Because of what the number of buyers may fall. Why is the average check in stores decreasing?

Do you want to know how much money one conditional visitor brings to the institution? We will show you how to calculate the average bill in a restaurant or cafe, what affects its growth and decline.

What does the average check consist of?

Each guest of your establishment places an order for a certain amount. It doesn't matter how it is calculated - in cash, by card, from a bonus account or by installments. The purchase is evidenced by a receipt.The sum of all checks is equal to the revenue for a certain period.

The average bill is usually considered as an indicator of the sales success in the establishment. The higher the average check, the greater the total revenue should be.

When calculating the average check, four indicators are used.

• RP - settlement period. Depending on the purpose of the calculation, choose a shift, week or month.
• КЧ - the number of checks (purchases) for the period. It does not equal the number of guests, because one check can be paid by several visitors - for example, a company.
• GRP - the sum of all purchases, or revenue for the billing period.

GRP / KCH = MF.

Manual calculations take a long time - from 30 minutes or more. Much faster to use calculations mobile applications... They are connected to the cloud checkout, keep track of sales and generate reports at the user's request.

However, don't rely on the software to manage the business for you. It just speeds up the acquisition of data and performs quantitative analysis - that is, in numbers. For literate management decisions complex analysis data is required.

Qualitative analysis of the average check

The qualitative analysis is based on causal relationships. Need to find out why the success rate of your business has changed, what influenced the changes.

If the reasons for the unwanted changes are found, then you can correctly respond to them. The number of purchases in your institution, its profitability will increase again.

A qualitative analysis of the average check takes into account two groups of factors.

Quantitative factors

These are indicators that answer the question "How much?" They can be counted - inrevenue for the period, knumber of checks,guests, etc. The number of guests per check also determines the revenue. The more orders from companies, the higher the average check for the period.

Mobile and web apps for restaurants and cafes help you quickly get numbers on the quantitative factors of influence on the average check. You don't need to count anything, everything is in. You simply select a period, an indicator and generate reports.

Qualitative factors

These are events, circumstances, facts related to the daily work of the institution. They cannot be counted, but they can be identified and explained.

Qualitative factors answer the questions “Did…”, “Why…”, “When…”, “Who…” etc. These questions always involve specific answers that can be linked into a single logical chain.

For example, you want to know if the introduction of new dishes has affected the average monthly bill. Questions for analysis can be as follows:

"What new dishes have we introduced in the last month?"- titles, menu section.

"When did the new dishes appear on the menu?"- date Time.

« How many new dishes have we sold - from the moment it appeared on the menu until the end date of the billing period?»

« What was the sale amount for new dishes?". It is advisable to determine not only the number, but also the percentage of revenue from new products in the total amount of income.

« How has the restaurant's revenue changed after the introduction of new dishes - increased or decreased?". This indicator depends on the price of new products, their culinary value, the ability to supplement the menu or replace outdated items. Updating the menu is of great importance. The less frequent it is, the more likely the guest will switch to new items.

After the reasons for the changes are found, you can draw conclusions and make plans.

To get a short report on the average check, use. You will always be aware of the business of the institution and, if necessary, make adjustments to the action plan.

Sales Generator

Reading time: 10 minutes

Such a situation often arises: at first glance, everything is done with high quality, advertising is developed and launched, but the target audience, that is, the people on whom the product is targeted are in no hurry to buy it. In this case, many business owners are perplexed as to why sales fell and where they made a mistake, overlooked something or failed to work.

Even if your business is organized correctly in principle, there can be at least four reasons for the decline in sales. If you know why sales have fallen, you can analyze the situation and quickly eliminate the shortcomings.

In this article, you will learn:

1. 4 main reasons why sales are falling
2. 9 reasons for the decline in sales in the online store

4 main reasons why sales fell

Reason 1. Incorrectly chosen sales strategy and tactics

So, let's look at the first reason for the drop in sales. It should be noted that it is one of the most common and obvious. Enterprise or a store have already identified a portrait of a potential client, formed a target audience, analyzed the state of the market and understood exactly who their product or service is aimed at. But there are still no sales. Accordingly, profits too.

