Offer shipping: An antique furniture store offers free delivery to customers in Wisconsin, encouraging people to buy larger items.  Delivery options enable a retailer to ship something for arrival by the time the visitor returns home.

Social Media: Being able to contact a business via the internet is crucial today.   Get a website, establish a face book fan page.  Create an electronic newsletter. 

Provide clean restrooms: Clean restrooms make a positive statement about your business.  One Wisconsin variety store has become a stop for bus groups and older travelers because of its clean restroom reputation.  Once visitors are in the store, they purchase gifts and convenience items.

Teach employees about the area: A cheese store makes sure its employees know area visitor points of interest and can give advice on directions to out-of-towners.

Accept credit cards: Credit card sales have increased to one-half of all retain sales.  Travelers often prefer to use charge cards so they do not have to carry cash.

Guarantee your products and services: Offer a “no questions asked” policy.  Typically, only a few people will take advantage of this guarantee.  While we often want to focus on the rare customer that may abuse this policy, we forget about the new business that is generated by this offer.

Improve your out-of-town policy:  As tourists often reside far away, a convenient return-by-mail policy should be established.

Smile and practice effective human relations: Be courteous, kind and patient.  Effective service and hospitality is what brings them back as repeat customers.

This may also be the time you do a “CPR” refresher for your employees on customer service.

Customer service should be:

Courteous:  Focus on their needs not yours and follow up to make sure they are satisfied.

Personal: Provide one-on-one service to all customers. Show them you care by understanding their problem and be able to solve it -- or find someone who can.

Rapid: Help customers immediately. If you are with another customer acknowledge them and indicate you will be with them as quickly as possible. If you are dealing with a problem, politely tell them you’re doing everything possible.