by JC Campbell

Created on: February 27, 2011   Last Updated: March 02, 2011

When you operate any kind of retail establishment, it is imperative to recognise the difference between a consumer and a customer. The obvious difference is that while a consumer may buy goods from you once or buy them from other similar merchants, a customer is a person who will give you repeat business. The reasons why people become customers are varied but in most cases will be due to two main criteria; value for money and good personal service.

No matter what you may be selling, customers will always be seeking value for money and all the more so when there is competition in your field of endeavour. Are your prices competitive? Trying to sell goods that can easily be purchased more cheaply elsewhere is unlikely to turn consumers into regular customers. While you do not need to sell items at a cheaper price, it is important that you are at least competitive with similar traders.

The price of an item is always going to be the main criteria for most shoppers even if this means having to travel to find a better deal. Added to this is the fact that many will now shop online which can be bad news for local traders and businesses. The advantage of local business is that the customer will not have to pay shipping costs but this does not mean prices can be ay less competitive.

Another way to transform consumers into customers is to make sure to provide the best personal service you possibly can. It is a well known fact that people will gladly return to an establishment that offered good service in the past. Even when prices may be slightly higher than a competitor, good service will go a long way to ensuring repeat business. The old adage the the customer comes first is often forgotten and can result in losing valuable business in the future.

Many retailers can do very little to enhance the quality of the goods they may have for sale but they do have it in their power to improve the level of service offered to consumers. A friendly approach to potential customers will inspire confidence and suggest you are a retailer that can be trusted. Providing a good service tells the customer they are valued and this could make all the difference to them. The quality of service offered could determine whether the consumer will return to buy again another time.

Transforming consumers into customers should be the goal of anyone in the retail business. Offering competitive prices and giving the customer a high level of service will help you to make that transformation.

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