First, you need to analyze the chosen sales strategy and tactics in order to understand why sales fell. It is likely that they simply do not fit the chosen market segment, or the strategy and tactics are very complex. As a rule, to improve the situation, it is enough just to objectively look at what you are doing from the perspective of an outside observer. Then you will understand why sales have fallen and you will find a way out.

Reason 2. Poor pricing policy

According to some marketers, the main parameter for a consumer when buying is cost. But this point of view is wrong. Of course, the price is important, and the buyer always pays attention to it. However, he mainly thinks about what benefits the purchase of the product will bring him and what problems he can solve with the help of it.

As an example, we can give a situation when a person enters a store, the assortment of which has over 200 phones. But it doesn't matter to him. A potential buyer is looking for a model that fully meets his requirements. A professional salesperson will build a dialogue with a client in such a way that he will sell the phone. He will demonstrate the models chosen by the buyer from the advantageous sides, talk about the advantages of the company and let him know that the purchase should be made right here. If your staff is customer-oriented and always covers the quality of the goods from the point of view of the buyer, then your sales will not decline. Think about it now when analyzing why sales have dropped.

Reason 3. Unclear warranty conditions

When a person makes a purchase, he must understand that the goods that did not suit him can be easily returned. The order of the return procedure itself is important here - the simpler it is, the more the buyer trusts you. Nobody wants to mess with paperwork for the sake of getting their money.

In accordance with Russian legislation on the protection of consumer rights, the goods must be returned within two weeks. As a rule, 14 days are enough for a person to understand whether he likes a thing or not. Whatever happens, if the buyer wants to return the product, he will somehow bring it to the seller. The law will agree with this provision, since the client is always right.

In this regard, when thinking about why sales have fallen, you should pay attention to this parameter as well - perhaps you are providing customers with unclear warranty conditions. Adjust them to make them clearer and more transparent. Your target audience should understand that it will be possible to return the product without any problems if something happens. She will regard this point as your significant advantage.

Remember that returns are inevitable in any retail outlet. If you make them work for your reputation, then you will not think about why sales have fallen.

Submit your application

Reason 4. Wrong time, wrong place

Why did sales fall? It can be quite difficult to answer this question, and often the problem lies not in you as a bad seller, but simply in the unfortunate location of the outlet. So, if you understand why sales fell, and found out that this happened for the above reason, then what to do?

Of course, changing the location is much more difficult than eliminating another cause. However, this factor greatly affects the business, and therefore if your sales have really fallen and the store is unsuccessfully located, it is still better to choose a more passable place.

Also, the product can get ahead of itself - another reason why sales fell. That is, the audience is not yet ready to perceive and use your product. An example is appropriate here. the largest company Apple, whose products were simply not in demand for many years - consumers were not ready for innovative solutions and advanced technologies. It often takes time before a product enters the user's everyday life and becomes understandable for him. Alas, it can be very difficult to rectify the situation.

So, we looked at 4 factors due to which sales can fall. Note that we have focused only on the main and most common reasons for the decline in consumer demand. In reality, there can be much more of them, and this should be taken into account. But if you know about the mistakes that entrepreneurs often make, then as a businessman you can learn from them and avoid such mistakes in your practice.

Managers' mistakes that lead to sales decline

Mistake 1. Late purchase offer

So why did sales drop in your case? Often, managers make the mistake of continuing to persuade the client to buy a product when he is ready to do it. A purchase proposal is a whole art, and here you should remember about certain nuances and subtleties. The procedure can be compared to fishing, when your active action must be performed exactly on time and not a second earlier or later.

If your company employs a competent and professional sales manager, then most likely he knows exactly how to offer a product or service to a client.

Mistake 2. Talking to the buyer not about the benefits for him, but highlighting the benefits of your company

You are proud of your company, the products and services you offer. Of course, any sales manager should love and believe in what he is promoting. This is the pledge successful sales... But the psychology of the client is such that in the acquisition process he is only interested in his own benefit. Not your product or service, but the benefits and benefits that he will receive after the purchase.

In this regard, when conducting negotiations, a professional manager should highlight the value of a product or service for potential buyer... This approach will allow you to further increase your implementation. And now it is possible that your sales fell precisely because of the illiterate actions of the staff.

