The following is adapted from “Come Back to Bed: Attract More Foot Traffic and Make People Fall in Love With Your Store.”
Roger Cunningham owns The Bed Store in Knoxville, Tennessee. “Our success is because of authenticity,” he said. “Our slogan is, ‘We’ll even TUCK you in.’”
TUCK is an acronym for Thoughtful, Understanding, Compassion, and Knowledge. That word and the culture it creates transcends Cunningham’s mattress business. Roger and his team always want to make sure customers get the product they need, not the one with the biggest commission. He also knows customers are scared of mattress salespeople. This fear was once a barrier to purchase—and The Bed Store’s website helped customers overcome it.
At TuckFit.com, a friendly cartoon character is holding a sign that reads, “Get a Free Pillow” and the copy asks, “Are you ready for the best sleep of your life?” Click the green “Get Started” button and you’ll go through a series of questions related to sleep, mattress needs, budget, and preferences. The site performs “Tuckulations” to find options that fit the customer’s needs.
On the final page, mattress options are presented along with a button to “Print your fit and get a free pillow!” This encourages people to come into the store. There’s a video of Roger building value in TuckFit, proclaiming 97 percent of customers who use the TuckFit.com process end up keeping their mattress.
The TuckFit site also explains each mattress recommendation based on these factors: preferred comfort level, body type, sleep position, and sleep temperature. The quiz has given The Bed Store team four years’ worth of data on more than seven thousand unique sleepers. This info gives insights into sleep position preferences, heat tolerance, partner disturbance levels, and much more.
At the bottom of the page, users find directions to the store, an email and phone number, and a photograph of the salesperson who works there. All this detail is there to give customers knowledge that reduces anxiety about visiting the store and opens a line of communication with the sales team. The Bed Store process also seeks to snag and serve the most important prospect: in-market shoppers. And the results are remarkable:
- Approximately 10 percent of visitors have completed the TuckFit quiz.
- Nine percent of all sales are TuckFit completions. This is based on four years’ worth of data.
- Average tickets from TuckFit completions is $2,150 (that’s higher than The Bed Store’s average ticket).
- Of customers who have taken a TuckFit quiz and bought in-store, 97 percent have kept their original mattress and not opted for a comfort exchange.
The TuckFit system is a creative way to attract in-market shoppers and calm those fears that go along with bed buying. What’s your best tip to make customers less scared? Tell us in the comments section.
