Your customer is looking through the dessert menu and his date is browsing the mixed drinks, but then he looks down and notices his phone is dying. Not the worst thing in the world, right? To him, he starts thinking about a potential emergency or tomorrow’s meeting that was up in the air – he can’t be unplugged for even a minute.
So instead of that tiramisu and cappuccino, joined by his date’s second vodka tonic, they call it a night early so he’ll be back at home before his screen goes black. He closes out his tab and money walks right out the door.
Keeping customers connected = keeping customers
But what if there were another option? How likely would it be that your lost customer would have stayed at your restaurant, bar, or cafe time and again, if he knew there were a reliable cell phone charging station available for use, free of charge?
The ability to provide great customer satisfaction and foster repeat business becomes that much easier when a phone charging station enters the picture. Whether it’s a locker, table or tower, any solution is a welcome one to customers.
(And if you need some stats to back up the popularity of smart devices, last year the Pew Research Center reported that 77% of adults say they own a smartphone, and those between the ages of 18-29 alone claim a 92% adoption rate. And keep in mind this doesn’t even include tablets, which continue to grow in popularity.)
And now, a word from our clients…
“I can’t even count the times I’ve been asked to charge a patron’s phone, and in many instances there are usually two other phones ‘in line’ waiting to be charged at the one or two outlets we have available. Customers get antsy that it’s taking too long, and then when they get their phone back they see it’s only at a thirty-five percent charge. Then it becomes the bar’s fault, you know?” Aveline, waitress in Manhattan
With a phone charging locker or kiosk available for multiple people to use at once, like the Infinity Charging Table by Growcharge, this scenario is turned on its head, and frustration turns to satisfaction.
“The hospital where I work has had a Growcharge charging table in our cafe for about a month now, and it’s not only made our staff’s lives easier, but it’s definitely benefited our bottom line, as well.” It’s extremely common for someone to order an extra coffee or pastry because their phone hasn’t finished charging. That sounds like small potatoes, but all of those small transactions add up!” Philip, Operations Manager in Chicago
Join the businesses leading the charge
It’s not just the food industry that is jumping on the bandwagon. Retailers like Calvin Klein are offering complimentary phone charging stations in their stores specifically to enhance their customers’ satisfaction while shopping. Other notable brands include Urban Outfitters and Whole Foods. These aren’t mom-and-pop store fronts – they are big companies with entire internal marketing teams that exist to find ways to keep customers happy.
These businesses have discovered the value in keeping customers engaged with their products, simply by offering them the chance to charge their device while they’re out and about.
Getting down to brass tacks
- Sell more drinks, food, clothes or other wares by keeping your customers in your place of business longer
- Increase positive ratings on Yelp and similar review sites by providing a courtesy service while customers wait and take advantage of the other aspects your business offers
- Reduce the stress and responsibility of your own staff when it comes to charging customer devices
- Reduce “battery anxiety” and generally improve the peace-of-mind of your customers so they don’t feel rushed to get back home
Take the leap!
If you’re trying to attract new business or retain current business, there are few better options than to introduce a phone charging kiosk in your establishment. When it comes down to your customer choosing between you or a competitor to dine or shop, sometimes something as simple as device charging is the influencing factor in their decision. Offering this benefit ups your service offerings and promises return business at the same time.