Mistake 3. Being ashamed to touch on the topic of cost

Often, managers are shy or afraid to voice the cost to the client. Especially if they themselves consider it overpriced and know that competitors are offering lower prices. Managers are afraid to hear from a potential buyer that he is not ready to purchase a product because of its high cost. It is the seller's doubts that may be the reason why sales fell. The client feels that the specialist is not sure of what he is saying, and this raises doubts in him at the decision-making stage. “Am I doing everything right? Perhaps they gave me little time to think? Perhaps you should ask for a discount? "

How can a manager deal with fear and embarrassment about negotiating a price? There are two ways:

• train to speak confidently about the price;
• process responses to the “Expensive” objection and do so until they become automatic.

Mistake 4. Use complex phrases and terms in a conversation with a client

Often, sales managers, especially inexperienced ones, use abstruse phrases and specific terms in conversation, long and difficult sentences. What does this lead to? The potential client gets tired of perceiving such information, ceases to delve into what the manager says, and the deal breaks down. It is possible that your sales fell for this very reason.

Why do managers of many companies speak this way? To demonstrate to the client your professional level and knowledge of the topic. But what is more important - to show the potential client that you are competent and well versed in the matter, or to sell a product or service? If it is in your best interest to sell products, explain yourself so that the person understands exactly what you mean. This will significantly increase the likelihood of a successful transaction, and you will not have to analyze why sales fell.

Mistake 5. Getting into a dispute with a client

Arguments on any occasion are a hallmark of our mentality. Why should you never enter into a dispute with a customer under any circumstances? Everything is very simple - a person in this case simply will not make a purchase.

Even if the client is clearly wrong, do not argue with him, unless, of course, you are interested in selling a product or service. Buyers are often wrong. But you know perfectly well the properties and characteristics of your product, and not a client who has barely got to know the product. When you express your point of view, then, of course, you are pursuing noble goals - to prove to the buyer that the product is really of high quality and sell it. But voicing your opinion should be careful so as not to provoke a conflict. If you argue with many buyers, then this may be the reason why sales in your company have dropped.

Why sales fell during the crisis, and what it can lead to

The strength of any business can be significantly affected by the economic crisis. One of the most vulnerable forms of entrepreneurship is mediation, including in trade. Wholesale companies are constantly balancing between the demands of manufacturers and the demands of buyers, and the slightest deterioration in the market situation can lead to a failure of the entire system and serious financial difficulties for the company. That is, another reason why sales fell may lie in the onset of the financial crisis.

This is the order in which difficulties appear in the channels of movement of goods and how participants who are connected with each other in trade relations react to them - Retail Stores and wholesale companies:

Decreasing customer demand

So, your sales have dropped. With problems in the economy, demand among buyers falls - in the country and at the global level. This is because organizations are losing jobs, wages are being delayed and there are difficulties in obtaining and paying off loans. That is, everything is interconnected.

Retailer gets less money from selling products in stores

This is immediately reflected in costly retail entrepreneurial activity... When working capital becomes smaller, it is more difficult for a retailer to take and give out bank loans, issue wages subordinates, pay rent retail space and run advertising campaigns.

In such situations, store owners lower retail prices and increase advertising activity. Costs for these activities operators retail transferred to wholesale organizations - the retailer requires the wholesaler to further reduce prices and extend the loan term.

Of course, threats to change wholesale supplier and demanding the delivery of products on terms of sale - extreme measures. But they cannot be ruled out. In this case, the reaction is determined financial condition company and its position in the market.

Among other things, a retailer whose sales have dropped is starting to get rid of some of the products with the least liquidity. Because of this, the wholesaler cannot offer the entire range of goods to the end customer.

If there is an economic crisis in the country and sales have fallen, especially if the outlook for the future is unfavorable, retailer chooses a liquid product to the detriment of the margin. This causes a change in the assortment in retail outlets - cheaper products prevail on the shelves.

It's not uncommon for retailers to tighten their spending requirements as well. wholesale enterprises to promote their products in retail chains... Such protections for retail trade are justified.

