227. Improve Customer Loyalty and Become Referable with Katrina Scarlett

 With host retail coach Wendy Batten   https://wendybatten.com/podcast-intro/   In This Episode:  Do you feel like you are always looking for new customers? Did you know that it is less expensive to keep your customers coming back than it is to market to new ones? In this episode of The Creative Shop Talk Podcast, I’m sitting down with Katrina Scarlett of Scarlett & Co. to chat about how independent retailers can elevate their in-store experience through a hospitality-driven approach and focus on customer retention. Katrina is a customer experience expert whose company specializes in helping clients improve retention, satisfaction, and monetization efforts to make a bigger impact. While she works now mostly with authors and coaches, her experience and approach are perfect for retail. I am so inspired by her work and am excited to share this conversation with you. Let’s dive in! Here are some of the highlights and major touchpoints of our chat: Customer Retention as a Key Strategy: Katrina emphasized that customer retention goes beyond repeat visits—it's about creating loyalty and fostering a referral network. Loyal customers not only return but also spread the word, helping retailers grow their business organically. The Five Pillars of Customer Experience: Katrina’s framework focuses on five essential areas that retailers should prioritize and with this framework, can set up actual operational guidelines for their staff and business.  Culture: A customer-centric culture should start from the top and flow throughout the entire team. Service: Retailers should focus on delivering more than just basic customer service—serving with intention and heart is essential. Offers: Product mixes should cater to customers’ needs and desires, not just the store owner's preferences. Operations: Streamlining processes and systems makes shopping easier and frictionless for customers. Journey: The customer journey includes every interaction and touch point, from first impressions online to in-store purchases and beyond. Adopting a Hospitality Mindset: Adopting a hospitality-first approach in retail is key. Treating customers like valued guests can make a significant impact on their experience and loyalty. Importance of Operations: Efficient operations, such as easy returns and smooth checkout processes, are vital for improving the overall customer experience. Katrina highlights that operational decisions should always consider both the business and the customer’s experience. Customer-Centric Focus: The success of a retail store is built on the satisfaction of its customers. Period.  “Return to your heart of service.” -Katrina Scarlett Listen to the full episode to hear more ideas, the why and how to’s. You will gain actionable insights into how to improve your retail shop’s customer experience, build stronger loyalty, and create a hospitality-driven retail culture! About Katrina and Scarlett & Co. Katrina Scarlett is the founder and driving force behind Scarlett & Co., a company that specializes in helping authors and coaches improve their client retention, satisfaction and monetization efforts so they can increase their profits and expand their impact.    You can follow along with Katrina and Scarlett & Co. here: Website | Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn   17 Easy Ways to Improve Client Satisfaction & Retention Ready to Level Up? Join The Retailer’s Inner Circle.  Here’s everything you need to know about the Retailer’s Inner Circle. You’ll have access to countless Masterclasses including Foot Traffic Made Simple, Shop Standards, Money Matters, and so many others. Plus, you’ll have access to a private Facebook group where members can ask questions or share advice and their experiences of running a retail shop. And Q4 is coming! We’ve got your back. You don’t have to do retail alone! Related podcasts we think you’ll like:  Episode 93: How to Wow and Delight Your Customers and Keep Them Coming Back Episode 118: How to Create Loyalty and Amazing Customer Experiences with Author Shep Hyken Episode 144: How to Create a Customer Journey Map Episode 215: Coffee Break Chat: Customer Service vs. Customer Experience   About your host, Wendy Batten In case we haven’t met yet, I’m Wendy, a small business coach and founder of the Retailer’s Inner Circle, where I help other independent shop owners learn how to gain the right business skillsets to see more profits, paychecks, and joy as they navigate running their retail business.  Through online classes, business coaching programs, speaking, and a top-ranked podcast, I’ve helped hundreds of retailers around the globe reclaim their dreams and see the success they want from their beautiful shops. My signature private coaching community, The Retailer’s Inner Circle, has helped retailers around the world build their retail business skill sets and confidence.  I am proud to have been featured in several major publications, including my own business column in What Women Create magazine. I have been privileged to be a guest on top-ranked podcasts and sought-after as a guest speaker and teacher for several brands, associations, and communities that are passionate about the success of independent retailers. When I’m not coaching, you will find me either DIYing and renovating my very imperfect old crooked cottage by the sea in the UNESCO World Heritage town of Lunenburg, NS, or blogging about our travel and RVing adventures and the weird fun things we get up to in our coastal village. I’d love to invite you to check out one of my free resources for real retailers at https://wendybatten.com/free-resources/    For more support from Wendy   Retailer’s Inner Circle - Join Wendy inside the best retailer’s community   Free resources for shop owners    Hang out and connect with Wendy on IG    All of Wendy’s programs and services for shop owners can be found HERE.  Subscribe & Review on iTunes Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you’re not, I’d love you to consider it. Subscribing means you won’t miss an episode! Click here to subscribe to iTunes! If you want to be more of a rockstar, I’d love it if you could leave a review over on iTunes as well.  Those reviews help other retailers find my podcast and they’re also fun for me to go in and read. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what your favorite part of the podcast is. So grateful for you! Thank you!