Most people work from 9 to 5, Monday through Friday. It always perplexes me why some business to consumer (B2C) businesses are open during these same hours. How can they build their business when their customers are all trapped at work? It doesn’t make any sense!
Increasingly, many successful business owners see the folly in maintaining these kinds of hours. Not only are many staying open late until 8 o’clock in the evening, but some are seeing value in remaining open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I’m not sure what has taken the business community so long to come to this realization since this should’ve happened at the advent of the industrial revolution over a century ago. Today, many supermarkets, retail outlets (e.g., Walmart), and even some major banks and restaurants now allow you to conduct business at 3 o’clock in the morning just as easily as at 3 o’clock in the afternoon. Why not employ a service that can at least take phone orders 24/7?
Customers want to make purchases at their convenience, not yours. They’re too busy working to leave their jobs just to do business with you. Who will they do business with when they’re ready to buy? As more businesses are open around the clock, do you think your customers will rearrange their day to patronize your old-fashioned 9 to 5 business? Probably not. Instead, consider expanding your hours of operation, or at lease rearranging your hours, to make it easier and more convenient for them to purchase from you.
In addition to your hours of operation, be aware of your days of operation. If you can’t be open 7 days a week, how about being closed Tuesday and Wednesday in exchange for being open on Saturday and Sunday? Being open on the weekend is more convenient for your customers. For retail and service businesses in the B2C space, your overriding reason for being should be customer love. Customer satisfaction and customer convenience should be the principal tenant of your business. Offering your services during more convenient times and catering to your customer’s needs seems like a no-brainer.
Are your hours of operation more convenient for your customer or for you?