Difficulties affect wholesale

If in wholesale trade sales have fallen, the return of receivables to suppliers is becoming more difficult. Moreover, commodity stocks the company also accumulates in connection with the reduction in retail orders. As a result, the turnover of accounts receivable and stocks of goods decreases. This, in turn, leads to deterioration financial indicators companies.

As the firm is forced to lower wholesale tariffs to keep sales at the same level, give customers additional discounts and increase promotional costs, its profits are sharply reduced. A company whose sales have fallen finds itself in unfavorable financial conditions, in which it becomes more difficult for it to take out and repay loans, and a cash gap occurs.

The wholesaler company begins to experience a deficit in finance, and therefore cannot effectively and quickly adapt to the changed crisis conditions of the market, maintain an assortment range that is in demand among buyers, and fulfill obligations to partners. Consequently, the profitability of the business decreases and the financial problems increase.

9 reasons why online store sales dropped

So, you are wondering why the sales in the online store have dropped. This is where you need to look at the latest research and analysis to determine why your store is not seeing more deals and no customer demand. And immediately we note that it is quite difficult to maintain a leading position in the online trading market.

For three years, Qubit has been collecting customer reviews and complaints from 400 sites. As a result, it was possible to identify 10 main reasons why sales from online stores are falling, as well as to form a portrait of a buyer and his expectations, which often do not correspond to reality.

Below are the 10 most common customer complaints about online shopping according to Qubit research.

1. Price.

It is possible that your sales have dropped due to overpriced prices. As a rule, customers are the ones who most often complain about them. The research results show that the most common claims among buyers are “too expensive for the product presented” and “too expensive for me”.

Based on Nomis Solutions metrics, shoppers are 7.4 times more sensitive to online pricing than online pricing. conventional stores... Therefore, you should take care of the competitiveness of your prices in relation to other companies in the market. In addition, it is important to have a unique trade offer... You need to have something that other businesses don't have.

1. Assortment range.

Today, a large number of people prefer online shopping, and there are a number of reasons for this. One of them is a wide range of products and the ability to choose what you like. Customers who shop online want to make finding a product easier than shopping in stores. That is, for another initial stage website development should take care of a clear user interface of the store and provide users with a convenient and quick search for the desired positions.

According to the researchers, product mix needs to be improved by investing in resources such as a recommendation engine, new and seasonal product listing, and “related products” grouping.

When analyzing why sales have fallen, be sure to pay attention to this indicator and correct the situation, if necessary.

1. The size.

If your online store does not have useful and accurate sizing charts, then this may be another reason why your sales have dropped. At the same time, their presence greatly helps the buyer to find his bearings and choose the right product. This saves you, as the owner of an online store, from the problems associated with returning products, giving money to customers and negative emotions on their part.

1. Waiting period.

When thinking about why sales in your online store have dropped, pay attention to this parameter. The average customer is impatient and aggressive. He wants the site to load in no time. Complaints about long download times are very common today. This indicator really important, and its importance in the future will only grow. That is why you should definitely take care of a sufficient download speed of the Internet resource.

1. Search on the site for the necessary information.

Buyers are very angry if the search engine on the site does not work at the level of Google. In order not to irritate customers, improve and develop the tagging system on your site, add advanced search parameters.

1. Availability of products.

Users often complain that the site does not have the products they need. Despite the fact that such complaints have decreased since the last study, this factor can also contribute to a drop in sales in the online store. First of all, customers are dissatisfied with the fact that the desired products are not on the site or they have already ceased to be produced, but they are still presented in the assortment. Customers often hope that online stores will have a wide range of choices and a wide range of products. If this is not the case for you, then it is likely that sales have dropped due to this.

1. Navigation.

Analyzing why sales have fallen, evaluate the structure of the site. Objectively look at the navigation. It is possible that it is difficult for customers to navigate and find necessary goods... Make sure that the information about popular products and sales is clearly visible to users, and the site interface is clear and simple, which makes it easy to navigate through the sections.

1. Discounts and sales.

Customers are often unhappy with the fact that it is difficult to find boxes for entering a discount code on the site. If you are running a promotion, a discount on coupons or codes, make sure that the person can quickly navigate and understand what's what. If customers have difficulties using your Internet resource, sales will drop.

Note that a number of online stores today impose time limits on the purchase of certain goods, due to which the sensitivity of customers to prices is reduced.

