It is important to remember that your customers judge your business by more than just the service that they see, they also will judge on how it makes them feel. They will get feelings from a variety of things, the way the business looks, the way it feels, and even the way it sounds. All of these things combine to create an ambiance, a feeling, for your customers.
There are a variety of services that will use scientific studies on which color combinations will evoke certain emotions. There are even studies that show that certain scents also promote feelings. For example, we owned a video store that used to use the scent of buttered popcorn and we found that add-on popcorn sales increased after starting this program. Of all of these factors, the easiest to control and yet the most misunderstood, is the background music.
Background music is supposed to be exactly that, BACKGROUND. It is supposed to set a tone to add to customer satisfaction. In a quiet, elegant boutique, it should be something along the lines of classical or perhaps New Age music. It should be barely audible and not at all interfere with conversation. In more casual settings, big box stores, it could be more popular music. Again, however, the key is the volume level. In NO case should music overwhelm customers. It should be appropriate to the average age of the customer and it should never be so loud that the customer has to raise their voice to converse. This is especially true in restaurants where conversation is frequently the point of patronizing your business.
Make sure that your associates understand that the background music is supposed to be for the customer and not to entertain them. It should be appropriate to the customer and not the staff and it should be set at a level that is conducive to conversation between your customers and your staff. It should not interfere by being too loud. This is a common problem in many business establishments. It makes your customers uneasy and wanting to leave quickly and many times they don't even know why. They just know your business makes them feel uneasy.
There are a variety of services that will use scientific studies on which color combinations will evoke certain emotions. There are even studies that show that certain scents also promote feelings. For example, we owned a video store that used to use the scent of buttered popcorn and we found that add-on popcorn sales increased after starting this program. Of all of these factors, the easiest to control and yet the most misunderstood, is the background music.
Background music is supposed to be exactly that, BACKGROUND. It is supposed to set a tone to add to customer satisfaction. In a quiet, elegant boutique, it should be something along the lines of classical or perhaps New Age music. It should be barely audible and not at all interfere with conversation. In more casual settings, big box stores, it could be more popular music. Again, however, the key is the volume level. In NO case should music overwhelm customers. It should be appropriate to the average age of the customer and it should never be so loud that the customer has to raise their voice to converse. This is especially true in restaurants where conversation is frequently the point of patronizing your business.
Make sure that your associates understand that the background music is supposed to be for the customer and not to entertain them. It should be appropriate to the customer and not the staff and it should be set at a level that is conducive to conversation between your customers and your staff. It should not interfere by being too loud. This is a common problem in many business establishments. It makes your customers uneasy and wanting to leave quickly and many times they don't even know why. They just know your business makes them feel uneasy.
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