Are you chasing customers away with noise?

I recently visited a lovely Mexican restaurant. The food was good, but the ambiance of the place was spoilt by music that was played at an ear splitting volume. Conversation, unless undertaken at a throat ripping yell, was not possible.

And later I visited a fashion store which was playing the kind of music one would find in a nightclub at a similar volume that one would find in a nightclub. I left pretty quickly without making a purchase.

For some people, older people with age related hearing problems, people who can't see and who need aural cues in order to make their way around, plus people who are hard of hearing and those who are on the Autistic Spectrum, loud music can be a real problem.

One UK supermarket, Morrisons, has acknowledged that loud noises can be a problem and has taken some steps to address this issue.

Morrisons has introduced a quieter hour in all of its stores for customers who could benefit from calmer, quieter shopping.

Aimed at helping customers who struggle with music and the other noise associated with supermarket shopping, it takes place every Saturday morning from 9am until 10am in all of its 493 stores.

The Quieter Hour initiative was designed and implemented with the backing of the National Autistic Society. Many people who are autistic or those with autistic children can find shopping in a supermarket an anxious experience. (EDITOR: Even some people who aren't autistic, too.)

Morrisons undertook a test in three of its stores - Lincoln, Woking and Gainsborough, to establish  what improvements it could make and find a convenient time each week for the 'Quieter Hour' to take place.

Listening to customers they found one in five had a friend or family member with autism and many appreciated the option to shop at that time on a Saturday.

During Quieter Hours stores will:

Dim the lights
Turn music and radio off
Avoid making tannoy announcements
Reduce movement of trolleys and baskets
Turn checkout beeps and other electrical noises down
Place a poster outside to tell customers it's Quieter Hour

Morrisons will also work to improve awareness amongst colleagues of the issues autistic customers face in store.

Daniel Cadey, from the National Autistic Society said: "Around 700,000 people are on the autism spectrum in the UK. This means they see, hear and feel the world differently to other people, often in a more intense way. Morrisons' 'Quieter Hour' is a step in the right direction for autistic people who find supermarket shopping a real struggle."

Angela Gray, Morrisons Community Champion at Woking added: "I was involved in the initial trial as my son is autistic and we found these changes made a real difference. The trial showed there's a need for a quieter shopping experience for some customers."

Let's hope that more supermarkets and other retailers follow the example of Morrisons. Hopefully eventually shoppers can enjoy quiet days with no music?