Follow these suggestions to provide great customer service regardless of how your customers want to receive their new beds
For mattress retailers that have prided themselves on the type of stellar white-glove delivery and in-home setup that makes customers rave about excellent service, the increase in threshold drop-offs and customers cashing-and-carrying may feel a little like you’re shortchanging shoppers.
But as the Covid-19 pandemic drags on, consumers have adjusted their shopping preferences in ways that will likely outlast the novel coronavirus.
What can you do to elevate your other mattress delivery and pickup services? Well, we happen to have a few ideas:
Threshold delivery
- If you use your store’s delivery team to drop off beds, schedule threshold deliveries much like you would in-home setup to ensure the mattress won’t sit too long on a customer’s doorstep, risking theft or damage by bad weather.
- Dress up the delivery by adding a big bow or festive ribbon.
- When you deliver a mattress and a base (box spring, platform, adjustable, etc.) to the threshold, provide written setup instructions, as well as a link to an instructional video.
- Call customers within a day or two to ensure they had no trouble getting their new bed set up.
Customer pickup
(These tips apply whether shoppers choose cash-and-carry from the store or order online and pick up at a brick-and-mortar location.)
- If your parking lot allows, designate a VIP spot.
- If customers are picking up unboxed mattresses and foundations, be sure they have the ropes and other equipment needed to secure the units to their vehicles. Provide a list of safety guidelines on your website and reiterate them at the time of purchase.
- Get to know boxed bed dimensions and how they fit best in various vehicles. Your customers will appreciate your spatial skills!
- As with threshold delivery, a ribbon or bow on a boxed mattress is a nice touch.
For either method
- Consider designating a manager or a member of your delivery team to be the point person for threshold delivery and customer pickup. Give the designee’s business card to each customer choosing those methods in case they have questions or concerns.
- If you provide a thank-you gift bag with in-home setup, do the same for your customers who prefer you leave the mattress outside or would like to pick up it up themselves at the store. What you include in the bag might vary depending on delivery type, but it’s nice to show genuine gratitude to every customer, regardless of how much they spend or how they choose to receive their new mattress.
- Follow up with all customers within a few weeks to see if they have any questions and to ensure they are happy with their new bed.
