Ignoring Car Alarms in New York
In New York City, car alarms are a joke. They’re ineffective at stopping car thefts, ruin countless night’s sleep for denizens living nearby and get set off by a gust of wind.
Popular Mechanics reports, “No single device has done so little good and caused so much annoyance as the car alarm.” They’ve become the mechanized version of the boy who cried “wolf.”
Old news, right? Yet, I found myself considering this situation while Best Buy’s Geek Squad fixed my phone. A loud, persistent alarm sounded in the background, yet nobody budged. The geek helping me brushed it off, saying, “It happens all day long.”
Retailers lost $121.6 billion to shoplifting theft in 2023, so it’s a serious issue. And while in-store shopping still earns more sales dollars, online shopping is growing faster. Accelerated by the pandemic, many consumers adopted online shopping habits, and forecasts predict online shopping could reach 30% of total retail sales within a few years.
And once a customer goes online, the chances of losing them tend to be higher because of the ease of comparing prices, distracting ads from competitors and a 70% chance they’ll abandon your shopping cart.
Now, I can’t speak to Best Buy’s losses from shoplifting or other security issues, but I’m sure I’m not the only one who was annoyed by the incessant squeal of this alarm. And though I was stuck in place for the moment, the next time I’m shopping I’ll think twice before walking into one of their stores.
This is potentially problematic, as they’ll lose my commitment to the in-store shopping experience where I can touch, see and try products before buying. This would otherwise enhance my connection to the product and the Best Buy brand.
They’ll also lose the personal interaction customer service representatives can provide, which builds relationships and brand loyalty while increasing chances of completing a sale.
So while both online and in-store environments have challenges, easy switching and the abundance of options in online shopping make it far easier to lose a customer. This particular store should be looking to foster more engaging experiences, which may help retain customers like me.
And the first thing they might want to consider to enhance that user experience is to call an electrician.
With that said, I wish you a week of profitable marketing.
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