1. Images.

Your online store should look aesthetically pleasing. If you are analyzing why sales have fallen, then it is possible that your site is not attractive enough. The results of eye-tracking studies indicate that visitors first perceive the page visually, examine it, and only then read the text. In other words, beautiful and high quality images on the site are very important.

The data obtained in the course of the study suggests that the customer seeks to view as much as possible before making a purchase. big photo and product images. In addition, he is more interested in seeing how the clothes look on models. The more high-quality pictures and video content you add to the site, the more you stimulate the client to buy.

How to find out why sales fell: analysis and control

According to the formula of Ron Hubbard, who developed one of the most successful management technologies, control is always equal to income. When you begin to control and carefully analyze a particular process, you influence the situation, saving your strength, money and increasing efficiency. The sales process also needs control and analysis.

In order not to wonder why sales have fallen, continuously track:

• how many potential customers have contacted you - the number of people who entered the trading floor, the number of phone calls or visits to the official Internet resource;
• how many deals and checks were made, the number of real customers, that is, who made a purchase. This indicator is necessary to calculate the conversion and assess the professionalism of sellers;
• in what volume the average deal was carried out or the average check was issued. To obtain this value, the total daily sales volume is divided by the number of transactions and broken checks;
• seller conversion rate. The parameter indicates professional level your employees, their knowledge and ability to use the technology of transactions.

If you are analyzing why sales have fallen, then first of all assess the degree of control over this process. If you are not effectively monitoring and controlling the implementation, then you cannot influence the indicators. Only a tenth of the clients tell their senior management about conflicts and controversial issues that have arisen, allowing the leading manager of the company to eliminate the shortcomings. The rest of the dissatisfied customers simply refuse to continue to cooperate with the company.

So how do you control the work of salespeople? First, take a look at how they communicate with customers. Often, companies analyzing why sales have fallen reveal that the sellers are primarily to blame. Perhaps they are impolite with clients, ignore their requests, or are overly intrusive. Do not forget that if you do not control discipline, then after a while you will see that you have missed out on profits due to a decrease in performance. The sales process is managed using two tools - motivation and control.

The most effective means of supervision, in the opinion of many managers, is the installation of a video surveillance camera with a microphone in the sales area or in another territory where sellers work. The presence of video cameras allows the manager to monitor the work of salespeople online, assess the situation in the hall and, in general, determine why sales have fallen.

There is nothing surprising in controlling subordinates today, and this method is successfully used by many modern enterprises... That is why, if you want to find out why sales have fallen, it is definitely worth installing video cameras and figuring out what the matter is. If you, as a business owner, understand that sales have fallen due to the fault of employees, you can impose on them disciplinary action or simply dismiss and take others in their place.

The next stage of control is the introduction of daily reporting for sales managers. That is, the duties of employees will include the daily filling of special forms, where information will be displayed on the volume of products or services sold, the number of calls made or presentations made, and it will also be necessary to enter plans for further activities or some other important data for your company. ... All this information will later be useful to you to evaluate the results of both a specific employee and the entire department.

Another effective method to understand why sales have fallen is to visit the company under the guise of a "mystery shopper." Thanks to this technique, you will be able to evaluate from the outside how the company is working, putting yourself in the shoes of the client, and find out why your sales have decreased.

First, a legend is prepared and agreed with the management of the enterprise, and then they pay a visit to the company under the guise of a "mystery shopper". This allows you to understand whether the service is of high quality, whether the employees are qualified, and also to feel the atmosphere trading floor through the eyes of the buyer. Checking out competing firms will help you find out their advantages. Using this information, you will attract new buyers who yesterday chose other companies, and you will understand why sales in your company fell.

How to increase sales after a fall

So, you have found out why sales fell. Your main task now is to improve your performance. That is existing clients should consume more of your products or use your services more often. In addition, it is worth working on attracting new customers.

Attracting new buyers

In this case, you can entice customers from competitors or develop new market segments. Both in the first and in the second case, you should use certain marketing tricks. The table indicates the tools for implementing each of the above methods. However, some of them are universal.

