Have you heard the one about the kid in the phone store?

This is not Kelly's child. This is my child. Trapped on an airplane just like Kelly was trapped in a Telstra store. Not happy. You get the picture.

 If only it were a joke. Well, it was a joke, but not a funny one.

I'm talking about my business partner and fellow working mum Kelly who had to spend 40 minutes in a phone store recently with her 2 year old in tow.

Kelly was in there for around 40 minutes while the staff member went about bundling her telephonic services. The two staff members glared at her when her child began playing up after the first half hour. There was nothing to occupy him (except the same old stuff mum carried along in her handbag which, in toddler eyes, was sooooo boring), he had exhausted her snack supplies and the staff showed absolutely no interest in helping her by providing, say, a pen and piece of paper, or an old mobile phone out of the recycling bin or, well, ANYTHING.

And Kelly was trapped. They had gone so far in the bundling process with it's interminable form filling and whatnot, that to leave would mean coming back again for another stressful session. As it was, the staff member forgot a crucial element in the process and Kelly was called back the following week for another 40 minute session in the store. The frustration levels for everyone concerned (staff, customer, child) were ridiculously and unnecessarily high.

Could she have gone to the store without her child? Possibly. But on the days when he is in childcare, Kelly works. Domestic matters like shopping and paying bills and bundling your telecommunications have to happen when you're not at work. Which means taking a toddler with you.

The banks get it. Our client Westpac was the first bank to put in a dedicated play solution. Now most of the banks are doing it in one way or another. They know that over 85% of parents do their shopping with their children and they want to make the banking experience easy and pleasant for those parents. A parent whose child is safely occupied is also more likely to stay longer in the bank and is open to discussions about home loans or financial planning. And what a wonderful customer service initiative!

It's time for the telco stores to follow suit. The research is undeniable. Customers with children prefer to shop in a store where their child is welcome, where their child is safely occupied, where they can conduct their business without stress or glaring looks from staff.

Considering the vast sums the telcos spend on store fitouts, including a compact play solution is a relatively minor investment.

Including a half hour session into the next staff training day on how family friendly customer service practices can help generate additional sales would be of enormous benefit, not only to the customers, but to the staff who would be well-armed with a tool-kit of techniques and much more confident the next time they are faced with a cranky toddler.

Not to mention the store's bottom line. A customer with a contented child is more open to cross-selling and up-selling opportunities.

So come on telcos. What are you waiting for?

Child Friendly Solutions has been assisting Australian retailers with in-store play solutions for 10 years including Big W, K-Mart, Westpac, Toyota and Forty Winks. You can find Child Friendly Solutions Play Panels, Play Tables and other play equipment, as well as lots of information on becoming a child friendly retailer, at www.childfriendly.com.au 

5 Mistakes Retailers Make (And How To Fix Them!)

One of the most challenging (perhaps horror-filled for some!) activities is going shopping with young children in tow. You just know there will be tears. Perhaps a tantrum. And babycino froth will almost certainly be involved.

Yet every day, hundreds of thousands of parents do exactly that - shop with kids. They have to. The luxury of your very own Mary Poppins is not something the average mall-going mum can afford.

What's more, these parents are in a hurry. They want to spend. They NEED to spend. They don't have time for willy-nilly browsing and mall-meandering. So if they're in your store, then you are The Chosen Store.

There is a certain responsibility about being The Chosen Store. But there is also the most wonderful opportunity to make this parent not only a customer but a raving advocate. Because parents, particularly mothers, like to rave. And do. To anyone who will listen. The good, the bad (especially the bad) and the ugly. So if they have a good experience in your store, you will become the bee's knees to a whole lot of women you don't even know who will come flocking to your door, ready to spend. And rave.

So how can you make the most of this opportunity?

1. Don't Ignore Parents

Unfortunately a lot of retail sales staff are a bit nervous about approaching a toddler/baby toting momma and tend to simply ignore them instead. Admittedly, we parents can be quite a scary sight at times, especially if said toddler/baby is demanding donuts at full throttle and we forgot to brush our bed hair!

I'm not suggesting you use the false and inane "Hi, how are you?" which every shopper seems to hate. Or the pushy "What are you looking for today?" which makes shoppers want to put their hands over their ears and chant "Don't sell to me! Don't sell to me!"

Try to be helpful and friendly instead with a smile and "Hello. Let me know if there's anything I can help with" then fall back gracefully. Which brings me to Mistake Number 2.

2. Don't Hover

There are certain parenting methods that might seem unsavoury to others but we do them because they work. Like using spit on a finger to clean a face covered in ice-cream. Or threatening no Wiggles for a week if they don't stop whining.

Parents don't, however, want to be observed conducting these parenting techniques so best to keep a rack of clothes between you and them when you're not directly engaging with them.

