizer &amp; Bender A successful retailer once told us to, \u201cListen to your customers because they\u2019re smarter than you think.\u201d He also pointed out that the letters that form the word LISTEN also spell SILENT \u2013 you can\u2019t listen to a customer if your mouth is open. So we listen, and we recommend that [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23314","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Listen to Your Customers, They\u2019re Smarter than You Think - Smart Tan News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"By Kizer &amp; Bender  A successful retailer once told us to, \u201cListen to your customers because they\u2019re smarter than you think.\u201d He also pointed out that the letters that form the word LISTEN also spell SILENT \u2013 you can\u2019t listen to a customer if your mouth is open.  So we listen, and we recommend that you listen, too. In a world of social networking, it\u2019s dangerous to think you have all the answers. What if you\u2019re \u2013 GASP \u2013 wrong? Here are some ideas to help you zero in on what your customers think:   Focus Groups. Invite 15 customers to participate in your focus group, but set the room for 8-10. It\u2019s always better to have to bring in extra chairs than to have empty seats \u2013 it makes your meeting seem even more important. You can hold your focus group in your store or off-site. Either way, you will need someone to mediate because it will be hard for you to be objective if someone says something less than stellar about your salon. Serve refreshments and have a list of questions ready to keep the conversation moving. You will need to give each person a gift of value for participating. We generally give $50 in cash (you could substitute a salon gift card), plus a jar candle valued at around $20.  Customer Advisory Board. Similar to a corporate board of directors, your Customer Advisory Board will meet with you once a quarter to discuss the things you\u2019ve done in your salon, and your future plans. For best results, choose people from different generations.  Exit Interviews. Station yourself near the front door. When a customer is about to leave, politely stop her and ask if she found everything she was looking for. Exit interviews are great for identifying products customers wish you carried; you\u2019ll be able to save the sale when customers find out you do carry whatever they wanted, but couldn\u2019t find.  Customer Comment Cards. Place \u201cTell Us What You Think\u201d cards on your cash wrap, in tanning booths, and on your website for customers to fill out. These are great for time-starved customers who have something to say, but are short on time to stop and talk.  Associate feedback. Ask salon associates to fill you in on what they\u2019re hearing from customers. Place a notebook at the cash wrap so they can easily jot down customer comments. You can discuss these comments in detail during staff meetings.  The BIG Question. You\u2019ll get extremely useful information when you ask customers our BIG Question: \u201cWhat ONE thing could we do to ___________?\u201d You fill in the blank.  The customer has to put thought into her answer, so you\u2019ll hear constructive things you\u2019ll be able to easily implement. Don\u2019t be surprised if you hear a variation on the same theme \u2013 that\u2019s a good thing! If it\u2019s positive then you have one more thing to brag about, and if it\u2019s negative, then you know just what to fix.  These simple tools will help you uncover a great many things to help you grow your business, but you\u2019re likely to hear things you didn\u2019t want to hear as well. Your responsibility after asking customers for their input is to make sure you let them know what you plan to do with what they told you. When you implement their suggestions, and especially when you can\u2019t, let them know. Post your responses on a \u201ccustomer interaction\u201d bulletin board in your salon, in your newsletter, on your website, and on your social media pages.  Let your competitors ignore what their customers think. Not you. The relationship you have with your customers is like any other relationship; it\u2019s based on trust, coupled with your ability to interpret, meet and even exceed their changing needs. Knowing your customers, and what they want, will keep your merchandise fresh, your promotions fun, and your salon crackling with excitement!  &nbsp;\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/listen-customers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Listen to Your Customers, They\u2019re Smarter than You Think - Smart Tan News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Kizer &amp; Bender  A successful retailer once told us to, \u201cListen to your customers because they\u2019re smarter than you think.\u201d He also pointed out that the letters that form the word LISTEN also spell SILENT \u2013 you can\u2019t listen to a customer if your mouth is open.  So we listen, and we recommend that you listen, too. In a world of social networking, it\u2019s dangerous to think you have all the answers. What if you\u2019re \u2013 GASP \u2013 wrong? Here are some ideas to help you zero in on what your customers think:   Focus Groups. Invite 15 customers to participate in your focus group, but set the room for 8-10. It\u2019s always better to have to bring in extra chairs than to have empty seats \u2013 it makes your meeting seem even more important. You can hold your focus group in your store or off-site. Either way, you will need someone to mediate because it will be hard for you to be objective if someone says something less than stellar about your salon. Serve refreshments and have a list of questions ready to keep the conversation moving. You will need to give each person a gift of value for participating. We generally give $50 in cash (you could substitute a salon gift card), plus a jar candle valued at around $20.  