Now that customers are returning to shop in person, I think the question to ask is this: Are you ready?

You may face staffing shortages, out-of-stock items as supply chains fluctuate, and an overall feeling of being out of practice for normal store operations. Some of these situations are solvable and some are out of your hands.

In any event, it may be time to review the basics of the in-store customer experience.

Maintain a Clean, Welcoming Store

This may sound obvious, but I think it’s a point that can get lost in the shuffle because we all get familiar with our own places of business. In this case, try an experiment; see your store from a customer’s perspective. Make note of what would draw you in, help you explore the store, keep you interested, and make you feel like you’d want to discover more. Or, ask a friend who you trust who will give you an honest assessment to stop by your store and do a “review” of the layout and the overall feeling your business provides. You may be surprised at the results!

Aisle layout, intriguing displays, appealing endcaps or special featured product sections can help create a “let’s see what this is about” sense of discovery in the minds of your customers. Clear and attractive signage that draws them toward your selection but doesn’t distract from it is part of creative marketing, too. And having aisles that are roomy enough for accessibility to a diversity of shoppers indicates that you value all visitors to your store, too. Again, looking at all of these factors from a customer’s point of view, and not wishful thinking of what you think customers “should” see, requires a great deal of honesty.

Hire the Right People

As much as your store appearance, your staff is the face of your business, so you need to spend time—and money—bringing in talent. Make sure that they have a passion for natural health and helping others, too. Some may have their own specialized areas of interest that they excel in—maybe creating amazing store displays is one of their talents, or organizing store events, or connecting with customers. The important thing is to hire excellent people and pay them well. If you want minimum effort and minimum interest in the future of your business, pay minimum wage. Otherwise, it is your job to hire the right people, pay them what they’re worth and mentor them well.

Invest in Staff Training

How much does training boost the profitability of your store? A few years ago, a study commissioned by Wharton School of Business professors examined the value of employee training. They found that for every hour of training, a sales associate will see a 5 percent gain in sales. Overall, the more training an associate had, the more sales. Those who had training saw 46 percent more sales per hour than those who didn’t train. The researchers resolved that about half of that result was due to the type of employee: outwardly focused, personable and naturally able to make connections. But that still leaves 23 percent of those results based on better training alone. Interestingly, they also found that training across store brands lifted sales across the board. Of course, that makes sense—it makes it much easier to help a customer compare one product to the next.

This training, as much as a clean store layout and friendly environment, helps to make your store a destination. Of course, to keep customers returning, you need to build some excitement about your store as well. And that means hosting events and reaching out to the community at large.

Instill a Customer-focused Philosophy

It pays to always remember the big picture, and to encourage your staff to remember it, too. When we think about it, we know that the customer is our priority in any retail business. But how often does that essential idea get pushed out of our mindset when the day gets hectic or stressful?

Expertise in the realm of customer service is a must, and it is absolutely crucial that nobody on your staff becomes complacent regarding customers. If your delivery truck was late or if your assistant manager called in sick, the customer experience still must be seamless and professional. And that just means paying attention to your customers and being willing to drop whatever else you’re doing to help them.

It’s key that your team understands this, too. Your staff should know that they have the freedom to attend to customers and exercise some discernment about how to best help everyone who comes through your door, without being criticized for taking time from stocking shelves or other routine business.

Visit the Competition

Checking out other stores can be a very helpful strategy. It allows you to see other approaches toward displays, signage, aisle arrangements or even staffing that you could adapt to improve your own store and your customers’ experience. That doesn’t mean you have to do everything lockstep with the store across town, but there’s nothing wrong with adapting a concept, improving it and making it your own.

Create and Maintain Excitement About Your Store

If your business was already a destination store prior to the pandemic, rebuilding that level of traffic may not be difficult; people want to get out again and shop in person. But maintaining that momentum still requires effort. If you have the room and it makes sense for your store, consider hosting guest speakers, cooking or food demonstrations, herbalist presentations and partnering with other businesses. You may discover that their interests dovetail with your own and your customers’, too. Local bicycle shops, fitness experts and herbalists may create some great synchronicity for customer interest and help keep your store on the map and in their minds.

Customer Experience is Everything

Your customers are ultimately the ones who decide the future of your business. After all, there are plenty of places they can shop. But deliberately recommitting to customer satisfaction can renew your sense of mission. When you and your staff provide the goodwill, product selection, in-depth knowledge and positive experience that your customers can’t get anywhere else, your business and your impact will remain an import-ant part of your community for a long time. VR

A highly regarded leader in the natural products industry, Terry Lemerond is founder and president of EuroPharma, Inc. He also founded Enzymatic Therapy, Inc. and PhytoPharmica, Inc. and is currently co-owner of the Terry Naturally Health Food Store in Green Bay, WI, which recently won its sixth consecutive consumer choice award as “Best of the Bay.” With more than 40 years in the natural products industry, Lemerond has researched and developed more than 400 nutritional and botanical formulations that continue to be top-selling products in the market. Lemerond shares his wealth of experience and knowledge in health and nutrition through his educational programs, including the Terry Talks Nutrition website, newsletters, podcasts, webinars and personal speaking engagements. He is the author of two books: Seven Keys to Vibrant Health and the recently updated Seven Keys to Unlimited Personal Achievement.