Re: report on customer rage


Stevie wrote:
> From WWD Beauty News bulletin, considering the thread about Sephora-- and
> the time of year when 90% of us are shopping, I felt posting this was
> apropos. there was no author to attribute this to and I copied it verbatim
> FYI for those with customer service nightmares (and I would certainly
> include that Sephora glitch), there is an email at the bottom because WWD
> wants YOUR input on your worst nightmare experience.. so go to it!
> Stevie
>
>
>
> Top Story
> Disgruntled America
>
> As shoppers head into the holiday shopping season, more and more of them are
> acting like Scrooges. It seems consumers are not happy with the levels of
> satisfaction at the nation's retail stores. It might be a good time to take
> stock of your customer relations efforts. Online shopping is growing in
> popularity. According to WSL Strategic Retail, online shopping has increased
> almost a full hour in two years. Don't let poor service be a factor in
> sending your shoppers to their computers.
>
> According to a Customer Rage Survey released last week, 15 percent of
> shoppers queried who said they received unsatisfactory service sought
> revenge for their treatment. Thirteen percent used profanity when
> interacting with employees and 33 percent raised their voice. One percent
> took even more drastic measures that were not elaborated on in the survey -
> think Russell Crowe and the hotel clerk he threw a phone at this summer.
>
> Seventy percent of those surveyed said they experienced customer rage in the
> past year that made them extremely or very upset. And, consumers say service
> is getting worse rather than better. Bad service stories travel rapidly and
> 84 percent said they share their gripes with friends. Half of those polled
> won't return to that resource. The travel industry is identified as having
> the worst customer services, but retail has its share of complaints.
>
> Here are a few complaints consumers have with retailers and ways to avoid
> these pitfalls for the holiday shopping period.
>
> *Long lines
> A shopper at a Michael's craft store is behind a man doing a price
> adjustment. She only wants three items, but after 10 minutes in line gives
> up - leaving her items in a pile. Exchanges and price adjustments should be
> done at an alternate location, especially during holiday months. Even a
> simple apology from the cashier to those in line can help. Many stores still
> have the "three in a line" rule - another cash register is opened if there
> are three or more people in a line. If short on help and opening more tills
> isn't viable, make sure customers are entertained in line with anything from
> music, videos or even reading material.
>
> *Out of stocks
> The must-have plum eye shadow of the season is flying off your shelves. A
> young lady comes to get it only to find you are sold out. Rain checks are
> always great, but perhaps you can recommend another similar brand's product.
> You can also offer to call her when you get more in. Don't chastise a
> customer for waiting too late to get a hot item.
>
> *Improperly marked merchandise
> With the rush to get inventory on the floor, products are often marked
> wrong. Try to complete price checks with alacrity and apologize to
> customers. The words "I'm sorry" go a long way. The same is true for items
> advertised with the wrong price. Post signs in the department.
>
> *Not my department
> Train store employees to help ANY customer questions, even if it isn't their
> department. If they don't know an answer, make sure they know how to find
> someone who does. Shoppers won't tolerate a lack of knowledge from store
> personnel.
>
> *Inattentive sales associates
> Few things are worse than seeing sales associates talk to one another
> instead of waiting on shoppers. In some cases, associates are even on cell
> phones instead of waiting on customers. Make sure your employees know that
> the customer comes first. The holidays are the prime time to win shoppers
> over to your stores - don't turn them off with bad service.


My current pet peeve are *Inattentive sales associates. With Wal-Mart
our only 'department store' in town I often wonder, it must be store
policy their 'associates' not ask if the customers need anything, does
anyone know? They will walk by you to get to a fellow worker and start
talking to them. I asked one the other day for the time, you would
have thought I asked for her first born. I am spoilt, at other stores,
Zellers for one, a worker would always ask if they walked by if I
needed anything or would even just say 'hello' I feel ignored at
Wal-Mart, I know, it seems to be in fashion to slam Wal-Mart but this
one chain is the worst I've found for this sort of thing.

>
> Have a nightmare customer relation story to share? Email us at
> wwdbeautynews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

.

Relevant Pages

  • Fuck America
    ... knocked down as a crowd at an electronics store rushed a metal security ... The crowd of shoppers outside BrandsMart USA in Sawgrass Mills, ... The incident came as shoppers lined up all over South Florida for Black ... the start of the holiday shopping season and the second-busiest ...
    (alt.religion.islam)
  • Re: Fuck America
    ... >knocked down as a crowd at an electronics store rushed a metal security ... >The incident came as shoppers lined up all over South Florida for Black ... the start of the holiday shopping season and the second-busiest ...
    (alt.religion.islam)
  • Re: report on customer rage
    ... >> verbatim FYI for those with customer service nightmares (and I ... >> As shoppers head into the holiday shopping season, ... >> A shopper at a Michael's craft store is behind a man doing a price ... who rebuilt yur kombi for ya? ...
    (alt.fashion)
  • From Elsewhere
    ... This letter was recently sent by Tesco's Head Office to a customer in Oxford ... family from shopping with us, unless your husband stops his antics. ... Housewares aisle asked an assistant if he knew where the antidepressants ... Darted around the store suspiciously, ...
    (uk.rec.sheds)
  • Re: report on customer rage
    ... and the time of year when 90% of us are shopping, I felt posting this was apropos. ... FYI for those with customer service nightmares, there is an email at the bottom because WWD wants YOUR input on your worst nightmare experience.. ... the levels of satisfaction at the nation's retail stores. ... let poor service be a factor in sending your shoppers to their ...
    (alt.fashion)