1-800Flowers President shares tips on creating powerful connections with customers

I’ve been excited to hear 1-800Flowers.com President Chris McCann speak at Shop.org’s Online Merchandising Workshop ever since I chatted with him about his Undercover Boss experience several months ago. And McCann didn’t disappoint.

During his keynote, McCann talked about some of his company’s philosophies on connecting with customers to ultimately increase sales and offered tips for every retailer to use in creating more powerful relationships with their best advocates.

First, he walked through several different customers who had cemented themselves in his mind from his first days of running a flower shop with his brother on Manhattan’s Upper East Side in 1976. There was Phyllis, the socialite; Ellen, a music industry executive with a “vivacious personality”; celebrity clients like Walt Frazier; and a guy named Big Paulie, who McCann described as “the bookie who ran a shop across the street.”

From those early days working in the shop, McCann realized quickly that merchandising to each customer in a unique way was imperative. (Case in point: Phyllis preferred expensive but tasteful displays, McCann said, while Big Paulie would often leave the shop barely able to carry the huge arrangement he’d just purchased.)

Learning from each of those personalities was crucial as well. “Each customer was different but they’d stop in the store, sit down and have a cup of coffee with us,” McCann said of his lessons during those years. “We learned so much from them in how to run our business.”

While the company still has stand-alone stores, 1-800Flowers.com has a vibrant online presence. And translating the store experience to the online world remains a constant challenge.

Whether the focus is online or offline, retailers have a number of opportunities to connect with everyone from Phyllis to Big Paulie. For McCann, creating a powerful connection with customers means doing the following:

Getting them involved. When launching its Happy Hour collection, 1-800Flowers reached out to customers to help create ad copy for its billboards. The suggestions were beyond what the company had thought up, and provided recognition by placing the person’s name and city alongside their quote. The ads were tremendously successful and were another way to make customers feel connected to the company.

Being relevant to all customers. While many of the company’s customers are women, McCann said, men make up an important demographic of flower buyers. That’s why 1-800Flowers decided to create a “Guys’ Guide to Flowers,” which debuted today. The page helps men choose a flower arrangement by asking them to list the type of person they’re buying for, the occasion, and the guy’s “intentions” before recommending a bouquet. (ie: It’s important for men to sidestep bouquets that say, “I love you” if he’s, umm…not ready just yet to send that message.) The site also features a special “apologizer” section to help men get out of the doghouse.

Leveraging your strengths. Many years ago, 1-800Flowers.com partnered with another retailer to sell jewelry on its website. Though the partnership was profitable, McCann said, it ultimately didn’t last. Why? Because the company realized it needed to focus on its core strength – possessing an authority and expertise on flowers and floral design – without being distracted by other categories.

Being prepared for circumstances where customers aren’t happy with you. McCann shared his simple philosophy: “I deal with a perishable product. Things go wrong in our business. When something goes wrong, it’s a matter of how you respond to it. That’s how you build customer trust. Customers expect things to go wrong. There’s so much power in the consumers’ hands today…you have to figure out how to make it right.”

Not mistaking strategy for execution. “I go nuts in my company – we have so many conversations about strategy,” McCann said. “I say, just execute. If you’re executing taking care of your customers, your customers will tell you what your strategy is.”

Understanding how the customer has changed. The recession brought about a shift in customer behavior, and many of today’s shoppers are focused on value. While value means a lot of things – a unique design, excellent quality and superior service, for starters – there’s one thing value doesn’t mean: price. “Value does not mean the cheaper price,” McCann said. “To different customers, value means different things. Some are looking for value at a $100 price tag, some are looking at $20-$25.”

Making them smile. This summer, 1-800Flowers launched a “Summer of Smiles” campaign, which encourages customers to send in suggestions – in 100 words or less – of who they think deserves a Happy Day bouquet. (A few lucky recipients are surprised with the gift.) In a short time, the company has received hundreds of submissions – and now has a cache of user-generated content they can leverage for years to come.