Sociology

Consumer behavior entails the psychological process that consumers go through in recognizing needs, finding ways to solve these needs, making purchase decisions such as whether to buy a product or not, make plans about buying the product (Blythe 2008). Therefore, there are a number of ways, which a shop can ensure that its customers stay for longer inside the shop whilst doing their shopping.

Discussion
A way of letting the customer to staying more inside the shop is making them happy and contented to do their shopping in your shop. However, one solution is offering good customer service as this will make them enjoy doing their shopping worthwhile and interesting. There are some proven ways that make customers happy. These are been courteous, resourceful, prompt, under promise and over deliver and extend your service (Khan 2007)

To be courteous to customers is very important, as it will make them feel more appreciated and respected. The management of a shop should go for an extra mile and make the customer feel that they are sincere in offering their help when their help is requested. Shop assistants should always address the customer one at a time and refer to them as sir or madam as this will make them feel that they have their undivided attention. They should also try to have pleasant smiles on their faces, as it will even make the customer feel that it would be easy to approach them.

Shops should try to go an extra mile to be resourceful. When customers request for something, then the management tells them that they cannot fulfill their demand because of reasons such as it is the shops standard policy. The customers usually do not like to hear this and this can make the customer never to ever shop at the shop ever again. Therefore, the management of the shop should be creative as there are quite a number of ways to deal with a shops policies and make it a strategy to broaden the service way beyond the standard procedures so that customers needs can be contented.

Shops should cease giving phony promises and they should therefore make it a rule never to give promises when they cannot deliver. This is the greatest way to attract and keep the same customers to a shop, as the customers will feel that the management is transparent in all their dealings.

A shop should widen their services that they should add more services that can be convenient for the even if it is not part of their usual service procedures. A shop should therefore, do something for a customer that will make them feel that the management of the shop are genuinely interested in serving their needs for example open the shop doors for the elderly and disabled.

The management of a shop should consider having an area set aside inside the shop for relaxing such as a coffee or ice-cream parlor with wireless internet access. This can make the customers happy and gives them a reason to stay and they will take their time at the shop doing shopping and later hang out at this parlor. However, the negative side of this is that customers may just hang at the coffee parlor, and later maybe buy only a single item worth little money. According to (Khan 2007), some shops that are financially cash strapped not agree with this idea of an ice cream or coffee due to this reason.

The management of a shop should consider various in-shop incentives, such as promotions and attractive layout design to lure customers to stay longer in the shop and thus pass many sections of the shop. According to (ODougherty 2007), a lot of customer traffic around the store, does not generally mean many sales. This is because of some factors that influence customer behavior inside the shop. These factors are the features of the different brands found in the shop, the different characteristics of the customers and factors that are based on different situations. The attractive lay out design of a shop can enable the customers to go through all the aisles, product categories and gondolas because their attracted interest. The more the inviting a shop is, the longer the customers will stay and they will even become more loyal to the shop.

The management of a shop should intend to target a local customer base. That is, the management should know the neighborhood that the shop is based and know the kind of people that reside there. Therefore, for example if the people that reside in the neighborhood are young, the n the shop can try to design the interior with the latest designs to attract them as well as employing young staff, who can relate with them more. This may enable the customers to shop for longer in the shop, as they will enjoy their shopping experience at the shop.

The management of a shop should scale possible competition from nearby shops. For example, if another shop attracts young customers, the management should opt for a more serious atmosphere and even target different customers such as older customers. The shop can make the prices of their goods more or less, to make the shop even appealing. This can make the customers stay longer in the shop comparing the prices of different products.

A shop can introduce stamp cards to customers such as buy five, get one free. The shop can give a free good to any customer that buy after the management stamps the card when it is full of stamps. This will motivate the customers to shop frequently and for longer in the shop.

A shop should play good music and the one that targets the right crowd. The shop should listen to the customer feedback regarding the music. The customer may stay in the shop longer because he or she would feel comfortable and entertained while still doing some shopping.

The management of a shop should ensure that the shops bathroom facilities are very clean and everything is in good shape from the toilet basins to the taps. Nothing can make customers happy when shopping than using clean and attractive lavaratories. Therefore, customers can take their time shopping around the store, because they know, if the need arises to go to the bathroom, the lavatory is remarkably clean.

Conclusion
Shops are often challenged with making customers happy while doing their shopping, as well as staying longer in the shop. The factors that make customers stay longer in shops are such as been courteous, prompt resourceful, extended service and others. Good facilities such as clean bathrooms and the right music can make the customers feel comfortable and thus stay for longer doing their shopping at the shop. The right personnel in the shop should be friendly and ready to help the customers out when they ask for help. A shop should always show genuine interest to the customers, for example open the door to the elderly and disabled customers. This will make them feel that the shop is genuinely interested in them and thus will take their time in the shop.

Therefore, it is extremely vital for shops to make the customers feel appreciated and happy, and this will enable them stay in the shop for a longer period.