Retail
Service Deals Pull Customers in Early
Financial incentives coax customers to bring in their bows before the busy season.
Photo Credit: ATA
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Author: Jackie Holbrook
Most people procrastinate. Between commitments to work and family, preparations for bowhunting season often start at the last minute.
Expect many customers to walk through your door requesting services within days of the season opener. When all that work hits at once, it creates backlogs and overtime for bow technicians. Gear up for the preseason by coaxing your customers to see you earlier.
How? Try offering them financial incentives to visit you now. Let’s discuss four reasons why discounts on service items benefit your business.
Post about your discounts on service items on social media. Photo credit: Archery Headquarters Facebook
Make Them Think About You
Some customers start thinking about next season as the current season ends, while others forget about it until making last-minute preparations for the opener. With hunting season months away, many bowhunters are thinking about summer fun instead of fall pleasures. Consider sending them reminders, like advertising service discounts. Lower prices and quality work can spark enough interest to lure customers through the door early.
“We offer 50%-off bow tune-ups,” said Randy Phillips, owner of Archery Headquarters in Chandler, Arizona. “We advertise on Facebook and Instagram.”
Bowhunters Edge Archery in Colorado Springs, Colorado, also offers steep discounts of about 40% for preseason tune-ups. “We advertise on our website, Facebook and by word of mouth,” said owner Robert Teegardin.
Other advertising options include eblasts, flyers, mailers and radio ads. “We do a mailer if we get a list from the Arizona Game and Fish Department of who drew tags,” Phillips said. This tactic helps Phillips reach new and existing customers who will bowhunt the upcoming season.
Spread out the Work
Prepare for the busy season by increasing your workload during the slow season. Archery Headquarters offers its 50%-off deal only through June, because business picks up during the second week of July. Phillips said the service incentive helps relieve some preseason pressure. By minimizing work in the weeks before hunting season, you decrease your customers’ wait times and the overtime you pay bow technicians. By spreading out your workload instead of racing to keep up with demand, your staff can focus on selling products and delivering thorough, excellent service.
Double-check the customers draw length and weight to make sure their bow is as accurate as possible. Photo Credit: ATA
Better Customer Experience
Customer service should be your priority. When you stack up a backlog of service tickets, customers must wait longer and get less one-on-one help. Customers who get their bows tuned early should expect a more personal experience.
“Most customers aren’t looking for discounts,” Teegardin said. “They’re looking for quality work done on their bows. When they bring their bows in early, it allows bow techs to take more time on bows and spend more time with customers.”
Discounts Open Doors
Discounts on service can open doors to sales on other items. When customers are in the shop preparing for hunting season, encourage them to stock up on supplies.
Phillips said some customers come in for bow tune-ups and leave with a newer bow model. “Arizona is a draw state, so people come in because they’re interested in getting their bow tuned up,” Phillips said. “They might find out there’s a nicer, newer bow because it’s been a long time since they’ve been drawn to hunt something,” Phillips said. “That’s really a driver for new customers. It generates more than repeat business.”
If you have questions about how to offer discounts on services, contact Kurt Smith, ATA’s director of industry relations, at (866) 266-2776, ext. 177; or kurtsmith@archerytrade.org.
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