Whether going online or walking into a store, it’s painful to shop for a new mattress. Painful. That’s the word marketing consultant Mike Wittenstein uses to describe the bed–buying experience. Ouch.
Wittenstein, a speaker, facilitator and expert on customer experience based in Marietta, Ga., spoke to a crowd of mattress makers and suppliers at ISPA EXPO 2010 in Charlotte, N.C., in March. Before his seminar, “Teaming with Retailers to Improve the Customer Experience,” he did some “undercover” mattress shopping, visiting eight stores and 20 Web sites, scanning social media sites for mattress mentions, meeting industry executives and reviewing industry reports to understand the overall market and talking with individuals about their own purchasing experiences.
Researching and buying a mattress is a confusing, frustrating process, Wittenstein told the audience. Online, he found conflicting information about features and prices that left him unable to make comparisons or well–reasoned decisions. In stores, he found an array of undifferentiated white rectangles.
“You walk into the store and everything looks the same,” he said. “It’s like the 31 ice cream flavors at Baskin–Robbins are all vanilla.”
Too often, mattresses still are being sold to consumers as commodities, he said. “That’s not the way to grow a business. It’s not serving the customer; it’s fighting the competition. That’s where your energy is going.”
But, Wittenstein said, it doesn’t have to be that way. Working together, mattress makers, retailers and even suppliers can make shopping for a bed set an enjoyable, pleasant experience. He pointed to other technical products and commodities and the success some companies have had creating a good customer experience. His examples included Whirlpool, Build–A–Bear Workshop and Apple.
“When you buy an Apple iPhone, do they tell you about the microchips, all the specs and details? No. They tell you about the experience of using the iPhone,” Wittenstein said. “If Apple were selling mattresses, they’d sell the benefits of sleep.”
Among Wittenstein’s suggestions for the mattress industry:
- Focus on sustainability Environmentally conscious consumers don’t just want to purchase “green” mattresses. They want to know their old mattress isn’t taking up landfill space. “When you’re creating new products, are you planning for their end–of–use?” Wittenstein asked. He suggested manufacturers start at the beginning of the design process to make entire mattresses or their components reusable or recyclable—and be sure consumers know you’ve done so.
- Better equip RSAs Make the most of new technologies and platforms. Outfit the sales floor so that retail sales associates can instantly access the most up–to–date product information, brand messaging and training tools from laptops, mobile devices, even digital signage.
- Improve education Don’t limit retail sales associate training to mattress features. Educate them about health, sleep and wellness. If you’re a manufacturer, get your key employees, not just retail account managers, on the sales floor so they can learn directly about customer needs and concerns.
- Never forget the customer Too often, Wittenstein said, the mattress industry focuses on telling consumers its story, emphasizing features and specifications or selling on price. “Find out the customer’s story,” Wittenstein says. “What does she want?” Throughout the entire selling process, the consumer needs to feel that the industry understands her needs and want to help her meet them.
- Eliminate confusion Provide easy–to–understand information about the benefits consumers are most interested in: how a mattress feels and fits their lifestyle, the difference between “comfort life” and “parts life,” a bed set’s ecological footprint, etc. Manufacturers and retailers can take a lesson from cereal makers who clearly label boxes with facts about nutritional benefits such as fiber and vitamins.
“ ‘Customer satisfaction’ is really the lowest common denominator,” Wittenstein said. “Wouldn’t you rather have ‘customer elation,’ ‘customer unexpected delight’ or ‘customer glee’?”
