Lenscrafters: A "Clearer" View on Customer Service

This past Saturday, I got a chance to experience what real good customer service is like, in comparison to my experience at Marks Work Wearhouse which you can read here.  So as I mentioned, my family and I visited Lenscrafters this past Saturday to get both my parents their glasses and when we left, we were not disappointed with their services.

The sales associate at the store allowed us to look at the frames ourselves, giving us as consumers the opportunity to see what the store had to offer.  My mom was having trouble finding the right frame and this is where a sales associate approached her nicely and offered her services.  She listened to what my mom wanted in her frames and then selected a few samples that matched the description.  She even allowed me and my sister to pick out a few samples as well.  It was at this point that I really enjoyed our experience because the associate didn't mind that we picked out our own samples and in fact complimented our choice in frame styles.

Furthermore, the staff at the store was very approachable and helpful, answering any questions we had and also provided us with the opportunity to order new frames for the glasses, at no cost.  As both my parents sat down to have their eyes examined for the glasses, the staff continued to engage with us, even joking around with us when the computers kept freezing up.  After we checked out, they provided all our documents, from the bill to the prescription, in a lovely small envelope which was a really nice touch.

Overall, the service experienced at Lenscrafters is very welcoming, making you want to go back to the store for your next pair of eye glasses.  Years ago we had bought glasses from the company but switched to another store in between.  The switch back to Lenscrafters was definitely a great choice as we felt very satisfied in our purchase and will continue with our loyalty in the future.  They really do have a clear view on customer service.

PC Plus: A Real "Plus" for PC Consumers

This past Saturday, I heard a radio commercial for the new PC Plus loyalty program.  The program, introduced by Loblaw, was holding an exclusive launch for the program and were encouraging users to sign up for it.   According to their site, the PC Plus program allows consumers to collect even more points (then they currently do) from purchasing the foods they love.  The program is customized to each consumer, based on the products they purchased, allowing for them to earn more points, which will further allows them to redeem them for free groceries. 

The PC Plus program is a great addition to their points program.  Currently, the company has a loyalty points system, allowing for consumers to collect points and use for redemption of products.  The PC Plus program is sort of like an exclusive level for their points program; aimed at those who are constant PC shoppers and love to collect points.  It's a great addition to the brand and sets up a good two-tier system for the program.

The program's features are also really great.  Each member has a customized program, letting them know which of their usual purchases can earn them points, while also providing suggestions for other products. This allows for them to get the most reward for their dollar.  Also, the more you use your card, the more customized it becomes, providing consumers not only with the opportunity to earn more points, but sort of becomes like a personalized shopping list.  When a company can provide a service to a consumer that is personalized to their choices and liking, it makes the consumer feel special and provides them with the satisfaction that in return for their loyalty, they are being well taken care of by the company or the brand.  Also, customers can earn more points through purchasing certain products in store or on the flyer, similar to what Shoppers Drug Mart and Metro do. Furthermore, with more and more consumers owning smartphones nowadays, the PC Plus program is also available on an App, providing consumers with more ways to redeem points for their favourite products.

All in all, the PC Plus program from Loblaw looks to be a very promising program, providing their most loyal customers with a great incentive.  With their own successful private labels and a variety of outlets to offer their products to consumers, the addition of the PC Plus program to their loyalty program will continue to help build the PC and Loblaw brand, making it a strong and iconic Canadian brand.

For more information about the new PC Plus program, check out their website: 

https://www.pcplus.ca/loyaltyHome.jsp

Mark's Work Wearhouse: A Comparison In Service

As a consumer, I enjoy shopping as it gives me the opportunity to see what's new or possibly indulge in a childhood favourite.  There are some things that I don't like about shopping, one of which includes bad customer service. Unfortunately, I had to endure a bad customer experience on a most recent trip to Mark's Work Wearhouse.  It's not that their customer service was bad but the fact that it was inconsistent made it worse.  I had gone with my parents to the store for a safety shoe purchase.  The store is only about 5 minutes away so I thought this was going to be easy and non-frustrating trip but unfortunately, it became the opposite. 

First off, it was hard to find a sales associate in the store to ask for help and when you did, they'd briefly help you before moving on to another customer, without asking or knowing if all your questions were taken care of.  Second, when we inquired if there was a particular shoe size available, it again was difficult to get an associates attention. However when we did, they simply told us that the size was not available and then moved on to help another customer right away, not even asking if we needed anything else.  When we tried to ask more questions, they told us that they were with a customer and would help us right after. Uh, I thought you were helping us first. (Trust me, there was probably only 3 other customers in the store at that time so it's not like they were swamped).  I also know that the store can do a fast find on the product and see if it's available at other locations but the associate helping us didn't seem interested to do that for us. Just based on their behaviour, I found the associates to be lazy, uninterested and unmotivated; all of which are not good qualities to have when trying to provide service to a customer.  At this point, we realized we weren't going to get any decent help so we decided to drive 30 minutes away to another location to see if we could find the product.

At the other location (in Vaughan), you walk in and the sales associates look happy as they are doing their job.  In the shoe section, there is one associate answering a customer's questions and providing suggestions to which products they should purchase.  When we went into the shoe section, we were able to find what we were looking for with no problem but I was pleasantly surprised when an associate walked up to us and asked if there was anything he could do to help us and if we were able to find everything we were looking for.  He also said that if there was anything we needed, we could just ask him.  Now this is customer service.

