by Every retailer, in any industry, has a type of process. It can range from product placements for grocery stores to how sales associates engage with clients. In the mattress industry, the process defines the customer experience.
But why is that experience so important?
Consider a place where you have experienced exceptional service, or an exceptional process. The most commonly thought of one is Chick-fil-A. When you look at the experience they create for their customers compared to any other fast food chain, they stand head and shoulders above the rest. That customer experience is what gave them the reputation they have today.
So what does the customer experience look like at a mattress store? They say a client makes a first impression of their retail interaction within the first seven seconds.
The appearance of your store, the demeanor of your staff, and the layout of your showroom all impact that first impression, but the lasting impression is the experience in your showroom from start to finish. So let’s discuss how to create that experience.
1. Showroom layout and decor
It’s key to make your showroom easy to navigate. Beds need to have enough space for customers to walk between the mattresses, but also be organized in a fashion that they can understand. Some places prefer to organize by feel, others by brand, or even by technology. Some showrooms go so far as to blend two of those together.
In either case, however you organize your mattresses, it should be easy to communicate to your customers and easy for them to understand.
Likewise, the decorations and lighting should create a relaxing and inviting space. You can utilize a simplistic design or even something over the top. Make the space show your personality, but also create that professional environment that your store should have. Color schemes, accents and light fixtures can all impact the ambience of your showroom.
2. Customer focused
Along with an inviting showroom, having a sleep assessment process that is focused on the customer is paramount. Some places consider using questionnaires, others interactive tools, to help involve the customer in the process of them discovering their sleep needs. Educate the customer on those needs and explain what features they would need to help with the problems they are experiencing.
The other half of the process is having the right selection for your customers. If you are targeting customers who are looking for BIAB products, make sure your products tailor to that customer. If you are trying to find haven-seeker clients, make sure your showroom and products cater to that type of buyer.
The more you focus, the more you can specialize with products. Just be aware that overfocusing can have its drawbacks, too.
3. Technology and supporting tools
One of the things I was taught early was to involve the customer in the process, and in today’s world, there are a plethora of ways to do that. Brochures, product demos and even videos on TikTok, YouTube or Facebook have all become ways to create an immersive experience in and out of the showroom.
These tools will involve the customer with their mattress experience and help bring a better understanding to how a bed meets their needs.
This information isn’t exhaustive, but the goal is to make your process and showroom stand out from everyone else. Your product selection, organization and means of creating an immersive understanding for your guests is just the tip of the iceberg.
Combining those three core thoughts with letting your personality show in your interactions and providing meaningful solutions will help you stand out.
