ALI CUDBY One Bra Can Cost You $10,000

Imagine this scenario…

A customer walks into a store and is helped by an employee who hasn’t been fully trained in bra fitting. This customer buys a $50 bra, and because of the employees lack of training, it doesn’t fit particularly well. Ultimately, the customer returns the bra and is unsatisfied with her shopping experience.

How much money do you think one unsatisfied customer costs a lingerie store?

$50 dollars?

No. The reality is far more serious.

When that woman returned the $50 bra after her less-than-awesome fitting experience, she walked out unhappy. She won’t return.

Not only did the store lose her $50 purchase, they lost her future business, as well.

Let’s say she was going to buy two $50 bras each year for the next ten years. Because of her unsatisfying fitting experience, she’ll never return to that lingerie store. That’s ten years of future revenue, lost. Two

$50 bras per year over ten years means one “meh” fitting experience just cost the business $1,000 dollars.

But it doesn't end there.

Because this woman has friends.

Did you know studies have shown a single dissatisfied customer tells somewhere between 9 and 15 people about their experience? (This isn't my data; this is per the White House Office of Consumer Affairs.)

Let's say this unhappy customer tells just ten people about her experience - and she prevents them from becoming customers. Or worse...she chases existing customers away from the business.

Each of those ten customers could be worth a thousand dollars in revenue for your business.

All of a sudden, it’s easy to see how ONE unhappy customer can cost a business ten thousand dollars in sales.

Because of ONE bad fitting experience.

Now let's consider a single person's reach if she posts on social media or Yelp!

In today’s social media world, reviews on Yelp can have a real financial impact on your business.

Here are a few facts - a study in the Economic Journal looked at statistical analysis of Yelp reviews on restaurants and found that an extra half-star rating causes restaurants to sell out 49% more frequently.

That’s a direct connection between Yelp and financial success.

Another Harvard study showed a one-star drop in Yelp ratings can equal a 5-9% decrease in revenue. And the impact was felt more severely for small businesses.

Those are just two studies, but the research is consistent. Yelp ratings have real financial impact on your business – both positively and negatively. Doing everything possible to ensure that customers are happy with their shopping experience is one of the most important things you can do for the financial health of your business.
And when your business is all about lingerie expertise, making sure everyone on your staff can provide a fitting experience that is up to the highest standards is not just important, it’s imperative. Every fitting impacts customer happiness and your bottom line.

Can you afford even one bad fitting experience when it can cost your business thousands of dollars?

In today’s retail environment, the answer is clear. No business can afford to risk one single employee who provides anything less than an awesome fit experience. And businesses owe excellence to the women they serve.

Women need your business to support them – literally and figuratively.