Customer Advisory Board. Similar to a corporate board of directors, your Customer Advisory Board will meet with you once a quarter to discuss the things you\u2019ve done in your salon, and your future plans. For best results, choose people from different generations.  Exit Interviews. Station yourself near the front door. When a customer is about to leave, politely stop her and ask if she found everything she was looking for. Exit interviews are great for identifying products customers wish you carried; you\u2019ll be able to save the sale when customers find out you do carry whatever they wanted, but couldn\u2019t find.  Customer Comment Cards. Place \u201cTell Us What You Think\u201d cards on your cash wrap, in tanning booths, and on your website for customers to fill out. These are great for time-starved customers who have something to say, but are short on time to stop and talk.  Associate feedback. Ask salon associates to fill you in on what they\u2019re hearing from customers. Place a notebook at the cash wrap so they can easily jot down customer comments. You can discuss these comments in detail during staff meetings.  The BIG Question. You\u2019ll get extremely useful information when you ask customers our BIG Question: \u201cWhat ONE thing could we do to ___________?\u201d You fill in the blank.  The customer has to put thought into her answer, so you\u2019ll hear constructive things you\u2019ll be able to easily implement. Don\u2019t be surprised if you hear a variation on the same theme \u2013 that\u2019s a good thing! If it\u2019s positive then you have one more thing to brag about, and if it\u2019s negative, then you know just what to fix.  These simple tools will help you uncover a great many things to help you grow your business, but you\u2019re likely to hear things you didn\u2019t want to hear as well. Your responsibility after asking customers for their input is to make sure you let them know what you plan to do with what they told you. When you implement their suggestions, and especially when you can\u2019t, let them know. Post your responses on a \u201ccustomer interaction\u201d bulletin board in your salon, in your newsletter, on your website, and on your social media pages.  Let your competitors ignore what their customers think. Not you. The relationship you have with your customers is like any other relationship; it\u2019s based on trust, coupled with your ability to interpret, meet and even exceed their changing needs. Knowing your customers, and what they want, will keep your merchandise fresh, your promotions fun, and your salon crackling with excitement!  &nbsp;\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/listen-customers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Smart Tan News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SmartTan\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-03-15T13:57:45+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Smart-Tan-Logo.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"520\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"smarttannews\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@SmartTan\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@SmartTan\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"smarttannews\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/listen-customers\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/listen-customers\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"smarttannews\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/#\/schema\/person\/722dc7049af55e0ed743d67ce9ed4819\"},\"headline\":\"Listen to Your Customers, They\u2019re Smarter than You Think\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-03-15T13:57:45+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/listen-customers\/\"},\"wordCount\":672,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/#organization\"},\"articleSection\":[\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/listen-customers\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/listen-customers\/\",\"name\":\"Listen to Your Customers, They\u2019re Smarter than You Think - Smart Tan News\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2021-03-15T13:57:45+00:00\",\"description\":\"By Kizer &amp; Bender A successful retailer once told us to, \u201cListen to your customers because they\u2019re smarter than you think.\u201d He also pointed out that the letters that form the word LISTEN also spell SILENT \u2013 you can\u2019t listen to a customer if your mouth is open. So we listen, and we recommend that you listen, too. In a world of social networking, it\u2019s dangerous to think you have all the answers. What if you\u2019re \u2013 GASP \u2013 wrong? Here are some ideas to help you zero in on what your customers think: Focus Groups. Invite 15 customers to participate in your focus group, but set the room for 8-10. It\u2019s always better to have to bring in extra chairs than to have empty seats \u2013 it makes your meeting seem even more important. You can hold your focus group in your store or off-site. Either way, you will need someone to mediate because it will be hard for you to be objective if someone says something less than stellar about your salon. Serve refreshments and have a list of questions ready to keep the conversation moving. You will need to give each person a gift of value for participating. We generally give $50 in cash (you could substitute a salon gift card), plus a jar candle valued at around $20. Customer Advisory Board. Similar to a corporate board of directors, your Customer Advisory Board will meet with you once a quarter to discuss the things you\u2019ve done in your salon, and your future plans. For best results, choose people from different generations. Exit Interviews. Station yourself near the front door. When a customer is about to leave, politely stop her and ask if she found everything she was looking for. Exit interviews are great for identifying products customers wish you carried; you\u2019ll be able to save the sale when customers find out you do carry whatever they wanted, but couldn\u2019t find. Customer Comment Cards. Place \u201cTell Us What You Think\u201d cards on your cash wrap, in tanning booths, and on your website for customers to fill out. These are great for time-starved customers who have something to say, but are short on time to stop and talk. Associate feedback. Ask salon associates to fill you in on what they\u2019re hearing from customers. Place a notebook at the cash wrap so they can easily jot down customer comments. You can discuss these comments in detail during staff meetings. The BIG Question. You\u2019ll get extremely useful information when you ask customers our BIG Question: \u201cWhat ONE thing could we do to ___________?\u201d You fill in the blank. The customer has to put thought into her answer, so you\u2019ll hear constructive things you\u2019ll be able to easily implement. Don\u2019t be surprised if you hear a variation on the same theme \u2013 that\u2019s a good thing! If it\u2019s positive then you have one more thing to brag about, and if it\u2019s negative, then you know just what to fix. These simple tools will help you uncover a great many things to help you grow your business, but you\u2019re likely to hear things you didn\u2019t want to hear as well. Your responsibility after asking customers for their input is to make sure you let them know what you plan to do with what they told you. 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So we listen, and we recommend that you listen, too. In a world of social networking, it\u2019s dangerous to think you have all the answers. What if you\u2019re \u2013 GASP \u2013 wrong? Here are some ideas to help you zero in on what your customers think:   Focus Groups. Invite 15 customers to participate in your focus group, but set the room for 8-10. It\u2019s always better to have to bring in extra chairs than to have empty seats \u2013 it makes your meeting seem even more important. You can hold your focus group in your store or off-site. Either way, you will need someone to mediate because it will be hard for you to be objective if someone says something less than stellar about your salon. Serve refreshments and have a list of questions ready to keep the conversation moving. You will need to give each person a gift of value for participating. We generally give $50 in cash (you could substitute a salon gift card), plus a jar candle valued at around $20.  Customer Advisory Board. Similar to a corporate board of directors, your Customer Advisory Board will meet with you once a quarter to discuss the things you\u2019ve done in your salon, and your future plans. For best results, choose people from different generations.  Exit Interviews. Station yourself near the front door. When a customer is about to leave, politely stop her and ask if she found everything she was looking for. Exit interviews are great for identifying products customers wish you carried; you\u2019ll be able to save the sale when customers find out you do carry whatever they wanted, but couldn\u2019t find.  Customer Comment Cards. Place \u201cTell Us What You Think\u201d cards on your cash wrap, in tanning booths, and on your website for customers to fill out. These are great for time-starved customers who have something to say, but are short on time to stop and talk.  Associate feedback. Ask salon associates to fill you in on what they\u2019re hearing from customers. Place a notebook at the cash wrap so they can easily jot down customer comments. You can discuss these comments in detail during staff meetings.  The BIG Question. You\u2019ll get extremely useful information when you ask customers our BIG Question: \u201cWhat ONE thing could we do to ___________?\u201d You fill in the blank.  The customer has to put thought into her answer, so you\u2019ll hear constructive things you\u2019ll be able to easily implement. Don\u2019t be surprised if you hear a variation on the same theme \u2013 that\u2019s a good thing! If it\u2019s positive then you have one more thing to brag about, and if it\u2019s negative, then you know just what to fix.  These simple tools will help you uncover a great many things to help you grow your business, but you\u2019re likely to hear things you didn\u2019t want to hear as well. Your responsibility after asking customers for their input is to make sure you let them know what you plan to do with what they told you. When you implement their suggestions, and especially when you can\u2019t, let them know. Post your responses on a \u201ccustomer interaction\u201d bulletin board in your salon, in your newsletter, on your website, and on your social media pages.  Let your competitors ignore what their customers think. Not you. The relationship you have with your customers is like any other relationship; it\u2019s based on trust, coupled with your ability to interpret, meet and even exceed their changing needs. Knowing your customers, and what they want, will keep your merchandise fresh, your promotions fun, and your salon crackling with excitement!  &nbsp;","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/listen-customers\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Listen to Your Customers, They\u2019re Smarter than You Think - Smart Tan News","og_description":"By Kizer &amp; Bender  A successful retailer once told us to, \u201cListen to your customers because they\u2019re smarter than you think.\u201d He also pointed out that the letters that form the word LISTEN also spell SILENT \u2013 you can\u2019t listen to a customer if your mouth is open.  So we listen, and we recommend that you listen, too. In a world of social networking, it\u2019s dangerous to think you have all the answers. What if you\u2019re \u2013 GASP \u2013 wrong? Here are some ideas to help you zero in on what your customers think:   Focus Groups. Invite 15 customers to participate in your focus group, but set the room for 8-10. It\u2019s always better to have to bring in extra chairs than to have empty seats \u2013 it makes your meeting seem even more important. You can hold your focus group in your store or off-site. Either way, you will need someone to mediate because it will be hard for you to be objective if someone says something less than stellar about your salon. Serve refreshments and have a list of questions ready to keep the conversation moving. You will need to give each person a gift of value for participating. We generally give $50 in cash (you could substitute a salon gift card), plus a jar candle valued at around $20.  Customer Advisory Board. Similar to a corporate board of directors, your Customer Advisory Board will meet with you once a quarter to discuss the things you\u2019ve done in your salon, and your future plans. For best results, choose people from different generations.  Exit Interviews. Station yourself near the front door. When a customer is about to leave, politely stop her and ask if she found everything she was looking for. Exit interviews are great for identifying products customers wish you carried; you\u2019ll be able to save the sale when customers find out you do carry whatever they wanted, but couldn\u2019t find.  Customer Comment Cards. Place \u201cTell Us What You Think\u201d cards on your cash wrap, in tanning booths, and on your website for customers to fill out. These are great for time-starved customers who have something to say, but are short on time to stop and talk.  Associate feedback. Ask salon associates to fill you in on what they\u2019re hearing from customers. Place a notebook at the cash wrap so they can easily jot down customer comments. You can discuss these comments in detail during staff meetings.  The BIG Question. You\u2019ll get extremely useful information when you ask customers our BIG Question: \u201cWhat ONE thing could we do to ___________?\u201d You fill in the blank.  The customer has to put thought into her answer, so you\u2019ll hear constructive things you\u2019ll be able to easily implement. Don\u2019t be surprised if you hear a variation on the same theme \u2013 that\u2019s a good thing! If it\u2019s positive then you have one more thing to brag about, and if it\u2019s negative, then you know just what to fix.  These simple tools will help you uncover a great many things to help you grow your business, but you\u2019re likely to hear things you didn\u2019t want to hear as well. Your responsibility after asking customers for their input is to make sure you let them know what you plan to do with what they told you. When you implement their suggestions, and especially when you can\u2019t, let them know. Post your responses on a \u201ccustomer interaction\u201d bulletin board in your salon, in your newsletter, on your website, and on your social media pages.  Let your competitors ignore what their customers think. Not you. The relationship you have with your customers is like any other relationship; it\u2019s based on trust, coupled with your ability to interpret, meet and even exceed their changing needs. Knowing your customers, and what they want, will keep your merchandise fresh, your promotions fun, and your salon crackling with excitement!  &nbsp;","og_url":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/listen-customers\/","og_site_name":"Smart Tan News","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SmartTan","article_published_time":"2021-03-15T13:57:45+00:00","og_image":[{"width":520,"height":200,"url":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Smart-Tan-Logo.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"smarttannews","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@SmartTan","twitter_site":"@SmartTan","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"smarttannews","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/listen-customers\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/listen-customers\/"},"author":{"name":"smarttannews","@id":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/#\/schema\/person\/722dc7049af55e0ed743d67ce9ed4819"},"headline":"Listen to Your Customers, They\u2019re Smarter than You Think","datePublished":"2021-03-15T13:57:45+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/listen-customers\/"},"wordCount":672,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/#organization"},"articleSection":["News"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/listen-customers\/","url":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/listen-customers\/","name":"Listen to Your Customers, They\u2019re Smarter than You Think - Smart Tan News","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/#website"},"datePublished":"2021-03-15T13:57:45+00:00","description":"By Kizer &amp; Bender A successful retailer once told us to, \u201cListen to your customers because they\u2019re smarter than you think.