Speed. Convenience. Consistency. Amicability. All of those make for a good customer experience. One big differentiator in that equation is the human touch. Creating real connections with technology needs the entire experience to feel more human and connected. People are increasingly less loyal to their retailers, brands, products, and devices. They consistently shop for ‘what’s better right now?’ vs. ‘what was the best the last time’.

Therefore, to make the customer experience a differentiating factor for your business, you need to implement new strategies that drive customer loyalty. All of that, without creating customer frustrations and by empowering employees.

Especially in the case of retail businesses and distributors, customers need to feel connected with the brand and be in constant touch with its most cherished values. This can happen by reimagining several facets of the business- keeping the customer at the core.

How Retailers Benefit from In-store Surveys:

In-store shopping is still highly relevant. According to recent survey results, 52 percent of respondents are likely to purchase in-store for the product availability, store location, to try and test items, for instant gratification, to sidestep shipping costs, and for the in-store shopping experience.

Retailers can capture rich and timely insights with mobile surveys and in-store surveys to gain a deeper understanding of their customers. In-store mobile surveys offer a direct dive into your customer’s thoughts, behaviors, and attitudes. Since in-store surveys capture customer details right in the moment, the information collected tends to be highly relevant and accurate.

Marketers and store owners base critical business decisions on available research data, which they gather from in-store or on-field surveys.

• • Improve merchandising - By capturing how well customers respond to the displayed products can give retailers an idea of how they can improve the merchandising for a better appeal. Customers can give instant insight into what caught their attention when they first entered the store- through the in-store survey.

• • Improve staff accessibility - For a customer to feel welcomed into a store, the retail shop’s staff needs to assist them as quickly as they can. When customers have to call for assistance, it ruins their in-store experience. An in-store survey can help owners find out what customers feel about the accessibility of their staff.

• • Staff behavior - Customers want exceptional experiences, whether online or in a brick-and-mortar store. This highly depends on the attending staff. An in-store survey can help shop owners keep a tab on how politely and gracefully their staff attend customers.

• Product appeal - Through tailored in-store surveys, presented in an appealing format, shop owners can analyze which products stand out from the crowd and which need to be positioned better for better discovery. Customers can also be asked for recommendations about the overall look and feel of the store.

In these and other several ways, retail owners can improve the overall effectiveness of their store by capturing highly relevant data through surveys.

Furthermore, dynamic surveys displayed on tablets and smartphones can help capture data with higher accuracy and precision, helping owners make deliberate decisions on the key aspects of their business.

What All Can You Fit Into an In-store Survey:

Here are a few highly desirable features to build into your survey process.

• Geofencing features - Garner feedback and information when customers come in the proximity of your store. Geofencing can help you gather store-specific feedback.
• Track user behavior - When users take your survey within and around your store, capture the information for behavior analytics to learn more about your customer’s preferences and inclinations.
• In-store offers - Offer discounts and coupons to customers in exchange for taking the survey. This can be a great way to solicit feedback and increase survey engagement.
• Reward photo uploads - Find out exactly what customers love about your store by allowing them to click a picture in their favorite store spot. Reward them for uploading the picture on social media and gain traction.
• Use in-store surveys on mobile - With a mobile app, you can integrate in-store surveys right into your customer’s mobile app and encourage them to leave honest reviews at their convenience.

In-store surveys can help you capture timely information and do something with it to increase revenue and improve customer experience.

Designing an Effective In-store Survey:

Both men and women are spending more time in-store than online during typical shopping visits, according to a new report by First Insight Inc. This is the ideal time for retailers to gain better insight into their buyers.

You don’t want a survey to be intrusive or an unwanted disturbance to your customer. Therefore, the key to survey success lies in designing a survey the customer feels encouraged to take.

Here are a few pro tips for you to design the best survey your customers will ever take:

• Make it conversational - No one likes to fill up boring forms. Make sure your survey is conversational. Lend some personality to it to improve its charm.
• Begin with the objective in mind - Decide what all you want to learn about the customer before delving into designing the survey. A clear objective will help hit the nail on the head without a lot of beating around the bush.
• Acknowledge the customer’s investment - Even if your survey takes 2 minutes to complete, acknowledge the fact that the customer took the time and interest to do it for you. Include a thank you note at the end of the survey.
• Keep it concise - Refrain from asking a lot from your customers. Sick to the point and keep the survey concise for better engagement.
• Make it attractive - The visuals leave a lasting impact on us. Make sure the survey screen looks simple yet attractive to capture the customer’s attention.

An in-store survey can be your window into the customer’s mind. Use them effectively to significantly impact the customer experience you offer them within your brick-and-mortar store.

Reduce the repetitiveness in designing, tracking, and analyzing a survey by going for a survey automation system.