The three most important ways to get and keep my business: service, service, service
Service. It may seem like a trite concept (”the customer is always right”), but retailers take it very seriously. They are very aware that consumers have many choices about where to spend their money and can, and will, take their business elsewhere if they are dissatisfied with the service they receive.
As a consumer I have certain service expectations regardless of where I shop. Online, I expect to get what I order in the time promised, or be notified of backorders or delays. I expect to be able to return items, online or in store, without being hassled*. I expect customer service and store personnel to value my business, and treat me with respect. I expect my complaints to be dealt with quickly, and when they are, the retailer can expect to keep my business. If not, I move on.
Apparently, I’m not the only one with fairly high expectations of retail service. There’s a great article by the National Retail Federation called “From Online Retailers to Department Stores, Best Retailers for Customer Service Run the Gamut”. This summarizes a recent survey of consumers about customer service, and it shows that our service expectations are increasing. In the study, Amazon.com was cited as the top retailer for customer service. My own personal experience with Amazon has borne that out. Check out the other retailers making the top ten list. Many online retailers, as well as department stores, could take lessons from these guys!
For me, there’s really only one important way to get and keep my business, and that’s service. Have you had a bad experience lately? Or a particularly good one? I am interested in compiling our own list of the best and worst companies to deal with in terms of service. Please share!
*Note: Retailers must protect themselves against theft or fraudulent returns by established return policies.
Service, Customer Service, National Retail Federation, Amazon.com, Return Policies
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