No one is more important to your shop’s success than your customers.  Without them, the best employees in the world would be superfluous, and you as a shop owner would also soon have nothing to do.  And yet we sometimes treat customers as an interruption, especially when we busy trying to check one more thing off a long to-do list.  It doesn’t hurt to remind ourselves from time to time that there is a reason that the customer comes first.

Providing consistently excellent customer service is an essential way of differentiating your independent store from both its big box competitors and online shopping options.  But there is one way to take this a step further that you may not have considered: inviting your customers to help you define the future of your business.

If you are faced with a major decision regarding the direction you want your shop to take, the mix of products you offer,  or the effectiveness of your marketing, consider convening a focus group of your top customers.  You will probably be surprised by how eager they are to offer their opinions, and how much they want you to succeed.

A focus group works best when limited to 8-10 people, and held in a quiet, private space. You will want to make it clear that you only are asking for an hour’s time — possibly in the early evening. Mention that light refreshments (and perhaps wine) will be served, and that participants will receive a gift card as a thank you.

You might want to consider having an outside moderator, perhaps a volunteer from the SOAR program or a professional focus group moderator (qualitative moderator).  I think it is helpful to have moderator, because participants are more likely to give their honest opinion if they are not speaking directly to the store’s owner or manager. The moderator can also help you summarize and quantify the feedback given.

 It is a good idea to let participants know that there will be a moderator.  And if want feedback on a specific topic, you should also mention this in advance so that participants can give it some thought.  (If the topic is a sensitive one, don’t forget to say that it is confidential.)

You’ll also want to get your staff’s input on any major decision you’re facing, but sharing the feedback from your customer focus group will be helpful in getting this discussion going.  There is no reason to go it alone — being an independent retailer shouldn’t mean that you don’t consider the input of others.

Happy Retailing,

Carol “Orange” Schroeder