by Megan Moyer
It’s a dense sea of competition for retailers in the food market segment. Every week I choose from two different grocery stores, a specialty food store, and a big box store to decide where I’ll get my weekly groceries. I tend to get my staples at the grocery stores most often, but if I want to take advantage of a sale at the big box store – no matter what category the sale item might be in – I’ll pick up my groceries there too to save myself an additional trip to the supermarket. Same scenario if there is something I want at the specialty food store a particular week, I’ll end up picking up the basics there.
What is bothering me lately is that I’ve noticed when I’m making my purchases at the grocery store and favorite big box store, the cashiers do not thank me for my business. The phrase “thank you” should be said by the store staff at the close of every sale. At the specialty food store I am always thanked for my business, and the cashier always starts a friendly conversation with me as I wait for the transaction to be completed. I appreciate being made to feel like I, and my sale, matter to this store. While they wouldn’t ever become the one and only place I get all of my groceries from, their level of service makes a big difference to me and keeps me coming back.
The cashiers at the grocery stores and big box store almost never engage in a friendly conversation and I am surprised when one of them does thank me as they hand me my receipt. I’m amazed that these stores are overlooking this very important piece of the shopping experience. For these stores in particular, who have mostly an inventory of commodities that I can find at many, many other outlets, they should be more appreciative of my business than the specialty store that carries items that are rare or impossible to find elsewhere.
What is the end of the shopping experience like at your store? I’m often left feeling like I should have gone elsewhere, taken my sale – my hard-earned money – to a store where it will be appreciated. It’s a simple thing to make sure your staff is thanking your customers for their business. Make sure you aren’t missing this critical piece of the overall shopping experience.