Questions from your customers
Too often, we do not hear from our customers. They will silently judge our presentation and operation and decide quietly whether they will be loyal to us year in and year out or pass us by the next time they are shopping for gardening needs. The following is a list of questions they are asking that you may never hear.
Am I invited into your store from the street and parking lot?
“I am going to give you one look as a drive by. You better be good! I want my shopping experience to be seamless and free of distractions.”
Is your store front bright, attractive and colorful?
I want to see a garden store, not a radiator shop! I want to see an explosion of color, not just a couple of puny rows of plants. It is the season.”
Are your signs clear, readable and pleasing to my eye?
“I do not want to hunt for anything, especially the location of a bathroom! I want your signs to lead and inform me.”
Do I know what store and what kind of store I am entering?
“If you are not going to shout out who you are and what you are offering, I wonder whether you know yourself what you are doing!"
Are your employees well dressed and groomed?
“My gosh, Mr. garden store owner, your employees look like they fell out of the back of a turnip truck! Maybe all they know is how to load turnips?”
Is there messiness visible as I enter?
“I have plenty to clean up in my own garden. I really don’t want to look at the mess in your garden”
Do I get a fresh springtime planting feeling when I enter?
“I can get rows of boxes all lined up in shelves at Home Depot. Show me the magic of gardening!”
Are there plant color and textures displayed as I drive by and enter?
“I want imagination and creativity. I am excited about my gardening, Are you?”
Do I have to travel out of my way to get to your store?
“Your garden store is too out of the way to visit”
Is your store near other stores where I shop?
“I have a lot of shopping to do today in many stores. You are to far away from them.”
Are there other gardening stores nearby for me to also shop?
“I can hit three garden stores within a few miles of each other, so I will visit them all.”
Can I reach you from the major roads?
" I finally found the back road that leads to your store, but I am not going to look for that road again.”
Can I drive in, park and maneuver easily without getting my car damaged?
“No way I am going to park by new car in your parking lot.”
Are your business hours posted on your entrance and exit signing?
“I can’t tell when you are open or closed. Guess I will go somewhere else.”
Does the signing colors,style and identification on your delivery vehicles compliment the vehicle?
“I think I saw your store employees delivering plants to my neighbor, but there was no signing on this beat up old truck. I liked the plants but don’t know where they came from.”
Is the signing an effective silent salesman for your store?
“I saw some great plants in a truck as I was driving along, but there was no name on the truck. I wish I knew the name of that store.”
Am I greeted as I enter?
“Nobody on your staff even looked up as I entered your store.”
Are the floor surfaces smooth with smooth transitions to other surfaces?
“There are a lot of grade changes on your floors and steps in your garden store.”
Are there ample openings to the plants or does the store have a closed in feeling?
“I like to see plants when I hit your door, not just a room with a back door leading to the good stuff.”
Do I have to go looking for a cart or are they immediately and conveniently available?
“Where are the shopping carts? I am in a hurry!”
Can I move easily to the plants and supplies?
“Some places are hard to get to, blocked up by boards and plastic. It is an adventure just getting to the fruit trees.”
Do I run into walls and have to double back as I shop?
“There are a lot of dead ends when I have to turn my cart around and go back.”
Do I have to hunt for the checkout registers?
“Where do I pay for my stuff? I am confused.”
Do your employees show themselves prominently or to I have to find customer help?
“I can’t tell who works at your store. I don’t know who to ask.”
Is there adequate ceiling height or do I feel cramped in your store?
“I feel closed in. I want to get out of your store as fast as I can.”
Is it difficult to move and pay for large bags?
“How in the heck am I going to get this big bag of soil out of your store?”
Are some or all of the buildings heated or am I cold when I shop?
“It is always too cold or too hot in your main building when I shop. It is very uncomfortable.”
Can I get a cool drink of water easily and conveniently?
“Where is the drinking water? I need some fast!”
Is there background music. Is it soothing?
“If I hear the song, “Rocky Raccoon” one more time in your store, I am going to go postal.”
Do I feel like I am in an echoed warehouse or are the noises cushioned?
“Your store sounds like an empty warehouse.”
Is there outside noise, from traffic, that is distracting?
“I can’t concentrate on my garden shopping because of the traffic noise.”
Are the walkie talkies and outside pagers always blaring in my ear?
“Geez, there is so much chatter on those walkie talkies, I am getting annoyed and agitated.”
Are the price and descriptions clearly informative?
“I need to buy some bushes for the front of my house. Would you tell me what should buy?”
Are the “sale” signs located at the plant on sale?
“I shop only sales. It looks like you have no sales on anything!”
Are the signs durable for all weather conditions?
“I cannot read your beat up, faded signs. Guess I won’t buy anything.”
Are the signs maintained properly?
“Your sign says you have what I want, but there is nothing in the display.”
Is the parking lot kept neat and clean?
“Geez this parking lot is dirty. I guess the whole place is dirty. I am going elsewhere.”
Is there a place to deposit my shopping cart?
“What do I do with this empty shopping cart?
Are their plantings and seasonal color in the parking areas?
“The whole parking lot is just a bunch of hot asphalt. I want to see color everywhere.”
Is there vehicle access for convenient loading and unloading near the registers?
“I am not going to pack all these bags to my car. It is too far and I am in a hurry.”
Are the checkout counters cluttered without adequate free space?
“I can hardly find a place to write my check with all the crap in the way.”
Is my checker always distracted with telephone calls when I am checking out?
“All I want to do is pay and get back to my garden. The checker is always on the phone.”
Are there long lines and hassles at the checkouts?
“I am not going to stand in line very long. I want to get back to my garden.”
Are there bathrooms for both sexes?
“My wife has to wait in line for the bathroom. She is not coming back to your store anymore.”
Is there a family room and baby changing stations?
“My child needs a diaper change. What am I supposed to do?”
Are the bathrooms cleaned and well stocked all the time?
“Your bathroom looks like the morning after in a beer joint!”
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