Page 50 - Lighting Magazine November 2018

ALA
Where Did All My Customers Go?
ALA Conference keynote speaker David Avrin details why customers leave you for the competition and how to win them back.
For many years retailers were advised to treat customers “like family,” joked David Avrin, CSP, a published author and popular consultant on
Customer Experience and Strategic Marketing. “Have you seen how we treat our family members?” Then, in all seriousness, he stated, “Our expecta- tions have changed just as the buying experience has changed.”
In his keynote session, Blink & They’re Gone, Avrin shared a recent example of his own shopping expe- rience that demonstrates the consumer mindset today, which is one of instant grati cation. “I needed to have my lawn sprinklers replaced. I called a local company, but I got an answering machine. Do I leave a message? No! I keep on calling companies until I nd one who answers the phone. I’m not going to wait for someone to play their messages and then call me back.”
Just like the “lost opportunities” for those lawn service companies that did not pick up the phone, Avrin reminded the audience that they are missing out on potential revenue every day — from the con- sumer who drives by your store, but doesn’t stop in or the customer who walks into your store and walks out empty-handed to the person who calls your company with a question, but gives up on your complicated voicemail system.
The ShifT
“There has been a remarkable shi in the market- place from selling to buying. Yesteryear was the era of the salesman [providing all of the information]. There still is a role for salespeople, but it’s di erent,” Avrin explained. “It’s about the competitive advan- tage now. Think about car dealerships and how you used to ask the salesperson to tell you about the car. Now, we walk in and know the full bene ts of the car, all of the trims available, and what the dealer price is.” A similar occurrence happens at doctors’ o ces. “We used to go to the doctor to nd out what’s wrong, but thanks to the internet, now we walk in and say, ‘Here’s what’s wrong with me and the medication I need.’”
Avrin doesn’t point the blame at Millennials for the change in shopping habits. “It’s all of us. We are all consumers, even if we sell lighting as retailers. The conveniences of shopping today are o the chart. We can all be Kardashians in our own homes and have products and services come to us — even at two in the morning.”
Arvin posted the question: “How accessible are
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