Celling More...

I stopped at an electronics store the size of Wisconsin last weekend for
a couple small items. Just before leaving, I remembered I needed an
extra charger for my cell phone...

"Is this your department?" I asked a clerk who was busy doing nothing.

"Yeah."

"I need a charger," I said, pointing to my phone.

"Over there," he replied motioning to a Berlin Wall of adapters.

"Do you carry Motorola?"

"Just those," he said, turning to walk away.

"Don't they put model numbers on packages anymore?" I asked,
holding a package in each hand and scanning the back panels.

"Nah," he said.

"This one MIGHT fit. Can I open it and check?"

"Got to buy it first," he said.

"Seriously?"

"Seriously."

I opened the package at the checkout. It didn't fit, so I didn't
buy it.

A smart retailer might allow clerks to open packages for customers.

A smart manufacturer might design a package with the adapter
exposed so a customer could plug it into their phone without
opening the package.

Both the retailer and manufacturer lost a sale that day.

Sometimes marketers make it so hard for a customer to buy from
them, you'd think their goal was to LOSE sales. Bad policies. Poor
packaging. Lack of training. No merchandising. Terrible customer
service. The list goes on and on...

How hard is it for a customer to buy from you? Can you make it
easier?

- Phil Sasso