\u201d He also pointed out that the letters that form the word LISTEN also spell SILENT \u2013 you can\u2019t listen to a customer if your mouth is open. So we listen, and we recommend that you listen, too. In a world of social networking, it\u2019s dangerous to think you have all the answers. What if you\u2019re \u2013 GASP \u2013 wrong? Here are some ideas to help you zero in on what your customers think: Focus Groups. Invite 15 customers to participate in your focus group, but set the room for 8-10. It\u2019s always better to have to bring in extra chairs than to have empty seats \u2013 it makes your meeting seem even more important. You can hold your focus group in your store or off-site. Either way, you will need someone to mediate because it will be hard for you to be objective if someone says something less than stellar about your salon. Serve refreshments and have a list of questions ready to keep the conversation moving. You will need to give each person a gift of value for participating. We generally give $50 in cash (you could substitute a salon gift card), plus a jar candle valued at around $20. Customer Advisory Board. Similar to a corporate board of directors, your Customer Advisory Board will meet with you once a quarter to discuss the things you\u2019ve done in your salon, and your future plans. For best results, choose people from different generations. Exit Interviews. Station yourself near the front door. When a customer is about to leave, politely stop her and ask if she found everything she was looking for. Exit interviews are great for identifying products customers wish you carried; you\u2019ll be able to save the sale when customers find out you do carry whatever they wanted, but couldn\u2019t find. Customer Comment Cards. Place \u201cTell Us What You Think\u201d cards on your cash wrap, in tanning booths, and on your website for customers to fill out. These are great for time-starved customers who have something to say, but are short on time to stop and talk. Associate feedback. Ask salon associates to fill you in on what they\u2019re hearing from customers. Place a notebook at the cash wrap so they can easily jot down customer comments. You can discuss these comments in detail during staff meetings. The BIG Question. You\u2019ll get extremely useful information when you ask customers our BIG Question: \u201cWhat ONE thing could we do to ___________?\u201d You fill in the blank. The customer has to put thought into her answer, so you\u2019ll hear constructive things you\u2019ll be able to easily implement. Don\u2019t be surprised if you hear a variation on the same theme \u2013 that\u2019s a good thing! If it\u2019s positive then you have one more thing to brag about, and if it\u2019s negative, then you know just what to fix. These simple tools will help you uncover a great many things to help you grow your business, but you\u2019re likely to hear things you didn\u2019t want to hear as well. Your responsibility after asking customers for their input is to make sure you let them know what you plan to do with what they told you. When you implement their suggestions, and especially when you can\u2019t, let them know. Post your responses on a \u201ccustomer interaction\u201d bulletin board in your salon, in your newsletter, on your website, and on your social media pages. Let your competitors ignore what their customers think. Not you. The relationship you have with your customers is like any other relationship; it\u2019s based on trust, coupled with your ability to interpret, meet and even exceed their changing needs. Knowing your customers, and what they want, will keep your merchandise fresh, your promotions fun, and your salon crackling with excitement! &nbsp;","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/listen-customers\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/listen-customers\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/listen-customers\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Listen to Your Customers, They\u2019re Smarter than You Think"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/","name":"Smart Tan News","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/#organization","name":"Smart Tan","url":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/smarttan.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Smart-Tan.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/smarttan.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Smart-Tan.png","width":500,"height":164,"caption":"Smart Tan"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SmartTan","https:\/\/x.com\/SmartTan"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/#\/schema\/person\/722dc7049af55e0ed743d67ce9ed4819","name":"smarttannews","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c0189f76465f47ce293287354f8076bfdb83130e65538eb34fcd2cd44e9f0e53?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c0189f76465f47ce293287354f8076bfdb83130e65538eb34fcd2cd44e9f0e53?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c0189f76465f47ce293287354f8076bfdb83130e65538eb34fcd2cd44e9f0e53?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"smarttannews"},"url":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/author\/smarttannews\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23314","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23314"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23314\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23315,"href":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23314\/revisions\/23315"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23314"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23314"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23314"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}