Good, friendly staff are the single most important factor in providing a positive retail experience, according to new research from instant feedback company Fizzback.
Response from 500 consumers nationwide found that good service and helpful salespeople mean the most to shoppers: 63% of positive comments relate to good staff.
Poor or faulty products elicited over 40% of complaints from the consumers, but only 8.4% of positive feedback related to products.
Fizzback’s explanation of the figures is that shoppers expect a product to work and so, more and more, good service is what sets one retailer apart from another.
“Assuming a product is of a reasonable quality there are simple things retailers can do to differentiate themselves in a tough market,” it says. “Appraise how helpful your staff are to customers; often, customers will give positive feedback on a particular staff member, which lets you see who is performing well in store.” Retailers can then address negative issues and reward good employees.
Fizzback’s service lets customers provide immediate feedback of their experience whilst still in the store, via channels such as text or email.