At Bergdorf Goodman, I noticed that the Marc Jacobs boutique had done something quite interesting. Right by the escalator on the 2nd floor, they had a sales representative who greeted shoppers and urged them to visit the boutique on the 3rd floor. I thought it was really thoughtful because people are often more responsive when engaged by another person. This is why having staff members on hand to greet clients as they enter the store is so important. It makes entering the store less intimidating and marks the point where a transaction (client enters a store and leaves with intended purchase) becomes an engagement (client enters a store, is delighted and leaves with an unexpected experience).
I took the escalator to the third floor and made a beeline to theMarc Jacobs boutique, thinking that something special was taking place there. You can imagine my disappointment when I was greeted by racks of clothes but nobody there to receive me. I waited by the side of the entrance and watched similar reactions from shoppers. Greeted by an empty store, the bravest went in to touch a dress on the nearest mannequin, looked around and left. The silence was almost deafening.
Clearly, when you have something so out of the ordinary as a human greeter whose only purpose is to guide you into the boutique, you expect something special. I was expecting another person to greet me at the boutique and introduce the holiday collection to me. In luxury and high fashion retail, shoppers expect a level of service equal to the products on offer and a boutique not attended by a discreet but attentive retail staff might as well be an empty space.