I recently went mattress shopping — and, frankly, I had a blast. Here’s why:

Mary Best

BY MARY BEST

It’s a story you’ve heard many times: I realized earlier this year that I wasn’t sleeping well and finally admitted that I needed a new mattress set. Even though I am well-versed in the process—assess my preferences, rest-test a selection of beds and make a decision based on comfort and affordability—I wasn’t looking forward to it. Like most shoppers, I was afraid of making an expensive mistake. But my back and exhausted self convinced me it was a risk worth taking.

So, like many shoppers, I headed to a nearby bedding shop that a friend recommended. As I entered, the store manager was helping a couple, but he greeted me and assured me he would be with me shortly. As I browsed around the clean, well-organized showroom floor, I couldn’t help but overhear his conversation, his polite voice carrying across the mattress sets. When the couple explained they had just begun shopping, he encouraged them to shop around and said he hoped to see them again. I was impressed by his low-key but professional manner.

Then he turned his attention toward me. He asked a few qualifying questions and I explained what I had in mind. He led me to two mattress sets. I lied down on both and knew right away which one I wanted to buy. 

It was all very straight-forward up to that point. But my outing pivoted from an impressive, albeit routine, shopping trip to an memorable experience when we walked over to his desk to complete the transaction. As he entered my information into his computer, we began talking about his store and his experiences with mattress shoppers. A few minutes later I walked out, excited about my purchase and feeling good about the store from which I bought it.

And things got better from there. A few days later, I received a call to set up delivery. While it was scheduled between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., the truck pulled up promptly at 11—and out came two friendly, well-dressed delivery men. While setting up my new bed, they asked what I did for a living, so I said I was the editor of Sleep Savvy and our sister publication, BedTimes. Not only were they familiar with the magazines, one of the guys had a photo on his phone of a story we recently had run. Now, that will warm the heart of any editor!

And there’s more. About month after buying the mattress set, the store manager called to see if I was satisfied with it. I also received a personal letter from the vice president of sales thanking me for my business and a store survey.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention that the mattress is downright dreamy. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience, product or retailer. I hope your customers can say the same thing when they buy from your store.