Take a good look at the guys in this picture. Hands reaching. Shouting. Desperate faces.
I’m going to take a guess that your customers don’t look like this when they come to your store. If you sell from a desk like we do, they probably don’t sound like this when they call to buy from you either.
Now, this picture may be a little exaggerated but it surely isn’t out of the realm of possibility for your customers to feel and think this way about your products/services.
One of the easiest places to start is right under your nose: creating a lobby or waiting area that sets up your sales for you. What isn’t always easy, though, is coming up with creative (and inexpensive) ideas for working with what you already have.
So, here are 5 Lobby Hacks from both inside and completely outside of our industry. Read on, make them your own, or use them as-is:
Les Schwab Tire Center In every one of their 400 stores along the West Coast, these guys serve hot, free popcorn all day long. Sure, they have great customer service and a reasonably-priced inventory, but the smell and taste of that snack they offer while they repair your tires sticks with customers. And brings them back. And is something they tell their friends about. (A quick Google search for “Les Schwab popcorn” brought up over 133,000 results, including tweets, reviews, and pictures).
 
 
The JW Marriott New Orleans For customers checking in or out, this hotel offers ice cold water infused with fruit. Water is free and fruit isn’t going to break the Marriott’s bank, but the small gesture shows that they care about their customers’ comfort while they wait.
 
 
 
The ETE Front Office We don’t have a ton of traffic at our main headquarters but when we do, our customers and vendors seem to appreciate the sound. Yes, the sound. Using a Spotify free account connected to a remote speaker, we play music that is the opposite of sleepy, elevator-style. Our Front Office Assistants have also been known to take requests.
 
 
 
Yo Mama Frozen Yogurt No, I’m not about to suggest that you serve frozen yogurt in your lobby with transmission-fluid covered hands. What I am suggesting is that you take a play from Yo Mama’s book and use something your business probably already has: a TV. Using a platform like ScreenScape, they use a standard TV to display specials, new products, facts about their industry, and ways to connect with them online.
 
 
General Mitchell International Airport Concourse C It isn’t exactly a lobby, but the C concourse entrance at General Mitchell International gives customers something to do other than untying their shoes. A ping pong table with paddles and plenty of ping pong balls lets you play for free while your flight is delayed or if you’re just there early.
 
 
 
With things to eat, drink, listen to, watch, or do, you give your customers at outlet to engage and something to think about other than the fact that they are..well..waiting for you. Want them to be more excited to buy what you have to sell? Create a space that is a little bit different than what they’ve come to expect.

If you’re like Director of Customer Experience Jennifer Porter, you can’t help but observe things that make a customer’s experience a little bit different in the places you visit. Have you seen something cool that caused you to buy? Comment below or share with her directly.