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Winged Wheel is excited to team up with the PBMA and the best suppliers in the bicycle business at the PBMA Technical Workshops!

I am a firm believer that on-going education is one of the things that separates the best from the rest in retail. This is a tremendous opportunity to accelerate your personal performance and that of your entire operation.

My ask of you all is this:

1. If you haven’t joined the PBMA (as a retailer or as an individual), do so now. Registration is open only to PBMA members until July 1, so you can get ahead by being a member. Besides, the PBMA is a grassroots organization that is truly driving the entire bicycle business towards a bright future and is deserving of our collective support.
2. Spread the word about the great training available to all mechanics you know. One of the things that distinguishes the best mechanics is the self-awareness that comes from knowing what you don’t know.
3. Support the suppliers who support you. The suppliers who are signed up here as the trainers and supporters of the PBMA are industry leaders who “walk the walk.”

We look forward to seeing you in Denver, Portland and/or Washington DC!

Last week, I planned to hang up some posters in my house using small binder clips. It was supposed to be an easy project to brighten up the room with my new favorite poster from a bicycle retailer:

I had some clips, but not enough to hang all the posters. So I decided to make a run to an office supply store to get some. It was challenging to find this simple item and I had an adventure that made me think about some of the basic principles of retail and the wide range of service experiences available.

Notable stop #1: Local drug-store chain. I’d been in a few times before and Continue reading “What is your retail experience?”

I am writing this on my return from a fun, energizing trip to the CABDA Expo in Chicago. It is inspiring to see a relevant regional tradeshow that is thriving, outgrowing its expo space in just two short years. I have to think there will be more of these regional shows popping up in the years to come.

I was particularly honored to meet a TON of owners and managers of retail locations who met two key, exciting criteria:

• Under 32 years old
• Leading a shop that could be described as “niche”

Criteria one is exciting to me. A 25-year old manager today could easily be working in bicycle retail (likely owning their own business or working part-time self employed one day as trends indicate) for another 40 or 45 years; meaning the year 2060! I hope many of the bright people I met have careers that stretch that far into the future.

Criteria two is fascinating. These “niche” retailers didn’t exist 10-15 years ago and I argue they could not have survived 10-15 years ago. Niches I observed include:

• Service focused
• Van-based retailers
• Cargo-bike focused
• Service and assembly only
• Commuter focused
• Custom lifestyle only

…and the list goes on.

Niche is the new normal and the creativity, unique branding and exceptional customer focus that comes with it is energizing. These “new normal” retailers are exactly the type of retailer that will serve what is now the largest generation of people in the US: Millenials.

So the future is here! I regrettably missed Jay Townley’s seminar on “The New Era of Bike Shop Retailing”, but the description indicated that we agree: these two criteria sure look like the future.

To be clear, this isn’t meant to take away anything from do-it-all retailers. I still love seeing a retailer who can be everything cycling-related to the die hard enthusiast with five or ten bikes in the garage. After all, that enthusiast is someone I can relate to.

But these new normal retailers are the ones who will determine the future of the industry with their focused consumer relationships, buying/stocking decisions and vision for that future. I’m excited to do more and more work with the new normal bicycle retailer.

Why am I excited about retail today?

Part one of a series.

I find myself energized when I walk into a great outdoor retailer or send a friend to a great independent retailer. But I often wonder: “What are the things that come together to make me passionate about the place the retailer holds today?”

I’ll try to answer that question over a short series of blog posts, starting within the realm of customer service. I am not a person who likes to only operate on feel. I prefer to balance my gut with numbers and facts whenever possible. Here are some notes from an American Express Customer Service Survey in 2015:

• 60% of customers have halted a transaction because of a poor customer service experience
• 68% of people are willing to spend more with companies that provide a better service experience (of these, many are willing to spend 20% more)
• 80% of Americans agree small businesses place a greater emphasis on customer service than large businesses
• ‘Excellent customer service’ is the second most important factor consumers consider when choosing a company with which to do business, immediately after ‘good value for the price’

To recap the above: Anyone who considers coming into a retailer feels that good service is a very important factor in where they spend money. The vast majority are optimistic that they’ll get better service from a small business AND they are willing to pay more for that service! Sounds like pretty phenomenal opportunity, doesn’t it?

Suddenly, it is no wonder Amazon is investing heavily into retail! And with meaningful personal interactions struggling despite social media, a real in-person interaction is so powerful that people will spend 20% more!

That’s a reason to be excited about retail. More than ever, customers both want good service and are willing to invest to get it. But what about getting customers in the door? More to come in part two of this series.

I had a great chat with a bicycle retailer just before the new year regarding the rise of the mobile mechanic. I’ve heard more than a couple of retailers express concern about Velofix and Beeline as threats. Mobile repair isn’t a new idea at all, but combining a great online booking system and the repair-shop-in-a-van is a solid model that is definitely worth watching. I think both of these companies will find great success over the long haul because of their customer-centric approach.