The company has been around since 1977, with a commitment to providing comfort, quality, style and innovation in all its products.  According to the Its website, its three core values are: respect for people, product integrity and continuous improvement. Unfortunately, my experience at one of their stores does not live up to their core value of respect for people.  The sale associates at the first location did not have much respect for customers, whether it was not properly answering their questions or just abandoning them half-way, unlike the second location where the associates were willing to help you until you were satisfied.

Unfortunately, it's very disappointing and, to a point, unacceptable that a customer has to drive further away from their closest location just to receive better customer service. However, it's not just at Mark's does this happen but at other stores in the area as well.  Now, I'm not sure if it's just the "culture" at that particular location that makes it feel like the employees are lazy or if it's because they don't have the right training.  Whatever the reason is, it does not make sense to have customer service be inconsistent across two locations, especially with tough and competitive apparel market.  Inconsistent customer service will drive customers away from the store and the brand, leaving the door open for a competitor to capture the customer's attention.  In a tough competitive market, it is important for a company to have its training and service be consistent across locations, in order to provide the best possible service to the consumer base, while also making small local adaptation.

When it comes to returning to Mark's again, I think I'll give that location another try in a few months. Let's hope they live up to their core value of continuous improvement and improve their customer service at that location.

Hitting the Bulls-Eye: Target Arrives in Canada

                Target has finally arrived in Canada.  The first stores opened up on March 5, 2013 and since then, more locations have begun to open up.  A few weeks ago, one of the first Toronto locations opened up at the Cloverdale Mall (March 19, 2013) and I decided to check it out and see what Target has in store for the Canadian consumer.

Layout

                As you walk right into the store you see this sign:

Target <3 Canada

It's a huge sign hanging down from the ceiling and it's a great welcome to all the customers asit lets them know that Target has arrived in Canada.  One thing to note is that most Target stores in Canada will have a Starbucks within them.  The one at this location was tucked away by the entrance and a large wall was blocking the Starbucks sign when you enter and only if you walk in further do you notice the sign.  To help the customers navigate through the crowded store and the various sections, a store map is provided to the customers and I think this is a really nice touch to the Target experience.  Not only does the map tell you where each section is but it also provides more information to the consumer on their Red Card (allows consumers to save 5% on their everyday purchases).

They use the store map as a way to sell the Red Card to their consumer without really being too pushy.  Each section in the store is large and spacious enough for consumers to walk through it with a cart or small children.  Before going to the store, I watched a video Target posted on their site, previewing how their store would look and I have to say, they lived up to it. The aisles were wider, with baskets available throughout the store, it was a lot brighter and the space looked so much larger, even though no extension was added on.  Their layout at this location does look different to Target's I've seen in the US but they have definitely made the best use of the space available.

Products

               

As I walked through the store, I could see the different brands and styles, something that was promised from Target when they chose to open up stores in Canada.  It was refreshing to see some of the different brands now available in Canada, including Target's private label brand.  I was surprised to see that Target had a section of its electronics section dedicated to Apple products, allowing consumers to find just about anything, and that too for a lower price.  Now I personally am I child at heart so I had to check out the toy aisle and I was not disappointed.  I found some new games, such as Bejeweled Blitz and Temple Run game (which I later found in Wal-Mart a few weeks later). Overall, there was good mix of new brands, such as Calphalon, as well as the usual common brands in the Canadian market.

Price

                The products were priced competitively. They were lower by a dollar or two (when compared to Wal-Mart) but not substantially lower as you would find in the US.  I'm not surprised by this as the prices were adhering to the Canadian taxes and higher minimum wage rate.

Disappointments

                My only disappointment with Target is in their food section.  When going to the US, there are two things I enjoy doing: shopping for different and looking at the variety of different food products.  The different brands were present in the store but not the variety in food.  It was the same products and the same variety that can be found at any grocery store.  I was disappointed with that because Target had done such a good job in bringing different brands and products to Canada that I hoped it would the same with its food products but that was not the case. 

Overall Experience

                Overall, I found the first Canadian Target experience great.  When I went, the store was super crowded, with people flowing into and out of the store.  The retailer lived up to its promises to consumers with new products and a larger and brighter store.  Even though Target stores have opened up in Canada, they have yet to have their "official" grand opening sale (I found this out from one of their employees).  However, even without an official grand opening sale, Target is definitely drawing interest from Canadian consumers and this interest will continue to grow with each new store opening.  This is one sale that I definitely want to see.

Interesting Facts: 

• Looking for a calculator? Forget the stationary aisle, head straight to electronics.  I was really surprised to find calculators in the electronics aisle.  Something new? 
• A lot of red.  There is quite a lot of red throughout the store, from the walls, to the signs to the carts and the baskets. For some, it may be too much while for others it may not be a problem. 
• Price matching! Watch out Wal-Mart, Target also price matches.  This is bound to bring about fierce price competition between the two competitors.  We'll have to see what Wal-Mart does now. 
• Self scan checkouts.  At the mall entrance of the store, they have a few self-scan checkouts, with associated helping customers understand how they work.  I'm not quite sure how long these will last as I remember that Wal-Mart did experiment one time with self-scan checkouts but later got rid of them.