3. Don't Assume

Many women who come in to your store with their children are in the market for something specific. If you have a clothing store, this could be an outfit for an event or something she needs to buy for a job interview. If that's the case, she will need your help. We all know that women are unlikely to buy something unless they can try it on so if you want that sale, you need to be prepared.

Let her know that trying clothes on is not going to be too difficult by saying something along the lines of "Hello. Just to let you know we have something for your children to play with in the change room at the far end if you feel like trying anything on."

Again, there's no pressure in this statement; you are offering a much-needed solution for a desperate mum in need of a five minute distraction so she can try something on.

And if you don't have something for kids to play with in the change room at the far end, get something!

4. Ban The One-Armed Barbie Brigade

So you're a modern retailer who is embracing the child-friendly trend by bringing in some of the toys your kids no longer play with and popping them into a milk crate in the corner. This is one of the biggest mistakes I see retailers make.

If you're going to provide a play solution, it needs to be safe and tidy. That means nothing that a child can choke on, stab themselves with or poison themselves with. A box of toys is also a constant pain in the neck for staff to tidy and can also present a litigation-worthy tripping hazard!

So invest in a good, commercial quality play solution like those we offer at Child Friendly Solutions. There's also no need to go over the top with a big floorspace-hungry play area. Simple, compact, inexpensive solutions, such as a wall mounted Play Panel in a change room or a Play Table in a corner usually work best.

5. Keeping It To Yourself

So now that you are a child friendly retailer, you need to promote yourself as such. So many times I see stores that have an excellent play solution set up but they don't tell anyone about it.

As I said earlier, mothers love to rave so take advantage of this by promoting your child friendliness in any number of ways:

• Offer mothers 5 discount cards they can pass on to their friends
  
• Incorporate your child friendly status into your promotional communications. Put a sticker on your window telling customers your store is child friendly.
  
• Let your database know about your new in-store play solution in your next newsletter (because you do keep a database of your customers don't you!)
  
• Generate some PR. Local papers are always looking for stories to fill their pages so contact them with your story.
  
• Put up a notice with an offer at the local Early Childhood Centres. These places are full of mums who are all slightly bewildered about how on earth they are going to go shopping with this delightfully time-consuming newborn and a toddler at the same time! You, fortunately, have a solution.

So get on track with your child friendly retail strategy, avoid these common pitfalls, and watch your sales go up!

Child Friendly Solutions has been assisting Australian retailers with in-store play solutions for 10 years including Big W, K-Mart, Westpac, Toyota and Forty Winks. You can find Child Friendly Solutions Play Panels, Play Tables and other play equipment, as well as lots of information on becoming a child friendly retailer, at www.childfriendly.com.au

How to take customers from your competitors (nicely!)

Uh oh! Here comes another pram. Yikes - and a toddler too! It's yet another parent battling to do their shopping with kids in tow.

Do your staff know how to deal with an incoming mother and her tired kids? She wants to spend. She NEEDS to spend.

So how do you and your staff ensure she spends her budget in YOUR store, rather than walking out in frustration and going up the road to your competitor.

When a customer comes in to the store with children, it is often difficult to engage them in the sales process because they are distracted by their kids. Because some sales staff believe they won’t get a sale from a customer with kids in tow, parents can sometimes feel ignored or unwelcome.

Here are a few tips you and your staff can use to make it easier for everyone when children visit the store.

1. Greeting

A friendly greeting to both parent and child goes a long way towards creating a favourable first impression with the parent and doesn’t take much effort.

When you or your staff greet a child, get down to their level and say hi with a big smile, without getting too close. Children respond to a smile but shy away or get upset if you get “in their face”.

2. Get a play solution and use it as a sales tool

Having a safe play solution in-store gives your sales team the opportunity to open a dialogue with the customer whilst simultaneously offering a greatly appreciated customer service. A good introduction might be:

“Hello, how are you. I just want to let you know we have a play panel over here which the children may like to play with while you browse.”

This is a great example of how to turn a browser into a buyer. Without the play solution, that opportunity wouldn’t exist.

A play solution keeps the parent in the store and we all know the longer a customer stays in the store, the more likely they are to make a purchase.

3. Change room antics

If the parent is trying something on, ensure the child is in the change room with him or her. Whilst it is not advisable to offer to look after the child whilst mum or dad is changing, let the parent know that you’ll cover the exits, just in case there’s an escape attempt! It’ll give them peace of mind just knowing you’re keeping an eye out.

4. Bratty behaviour

If a child starts to create havoc in your store, politely let the parent know and ask them to take the child’s hand. Unfortunately, if someone is injured in your store because of the actions of an unruly child, the liability rests with you – the store owner – so it’s in your interests to ensure the parent controls the child. Never touch a child yourself unless the parent has given you permission.

