Customer Service, Twofold

Ellen C. Wells

I’m a fan of anyone who takes a good idea and conjures it into a great reality. Like Charlie Cole and the folks at Cole Gardens in Concord, New Hampshire, for instance. You’ve read all about their Winter Farmers’ Market in this month’s Retailer Spotlight. Now in its sixth season, Charlie readily admits the idea for the market came from a customer. To then transform that idea into actionable processes and something customers can engage with takes imagination and commitment.

Creating and maintaining this winter market is hard work, for sure. There is promotion, organizing, signing on vendors, clearing space in the store … the list goes on. What happens day of is the culmination of lots of steps to get ready each week.

It struck me as an overlooked concept that part of the success of Cole’s Winter Farmers’ Markets is that they treat their vendors like customers. “I want to make sure that they see value in our market,” said Charlie, “not just either a positive or negative dollar intake at the end of the day.” Cole Gardens does all they can do to ensure their vendors’ success, much like what you would do to ensure your customer is succeeding in the garden. When they succeed, they return—customer and vendor alike.

As often happens for articles that appear in print, Charlie gave me way more information than I could possibly squeeze into the physical page space. Not wanting to waste a drop of it, here are a few more items I gathered from Charlie on how to run a successful farmers’ market:

Look into offering EBT/SNAP benefits. Cole Gardens has teamed up with a local organization to offer EBT (Electronic Benefit Transfer) and SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits at their winter market. This technology also allows the credit card terminal to serve as an ATM for vendors who don’t accept credit cards.

Offer live music. Charlie describes music as the inexpensive necessity. “It really changes the feel and livens the crowd,” he says.

Bring in local chefs. What to do with the kimchi, red onions, salsa, bread and sweet potatoes offered at the market? Great question, and one easily solved by local chefs that Cole Gardens brings in for market day. These chefs offer ideas to shoppers on how to use the goods from the market.

Work with other organizations. Cole Gardens teams up with the local SPCA (with the help of their pet food vendor) to bring in animals and discuss adoption. This is a “feel good” event and one that folks enjoy.

Call in the Girl Scouts—as long as vendors agree, of course. Having Girl Scout cookies is a guaranteed crowd creator.

Have the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus visit. Cole Gardens goes with an Easter Bingo event rather than an egg hunt, “which would be way too crazy,” Charlie says. The bingo sheet has vendor names listed and kids walk around the market to have the vendors stamp their name. Once they get BINGO they can hand in the sheet for a reward. The parents also get the opportunity to put their names in to win a basket of goods from the vendors.

Charlie’s suggestions entice folks to come to the market, visit each vendor, explore products and stay a while. The more customers who are happy and relaxed means vendors are happy, too. And don’t neglect the fact that any of these ideas listed above can be applied to a summer market or special weekend festivals. Why keep all the fun for winter? GP