Customer Satisfaction: You Either Get It or You Don’t
This week brings the much-anticipated retail report, “Getting it Right at Retail”, released by Carlson Marketing and the Peppers & Roger Group, Minneapolis. After surveying approximately 1200 customers about their experiences with retail chains, the results may surprise you.
Topping the list is Barnes & Noble, where customers still value the pleasure of relaxing in the café with a cup o’ joe and a good hardcover book. Closely behind in spots 2 and 3, respectively, are Hallmark and Bath & Body Works. And the surprise? The names that dot the bottom of the list: WalMart, AutoZone and Macy’s.
Scores were calculated on a 7-point scale using 12 core questions. For purposes of this survey, Carlson defined relationship strength as the “ability of the ongoing exchange between a company and a customer to grow and endure, and resist any damaging forces that might destroy it.”
64% of the respondents agreed brand familiarity played a role in their responses. 70% believe a brand’s corporate reputation is important, and 50% take a close look at a retailer’s moral values.
Luc Bondar, VP-Loyalty Marketing at Carlson Marketing explains, “When a brand’s values are understood by an individual, there is a much higher level of trust.”
So how did WalMart fall down to the bottom of this particular list? Marc Babej, partner at marketing consultancy Reason in New York says, “”When’s the last you heard good news about something Wal-Mart has done? They’ve gotten their fair share of bad publicity this year about their head marketer, their labor practices, them taking business away from smaller stores in the community . . . not good stuff.”
Not surprisingly, customer service was a huge factor among 90% of the respondents, with 89% stating “being easy to do business with” as an important reason why they might choose one retailer over another. Price and availability of merchandise were most important to 93% of respondents.
In order to compete effectively, Babej said, “The retailer has to deliver an appealing, compelling offering in a way that’s more efficient and convenient for me than the competition.”