STORES Magazine recently published the results of an exclusive research study conducted for them by BIGresearch, which explores shoppers views of what constitutes bad customer service - generating 7,000 verbatim responses. The biggest complaint (cited by 21% of those polled) was employees who either "don't know" or "don't care" to help customers. Adding fuel to the fire:
An underlying theme of many shopper comments is the disconnect between the image projected by the brand in various forms of advertising and the experience they have when they visit the store. It may be time for marketing and HR to get on the same page.
Yes, it can be challenging for large corporations to get on the same page. Don't the Marketing and HR people have enough to do without worrying about each other's departments? The reality is, the customer doesn't care. In their minds the experience you describe in ads should be the experience they have in store, period. Marketers and agencies must care about customer service because it directly affects their brand's performance and success overall. It is easy to blame the employees for being sullen or unengaged or unwilling to help customers but that tone is set within the company. If people feel valued, connected to the brand, part of a larger mission vs. a clock puncher it is amazing how much more engaged they can become. It is this very philosophy that turned one of Seattle's now famous landmarks - Pike's Place Fish Market - into the successful business it is today. On the verge of bankruptcy the leaders brought in the whole staff to help them chart their vision. A group of farily young guys, they came up with the goal of becoming World Famous. And that's how the fish tossing and friendly smiles and working the crowd got started. Read the rest of their story here.
While creating ads may be the fun part, it's time to get HR and training involved in the conversation. As stated in the article:
Still, retailers need to remain vigilant about training and committed to coaching the sales associates on the tenets of good customer service. In an industry where differentiation is vital, customer service can truly become a competitive advantage.
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