Working with this retailer, we distilled the appeal of the mobile bike mechanic down to this (note that it is almost exactly Velofix’s marketing slogan): The customer saves time and rides more.

To add some more details, here are some assertions about why this model appeals to the customer:

1. The customer cares that it is easy and transparent to book a service.
2. The customer cares that it is done professionally (on-time and accurate).
3. The customer cares that they can put in a minimum time investment to execute on 1 and 2.
4. The customer is probably willing to pay a premium for this reduced time investment.

Now, when you look at it like that simply, it begs the question:

“Are you, the retailer, keeping pace with those customer desires?” 

My retailer friend and I did some math and determined that, even in his expensive and densely populated area, he could break even on a company van by charging a very reasonable delivery fee (or by simply raising service rates slightly across the board). Add an online calendar into the mix and, voila!, you have met the customer needs.

Making customers happier and countering a perceived threat? It doesn’t get much better than that.

Happy New Year to all.

I’m very excited to announce that I’ll be presenting two seminars at the CABDA expo this year! I can’t wait to see old friends and make some new friends too. More details will be coming soon.

Other awesome news: If you’re a retailer interested in attending IT IS FREE until January 16! Sign up right away!

In my last blog post, I talked about how emotional intelligence serves both doctors and customer service staff well. After all: they are both caregivers!

Below are three simple tips any retail service team can start using tomorrow to improve customer retention, boost sales and set themselves up for a great 2017.

If there is a theme over all of these it is this: You are a caregiver. Make sure you are 100% focused on the customer and their experience.

1. Smile, always, even on the telephone (yes, you can hear someone smiling on the phone!) Any person who is a cyclist or cyclist-to-be is your family. They are with you in a huge minority population that rides a bike in their spare time. They are your friend. They are a brother or sister you never knew you had. Treat them like it.
2. The customer gets your undivided attention. No phones, no distractions, no conversations with co-workers, no excuses. Introduce yourself, ask their name and, if they don’t want to be bothered right now, tell them where you’ll be and remind them of your name.
3. Listen for a way to delight a customer. Ask a lot of questions. And not just questions about their needs, but about the customer personally. Don’t just meet the needs they tell you about; listen for the unspoken needs as well. Delighting a customer by fulfilling these unspoken needs is a key to retaining a customer for life.

Bonus tip: Ask for a positive review. People are far more likely to recall a negative experience vs. a positive experience. Writing often helps solidify events in a person’s mind (like taking notes)…so you win twice. The customer remembers the positive and endorses your business.

Happy New Year to you all!

I heard a story on the radio the other day about how patients under the care of female doctors generally had stronger recoveries and less chance of a return visit or death following care. What was interesting was the reasons attributed to the male/female variance by doctors familiar with the study: Emotional Intelligence.

“I’m assuming the difference is because of the way that women, in general, communicate. It’s about being better listeners, more nurturing and having emotional intelligence…this study shows us — just possibly — that if female doctors, on average, communicate better, their style might be more effective in treating disease and preventing death.”

-Dr. Sarah-Anne Henning Schumann

As I drove, I thought about how closely aligned that description was with customer service. Customers who are ‘cared for’ have ‘healthier’ relationships with the businesses they visit. I’ve seen both great emotional intelligence and also some terrible levels of awareness in retailers over the years. Truthfully, this extends into humanity in general, too!

Simply, it seems to come back to the golden rule: “Treat others how you would want to be treated.” The most basic aspect of empathy and emotional intelligence! How do you treat your closest friends? How do they treat you?  THAT is how to treat your customers.

There are countless articles from all manner of sources on how to greet, assist and sell to customers who walk in. Foot traffic for most retailers is NOT increasing, so it makes lots of sense to provide a great, personalized experience for those customers who do walk in.

I decided my next post will be a very short, very easy set of tips an outdoor retailer can follow to ensure that their customers are being led to a great experience at their location.

I wish you all the best this winter, my friends. Celebrate that which is good in your life and double-down on anything that isn’t.

The team at Winged Wheel is excited to announce the launch of our first training course!

Staffing: Hiring, Training and Retaining a Great Team

This is a topic that countless businesses both large and small struggle with. I’ve heard many great leaders and managers say “People are the hardest part!” This course will arm you with great guidelines like the USMC Leadership principles and Level 5 Leadership, while also giving you tips and tricks on everyday items like interviewing, employee handbooks, and simple performance evaluations. Easy to use tools that can start making an impact TODAY!

Plus, it comes with a free one-hour coaching session to ensure you’re getting the most from our course.

Enroll today at the introductory price (good through the end of 2016 only) and get the philosophies, tools and techniques to take your team to the next level!