Luring customers from competitors	Entering new segments
Accompany your prospect on the way to the store. This method is especially effective if you are in mall... In this case, the consumer going to your competitor will be interested in your product, because he needs a product, and not specific company... But beware, excessive advertising can scare customers away and cause irritation.
Use discounts, bonuses and gifts. Passing by your outlet, the consumer will see a tempting offer. Even if he first passes by, then, not seeing the benefits of his "favorite", most likely, he will return to you. But this technique will only lead to a short-term increase in sales.
Show that your product is better. This can only be done by improving product quality and improving service.	Cross-events. Agree on joint promotion with any company. This can be an event (for example, a product tasting in a supermarket), a gift for a purchase from a partner (remember the joint action of the Perekrestok supermarket and the Sunlight jewelry salon). The main thing is that the target audience is the same for you and your partner.

Increased sales through existing customers

There are also two options for implementation here - work on increasing consumption and increasing sales conversion.

Increase in sales conversion

1. Improve the quality of service. The store must have high-quality service so that customers return to it again and again. A good salesperson will sell anything. A bad salesperson will fail to sell anything. There is intra-company marketing - the attitude of an enterprise to its personnel. If you create favorable operating conditions for your subordinates, then, accordingly, you get more income and do not wonder why sales have fallen. Don't forget about things like learning and motivation.
2. Pay attention to merchandising. Your sales and profit directly depend on how the product is laid out on the shelves. There is an arm's length rule in marketing. Perhaps your sales have dropped because you don't follow it. In accordance with this rule, the buyer in 80% of cases takes a product, which is easy for him to reach. If the item is located above or below this level, the sales volume will be insufficient.
3. Carrying out sales, promotions, issuing bonuses. But remember that thanks to such events, you will increase conversion, but only for the period of their validity.

Increased consumption

Everything here should be aimed at increasing the average check. In this case, sellers:

1. Increase the cost. By raising the prices of goods, you increase the size of the average check. But the conversion may decrease. Accordingly, your sales and profits will not increase. To avoid such a situation, keep in mind that the slightest change in prices must be justified. That is, it should be clear to the buyer that you increased the cost not because you wanted to, but because you changed the packaging for a more convenient one.
2. Offer additional or related products or services. After your client has decided on the product, you can draw his attention to related products. Let's say you've sold a bracelet. In this case, it is appropriate to offer a beautiful gift box. The client will not spend a lot of money on such a purchase, but the total check will become larger, which, of course, will only benefit you.
3. They run loyalty programs. Thanks to the map regular client the average check will not increase, but the number of purchases a person makes in your store will increase. discount cards there are several types - bonus, accumulative, privileged. Each has its own purpose, but all of them are primarily aimed at increasing sales.

What is the principle of the loyalty program? Let's say you are a grocery store owner. If a person makes a purchase in the amount of 1000 rubles or more, you give him a loyalty card. There is a similar outlet near your store, which does not have its own loyalty program.

Where will there be more clients? Of course you do. People who have your loyalty card will regularly visit the store in order to receive bonuses, discounts or gifts - everything is determined by the type of card. That is, with the help of such programs, you tie buyers to yourself, and they willingly come again. Accordingly, your sales and income grow.

31.03.2010 at 11:48

You study the turnover report for the last month and suddenly find that revenue is dropping sharply, and the number of checks is plummeting. First of all, having gathered with directors at a meeting, you try to find reasons, somehow influence the situation ... Find a solution, act according to the approved concept, and the result: the number of checks is critically negative. Catastrophe!

In fact, all ingenious solutions are quite simple, and the law of conservation of energy, which states the truth that we have known from school: “nothing arises from nothing and does not disappear without a trace,” justifies itself for years.

Step one. Study of competitors

Of course, something could have changed "outside". Prices and promotions offered by competitors, opening of a new trading platform. It is very important to quickly explore the territory of Shalandiz (adjacent to the problem trading platform within a radius of 10-15 minutes walk).

It is not enough to only monitor prices, it is important to pay attention to all changes external environment... Or maybe competitors offer all visitors a 3% discount, or a gift for a purchase, or they have something that attracts children, housewives like a magnet?

There are many options, no less there are options for dealing with an alien competitive advantage... But for this fight it is worthwhile to study the enemy well, so as not to waste time and effort fighting windmills.

