Competition is heating up in the cannabis industry. Gone are the days where just selling bud is enough to attract customers. Now, we must consider the customer experience to build brand loyalty and repeat customers. Regardless of what you are selling, great customer experiences lead to positive emotions and a desire to re-engage the brand. This means understanding the core values to your organization and how your brand stands out differently from others is a critical learning for any great customer service professional. How can you align brand values with the customer experience? Here are four ways.
- Build trust first. Customers will continue to frequent your dispensary if they trust the brand. Always deliver high quality experiences. Be knowledgeable about the products you sell, including test results, potential effects, and appropriate consumption methods. Double check orders for accuracy, labeling, and proper packaging.
- Connect emotion through loyalty programs. A recent report from The Lacek Group shared that 80% of consumers report an emotional connection to a brand drives more engagement (The Lacek Group 2021). Be sure to check with local regulations before launching any loyalty programs. Discounting cannabis is illegal in some states.
- Personalize the experience. Take the extra step and learn the names of the people who frequent the store. When people feel special, they return frequently. If remembering names seems like a challenge- good news: their name is right there on their ID for you to reference with ease! Or, tap into technology that may be available through your CRM or POS systems. Dutchie and Flowhub, for example, have built-in customer relationship management tools to keep names, ordering history, and notes to quickly jot down any personal information gathered. Heads up: we may only keep customer data with their opt in/ permission!! And, be aware of medical information as this is often protected by HIPPA and may require different protocols.
- Ask for feedback. When customers are asked their opinions on their experiences, they feel like a brand is really listening to them. This stimulates customer loyalty, retention, and sharing brands with friends. If a quick manual survey at the point-of-sale feels cumbersome, again leverage technology to send out a survey via email or text occasionally to gain the feedback needed to drive an amazing customer experience.
A great way to continue to lead a great brand experience is to maintain consistent knowledge-building tactics, such as attending an annual responsible vendor training to keep up with changing laws and regulations. Cannabis Trainers offers courses in all 50 states! We also offer complimentary webinars to keep up with best practices. Book mark our training calendar and visit us often!
