Q&A with Rory Tagliaferri, Chatham and Dennisport Natural Markets
What does customer service mean to you as a local retailer?
Making customers feel comfortable and welcome. Creating two-way loyalty. Customers must get what they want, when they want it. If someone needs goat’s milk for her child, I need to order it not this one time, but every time in the event she comes back. People also must have a warm environment and a knowledgeable staff who are prepared to solve problems. I know when I go into a store and someone acts like it’s a chore helping me, I won’t go back.
Are customers’ demands changing?
I think customers are demanding more personal attention because there are so many large stores where customer service is not their top priority. It’s tough to beat the big stores on price but we stay very competitive. Most stores on the Cape can’t compete with national brands and big-box stores on price. But we certainly can excel with customer service, and the one-on-one attention we give to those customers who need it.
You are very young, 22 years old. Does that help or hinder you in your business?
I expect that no matter how many years I do this, every day will be a learning experience. That’s part of the retail industry. You never run into exactly the same situation because there is a different customer on the end of every transaction, and they have different needs, personalities and moods. Being young has its advantages – energy and ambition being the major two. I have brought in more new products, including meats. I also can relate to younger customers and families. On the negative side, it’s always interesting to have a customer or sales representative look at me and say, “You’re the owner?”
But, overall, I don’t feel youth affects my job or life at all. At the same time, I know I am fortunate. I grew up here, have family here and have entered the family business. It certainly is challenging for a young person without these roots, given the high cost of housing and relatively lower salary scales. I am looking forward, though, to becoming a member of the Cape Cod Young Professionals for both business and social connections.
How important is the Internet in growing your business?
It is critical to making our entire world easier and more accessible to our customers; those within a car ride of us and those far away. It’s very helpful to have our summer customers go back home but still order their supplements online with us. We also are trying to provide an online community for our customers, helping them learn as much as they wish about health and nutrition issues. It’s actually more than providing products online. It is experiencing and sharing together online. As a young person growing up in the Internet generation, it also is easier to conceptualize a strategy to extend our physical store to the Web and thus become a 24/7 business that can meet the needs of a customer regardless of how many times they can actually walk into our store.
How do you expand your customer base?
We took a big step in June. We started to design and print our own customized fliers with our distributor. We insert them in the Cape Cod Chronicle and the returns are great. We also believe in community events to connect with neighbors and address important issues that affect our families and children.
For example, I was one of six businesspeople on the Chatham schools Future Search Conference. A major topic was the school lunch program and nutrition. Since then, the district formed a nutrition committee and has changed the school lunch menu. I am also a member of the Dennis South Business Association, which has gotten a lot accomplished in the last year. Through these community engagements, we have met many people who did not realize we sold groceries as well as supplements. We also are beginning to market to businesses, offering them gifts such as organic food baskets for clients and to reward employees.
How important is the second-home owner to retailers?
Very important. As visitors become fewer and second-home owners grow in number, it helps our business. Tourists are less likely to come our way if they are staying at a hotel or motel, but second-home owners and renters will stock up for long weekends or weeks at a time. The challenge for us is to develop relationships with second-home owners. Down the line, we can actually stock their refrigerators and cabinets before they come here.
How do you market against Stop & Shop and Shaw’s as they increase their natural and organic selections?
By keeping prices low and fair. We must have our essential groceries stay competitive with Stop & Shop and Shaw’s. Then, we have to be consistent. Bigger stores can offer a price for six weeks and then not again for months. We also have to stay open on Sundays. We need to accommodate everybody’s schedule. People on the Cape often work on Saturdays, and Sunday is a shopping day. Customer service is by far our top priority and that is what keeps us in the game.
Rory Tagliaferri is owner of Chatham and Dennisport Natural Markets.
Originally published in the Nov/Dec 2006 issue of Cape Business
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