The reasons may be as follows:

- Price struggle; A method that is disadvantageous to anyone, since it is much easier to lower the price than to raise it later. Hard dumping is the path, first of all, to your own decrease in profits, because competitors will follow your example, and you and they will start to lose in the margin. It is important to keep an eye on the prices of "beacon" products such as eggs, sugar, bread, potatoes. Nobody will keep track of the prices of all the thousands of items in your store, so the discrepancy in the cost of “biscuit” cookies of 20 kopecks is far from critical. But to know the cost of rating, popular and "beacon" products from competitors is your sacred duty. If you do not want to turn into a discounter or store for the poor in order to work with one goal - for the most low prices, discard the thought of deliberate dumping.

- Distribution of elephants; It is no secret that the current mentality of the population, especially the medium segment (middle income), is simply delighted with all kinds of actions aimed at receiving a gift. And it doesn't matter that it may be a thing that is useless to anyone, it is important that it is given in the hands of FREE OF CHARGE. Can you imagine, my neighbor bought 2 kilograms of washing powder and she was given a dosing ladle as a gift, this is a resonance in the world of housewives! Three out of five of her friends will go to this store for washing powder! It is important to track in time: where and at what time your competitors are handing over "elephants" and make a counterattack!

- Discount; A competitor store has opened, it distributes discounts to all customers - of course, it needs to attract the population! People rushed to the villain, interrupting your trade, and you are tearing your hair, not knowing what to do in this case. Calm down, we understand perfectly well that the competitor will have to compensate for the losses from the discount, at the expense of a margin, for example, which means that in the future its prices will be higher. And the loss in profit, since the discounts are distributed uncontrollably, will become tangible. There is a wonderful counter argument - your loyalty promotion, in which regular customers can take part. It can be pasting funny chickens for Easter, or "harvesting" by September, and you offer buyers the same discount, with a limited time interval, participation in which takes place in a playful way, which is especially interesting for those who are regular visitors to your marketplace. ... This method works for "regulars", the medium segment, but what to do with the "premium" segment? It's simple: so-called VIP buyers have their own "hooks" that need to be thrown in time. It is important to define a time and a goal, and there are more than enough methods to achieve it.

- Beautiful, large, light; Here they have opened, a new competitor - the store is twice as large, the racks are new, the price tags are bright. And your marketplace hardly contains a third of the assortment offered by the conquerors of the market space. Urgently needed massive advertising campaign in the spirit of patriotism: “Cozy, like in your own kitchen”, “All the essentials. Quality tested over the years ”. And there and then a drawing of small gifts among regular customers. Or maybe a discount for all pregnant women, young mothers - if your area is sleeping? Play on your own advantages, on other people's shortcomings, while presenting your own as dignity. People are influenced by opinions, let that opinion come from you.

- Dozens of other reasons; By studying them, you will learn to understand that there are no unsolvable questions. There are questions that you have not noticed before.

People have a tendency to get used to it. And often, having got used to one object of shopping, knowing thoroughly where and what is located, it is difficult for them to rebuild. For the most part, a person tends to be in a familiar and comfortable environment for him. And if regular customers leave you, it means that something happened that made them take this step.

Step two. Exploring yourself

"We are fine. Competitors, scoundrels, carry out shares, dump - so the buyers fled ”- when I hear this phrase, a sinister devil laughs in my soul. For a long time, mankind has been striving to write off all its shortcomings on anyone, just not to recognize them in any case. But what if we put aside the desire to seem better and face the truth?

- Inspection of the sales area; Cleanliness and order, the arrangement of price tags according to the rules of merchandising, under each "face" presented on the shelf. For the absence of price tags, I would simply fine the administrator who works in the change, and he, in turn, let him decide the question of finding the guilty ones. With such a tough, but correct approach, the issue of order on the shelves and the presence of price tags would be resolved instantly. After all, not a single share, not a single beautifully designed end will save the trading floor, if a constant mess in prices is the norm.

