e customer has to wait, are there comfortable chairs to sit in? Are there materials that educate the person about your business and all of your services to encourage them to promote you as an expert and encourage them to buy more? Is water made available for a refreshing drink? Do people who frequently visit your establishment tend to have children with them? Are they iEvery aspect of your business should enhance the customer experience, not detract from it.

Every retail establishment – whether a store, a bank, or a restaurant – in some way markets itself as being customer focused. The clerks in the commercials and print ads are always smiling and looking like they’re overjoyed when a customer needs help. How often do you get that reaction from the staff when you actually go into those stores? The customers in those ads look so happy you’d think the store or the bank is giving away merchandise or bags of money. Do you see customers who look that happy when you go to your local retail establishments? Look in the mirror the next time you’re shopping and see how happy you look.

Why is the reality so different from the message sent?

Examine the physical atmosphere in your facility. Is it welcoming? The store manager or owner would say “yes,” but how many customers would agree? Why is the air conditioning going at full blast when the outside temperature is a comfortable 65? A customer who’s uncomfortable is going to buy only what she came in for, not linger and make additional purchases.

Will the customer find new products on the shelves that she sees advertised on national commercials or in magazines? Will there be samples and recipes available to reduce her reluctance to buy? Don’t sell food? How can you reduce reluctance to buy and increase confidence in what you do sell?

If the customer or prospective customer has to wait, are there comfortable chairs to sit in? Are there materials that educate the person about your business and all of your services to encourage them to promote you as an expert and encourage them to buy more? Is water made available for a refreshing drink? Do people who frequently visit your establishment tend to have children with them? Are they i

at reaction from the staff when you actually go into those stores? The customers in those ads look so happy you’d think the store or the bank is giving away merchandise or bags of money. Do you see customers who look that happy when you go to your local retail establishments? Look in the mirror the next time you’re shopping and see how happy you look.

Why is the reality so different from the message sent?

Examine the physical atmosphere in your facility. Is it welcoming? The store manager or owner would say “yes,” but how many customers would agree? Why is the air conditioning going at full blast when the outside temperature is a comfortable 65? A customer who’s uncomfortable is going to buy only what she came in for, not linger and make additional purchases.

Will the customer find new products on the shelves that she sees advertised on national commercials or in magazines? Will there be samples and recipes available to reduce her reluctance to buy? Don’t sell food? How can you reduce reluctance to buy and increase confidence in what you do sell?

If the customer or prospective customer has to wait, are there comfortable chairs to sit in? Are there materials that educate the person about your business and all of your services to encourage them to promote you as an expert and encourage them to buy more? Is water made available for a refreshing drink? Do people who frequently visit your establishment tend to have children with them? Are they i

eality so different from the message sent?

Examine the physical atmosphere in your facility. Is it welcoming? The store manager or owner would say “yes,” but how many customers would agree? Why is the air conditioning going at full blast when the outside temperature is a comfortable 65? A customer who’s uncomfortable is going to buy only what she came in for, not linger and make additional purchases.

Will the customer find new products on the shelves that she sees advertised on national commercials or in magazines? Will there be samples and recipes available to reduce her reluctance to buy? Don’t sell food? How can you reduce reluctance to buy and increase confidence in what you do sell?

If the customer or prospective customer has to wait, are there comfortable chairs to sit in? Are there materials that educate the person about your business and all of your services to encourage them to promote you as an expert and encourage them to buy more? Is water made available for a refreshing drink? Do people who frequently visit your establishment tend to have children with them? Are they i

linger and make additional purchases.

Will the customer find new products on the shelves that she sees advertised on national commercials or in magazines? Will there be samples and recipes available to reduce her reluctance to buy? Don’t sell food? How can you reduce reluctance to buy and increase confidence in what you do sell?

If the customer or prospective customer has to wait, are there comfortable chairs to sit in? Are there materials that educate the person about your business and all of your services to encourage them to promote you as an expert and encourage them to buy more? Is water made available for a refreshing drink? Do people who frequently visit your establishment tend to have children with them? Are they i

e customer has to wait, are there comfortable chairs to sit in? Are there materials that educate the person about your business and all of your services to encourage them to promote you as an expert and encourage them to buy more? Is water made available for a refreshing drink? Do people who frequently visit your establishment tend to have children with them? Are they interested in the news? What could you offer them that would create a welcoming atmosphere for everyone who visits?

What about the experience of the customer who must return something or who has a problem? Yes, there are people who pull scams on businesses, but aren’t they truly the minority of customers? Why then are you making customers feel as if they’re being interrogated? A customer who has a problem and who brings it to your attention creates a tremendous opportunity for you to strengthen the bond between you. The treatment they receive at that moment can be the factor that makes them a brand champion for you or turns them into a brand detractor.

Nordstrom is legendary for its service. They have a no questions asked policy. Do people abuse it? Yes. Have they changed their policy? No. They have systems in place to track who makes the return and if they feel someone may be abusing their generosity, they explain their concerns and tell the person they won’t be able to return anything in the next 30 days. But they don’t punish good customers because of the few bad ones. Do you?

These are all examples of how businesses set themselves up for failing to deliver on the brand promise. Whether we provide goods or services to consumers or other businesses, delivering on the brand promise is one of the most critical processes to growth.

Your next step: Evaluate your business from the customers’ perspective. What promises are you making through you