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How to Coordinate Your E-store and Store Front to Avoid Customer Runaround
04/ 15/ 2002

Here's a scenario that can lead to severe customer turnoff: a store is out of a particular item that the customer wants, and a salesperson says, "Just check out our online store." When the customer later visits the company's site, he can't locate the item. Finally, in frustration, he calls the toll-free number listed on the site, only to be told that the items are available only through the store! Customer runaround like this can be avoided easily. In today's Workshop, Jeffrey Moses shows how.

The best way to avoid customer runaround of this type is to make sure that your in-store sales staff knows exactly what is and what isn't available through your E-store. If the same employees handle both E-store and storefront merchandise, this usually isn't a problem. It's only when separate staff operates the two that special attention needs to be given to the situation.

To completely eliminate the problem, simply set up a computer in your store that is permanently connected to your E-store Web site. When your staff can't locate an item, rather than suggest that customers visit the site, the staff themselves can assist customers by checking the site directly. Customers can then order immediately from the site, or at least be familiar with the site to more easily order later.

Even greater confusion can result if you have a catalog in addition to a storefront and an E-store Web site. This three-prong approach can yield profitable results overall, but can also lead to increased customer runaround when in-store sales staff doesn't know what products are available through Web site and catalog. Also, when you run a sale, make sure that you coordinate prices through all your outlets -- storefront, Web site and catalog.

If you have part-time sales staff, knowledge of what products are available on the Web site may be too much to ask of them. In this case, a manager or senior salesperson should always be available to answer questions. In any case, no salesperson should ever brush off responsibility for locating an item by saying: "Just check our Web site."

Several large chain stores handle this problem directly and have had great success. Talbot's (clothing retailers), for instance, has a telephone in each of its outlets so that customers can speak with representatives familiar with in-store and catalog merchandise. Customers can order directly through these reps when a store doesn't have a specific item in stock. Also, Sears and other large retailers long have had dedicated in-house catalog representatives who work with customers to locate items that are not available in the store.

Your store and E-commerce Web site may not be as extensive as those of these giant retailers, but by following the tips in today's Workshop, you can more easily avoid the problems caused by customer runaround. And in the process, you can create the same effect as the big guys.

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