- These cute eyes are opposite; Gradually we are starting to move towards the European service system, but the further from the capital, the further away from this system and the concept of "service" as such. Looking at how sweetly and unobtrusively the seller describes to you the advantages of Mazdamer cheese over Radomer, with what zeal and care he cuts off every piece and carefully puts it in a bag - you want to throw yourself on your neck and kiss you sobbing. Alas, such an impulse does not happen often, most of the sellers and cashiers serve in such a way as if you come to their house at night and ask you to cut a piece from the cheese that is carefully stored in their refrigerator. And this contingent of sellers smiles only when they see the looming face of the manager, the owner on the horizon. Someone, according to the ancient "Soviet hardening", normally perceives the rude creature behind the counter. People of a higher level, higher requirements, and, as a rule, of no less high income are accustomed to being smiled at them, and answered affably. No one demands curtsies and full knowledge of the assortment, although this is a controversial issue, because we do not trade in cast-iron blanks, which means that it would not hurt to thoroughly study each salesperson of the department thoroughly the type of products that he sells. Therefore, if in your store, supermarket they are regularly rude, guess where will go customer? Right! All to the same competitors we hate.
Didn't pack the item? Broke the eggs? Did you answer rudely? The security guard inspected the bag, confusing you with a repeat offender, suspecting that when buying food for 800 hryvnias, you impudently stole a pack of Dobry tea? You can expect these shoppers to choose to shop across the street.

And it also happens: you come to a supermarket, and there are wonderful trained personnel with a high knowledge of the assortment, who attended a service training. You go to the cookery counter and that's it. And here, as in the advertisement "Let the whole world wait!" The first five minutes you stand at the counter, mentally sending waves to the sellers, as if hinting that you want to buy something. Five minutes later, you begin to draw attention to yourself in every possible way, waving your arms, or with phrases: “Girl! Who serves here? Invite the seller. " In another five minutes, you want to run a can of canned pineapples into a bunch of uniformed people crowded in the fish department, so that the minutes of waiting will probably not be wasted. And here, when patience is running out, she emerges from this horde of fellow comrades-in-arms SHE - the culinary seller. She walks slowly, like a swan princess floating on the waves. Where is the hurry? Just think, buyer. Then she will put the "herring under a fur coat" into the tray so that you generally stop loving this salad, as such.

What do you think the buyer should do in this case? Do you think he will write to the book of complaints? No, he will write there only if all of the above happens in one day, and that is not a fact. It will simply leave your store for good.

-You wrote to us; A book of complaints is a good thing to tell you, especially if someone writes to it! They write, I know that some people write, but how many people simply do not get to her, but I would like to !!! How can we find out what is actually happening on the marketplace? How can we influence the situation by changing it into a qualitative position for us?

a) the book of complaints is standard, in an easily accessible place, for some reason the factor of “easy accessibility” is often absent;

B) a book of complaints on the site, with a complaint sent to the email address of the person in charge.

C) a huge stand-plate at the exit from the trading floor, or noticeable in the checkout area, which reads: “If you are unhappy with the service, if there is something that you would like to change in the work of our store (supermarket, trading platform) - all complaints and please send your wishes to our e-mail address ... "

All ingenious, as I said, is simple. People will not stir up a scandal by demanding a book and wasting time on graphomania, they will not even get to the site of your supermarket chain or stores. But they will remember the e-mail (it is good if the address is duplicated on business cards, information sheets) and will definitely write. It may very well happen that the information sent to you will be extremely useful and help you find answers to some questions.

- Moreover: there is such a service as "Mystery Shopper", which helps to assess the level of training of personnel, the trading platform as a whole. And, of course, a poll in the hall - a questionnaire survey of buyers by promoters.

Somehow, while working as the head of the marketing department of a supermarket chain, I faced a similar question: why do people leave? Why did the number of checks on this trading floor begin to decline rapidly? I took several sheets of paper, a tablet. I took one of the merchandisers with me, and in a few hours I conducted a survey on the subject: “Are you our regular customer? What would you like to change, perhaps there is something that gives you discomfort? " The result has surpassed itself. For a couple of hours of polling, two and a half pages of "missed" moments were revealed! (this is in a reprinted form from a pile of information). This is the service, and the work of some departments, and even those issues that I have never paid attention to before. If you want to know what worries your customers - ask them about it! - this is it, the main rule when working with people.

(to be continued…)