One of the joys of Groningen are the regular markets that are held on the Vismarkt. It has everything on offer that one would expect from a city market – fish, meat, green grocery – and much else besides, with a differing mix of stalls everyday.

The experience that stands out from our recent trip was the service we received from the organic green grocer. Their prices are higher than the other fruit and veg sellers, but when we have been to the market on past visits they have always had a steady stream of customers. We made some purchases from them for the first time on this trip and discovered that, unlike the other stall holders, they want to sell. When we had selected the items that we had intended to purchase, the salesman asked if we would like to try/sample some fruit. Naturally, we tried what he offered and, naturally, we bought some fruit.

The lesson learnt is that, to sell more, there are some simple questions that can be asked, such as whether the customer was able to find everything he was looking for?

Do we extend the conversation enough with our customers to find out the holes in our range? It is part of good service to discover what our customers really expect from us.