5. Fifty cent gifts for a $50 sale?

Keep a jar of little gifts you can give away to kids. Remember, they are your customers of the future so you want them to associate your store with pleasant memories. Lollies aren’t always appreciated by parents and can be controversial, but fun stickers are a good idea – kids love them and they’re inexpensive. Just make sure to get the parent’s permission as the child might be younger than you think and put them straight in their mouth!

6. A great reason to contact your customers

Do you have an email database of customers that you correspond with infrequently? Here’s a great reason to get in touch with them. Let all your customers know your store is now child friendly.

Trust me, when a parent knows they will be able to shop in your store knowing their child is going to be occupied by something (anything!), they will flock to your door.

Go on, try it. Implement some or all of these tips this week in your store. The edge you gain might just transform your retail revenues from good to great!

Michelle Barraclough is a director of Child Friendly Solutions Pty Ltd which specialises in in-store play solutions – http://www.childfriendly.com.au/
(02) 9984 0769.

Goodbye May, Hello June

Oooh, it's getting chilly here in Sydney. We're back into our boot-shod, scarf-wrapped winter clothes and have dusted off the slow cooker!

May was a wonderful month for Child Friendly Solutions with lots of fabulous new clients coming on board including:

• K-Mart


• Dept of Community Services - Muswellbrook


• Dept of Immigration & Citizenship


• Erina Fair Medical Care


• Great Southern GP Network


• Icon Medical


• Ingle Farm Shopping Centre


• Redland Bay Early Education Centre


• White Retail Group


• Westfield Warrawong

And welcoming back some 'old' clients stocking up on 'new' child friendly products:

• Cockburn Gateway Shopping City


• Westfield Belconnen


• Westfield Hornsby


• GPT Casuarina Square


• Royal Children's Hospital Brisbane

It's funny, but we always thought with this business that we would be constantly seeking out new clients because our play equipment is the sort of thing clients would only buy as a 'one-off'.

Yet, we find that many clients come back to us for new products or because they've expanded and need new Play Panels.

And now that we've been in business for 10 years, we're delighted to find that when old Play Panels wear out from so much child-love, our clients return to us for new ones, so delighted have they been with the durability of the product over a long period of commercial use.

We were always a tiny bit scared that we'd run out of customers one day, but I'm proud as punch to see our existing clients returning.

You can find Child Friendly Solutions Play Panels and other play equipment at www.childfriendly.com.au

Say A Few Words

Have you ever been in a change room, when at the exact moment you are clad in only bra & knickers (mismatched of course) and maybe even a pair of knee-hi stockings just to complete the look, your toddler escapes under the door and makes a run for it?

We’d love to hear about your experiences shopping with children - the good, the naughty, the downright awful! You’ll always find a sympathetic ear here at the Child Friendly Solutions blog.

Click on the Comments link below and tell us all your most hilarious, frustrating or just plain hideous story about shopping avec enfants!

You can find Child Friendly Solutions Play Panels and other play equipment at www.childfriendly.com.au

Free Report - Increase Sales With A Child Friendly Approach

If you’re a retailer experiencing tough times, here are some sobering statistics that could help you.

Research shows that 85% of parents shop with their children in tow BUT 91% of them experience difficulty making a purchase due to their kids distracting them?

That means that a significant number of your customers are potentially walking out the door, without making a purchase, just because dear little Johnny and darling little Jane aren’t occupied and are bugging mum and dad for a donut.

How does that translate into lost sales in your business? If you lose $100 in sales a day from these customers, that equates to over $35,000 in lost sales each year.

Ouch.

Fortunately, it doesn’t take a huge amount of time or money to keep those mums and dads in your store spending. You just need a safe, space-effective play solution and a few tips on how to maximise sales, all of which you can find right here in our Free Report.

Happy reading!

Child Friendly Solutions has been assisting Australian retailers with in-store play solutions for 10 years including Big W, K-Mart, Westpac, Toyota and Forty Winks. You can find Child Friendly Solutions Play Panels, Play Tables and other play equipment, as well as lots of information on becoming a child friendly retailer, at www.childfriendly.com.au

All About Child Friendly Solutions

Hello there,

Lovely to meet you.

I'm the owner of Child Friendly Solutions, a business that was founded in 1999 to help retailers keep the little darlings who go shopping with their mums and dads safely occupied in stores (without the use of strong rope and/or metal cages!)

Since then, we have sold over 5000 play solutions to nearly 700 retail stores, shopping centres, medical practices, hospitals, pubs, clubs and government offices around Australia, NZ, the UK and the good ol’ USA (pleeeease fix your currency soon!)

And me? I’m a Melbourne-bred, Sydney-converted former marketing consultant who loves kids, but can see (with the exceptional clarity that can only be borne of knock-down-drag-em-out experience) the pitfalls of shopping with them. Hence, Child Friendly Solutions!

Happy reading and let’s start talking. I’d love your feedback on any post that rings your bell or gets you hot under the strap of your baby bag!

Michelle Barraclough :)