In the competitive, multi-channel environment of 2013, can a retailer succeed with a “low-touch” approach, whereby little customer service is provided? This seems highly unlikely. Doesn’t it?

As Erik Sherman writes for Inc.: “You can’t cost-cut your way to great service. A survey of retailers reveals where they invest to make sure they keep customers happy. A recent study by Retail Systems Research (RSR) looked at a common problem nearly all retailers face: the trade-off between labor costs and customer service. If you’re in the retail industry, you immediately understand the difficulty. On one hand, consumers want good customer service. On the other, you need to be able to make a profit. In other words, consumers like high-touch attention. The majority of retailers recognize that the workforce plays a more important role than ever before in delivering what shoppers want. According to a recent RSR survey, 82 percent of retailers said that over the last three years, the role of their workforce in enabling customer service has become more important.”

Click the chart to read more from Sherman.