A 2014 Customer Service Hall of Fame Survey

Posted on August 1, 2014 by bermanevansretail
As we have reported before (see 1, 2), in this highly competitive marketplace, superior customer service is often the key to business success.
Thus, customer service rankings are quite important as external validation of how well companies are doing in this area.
Recently, Zogby Analytics and 24/7 Wall St. surveyed 2,500 adults about service at 150 well-known U.S. companies in 15 industries.
According to their results, these retailers ranked among the top 10 firms for customer service:
1. Amazon.com — It “leads the 2014 Customer Service Hall of Fame for the fifth consecutive year. In addition to receiving by far the highest percentage of ‘excellent’ responses, less than 2% rated the company ‘poor,’ the smallest negative perception of any company reviewed. As the largest online shopping site in the world, it offers a level of convenience that is difficult for other businesses to match. The site maintains the customers’ purchase history and makes suggestions accordingly.”
4. Chick-Fil-A — Its “customer service track record includes a number of innovative ideas,” including adopting “the policy of responding to customers with the phrase ‘my pleasure’ from Ritz-Carlton, the luxury hotel chain. More recently, in an effort to demonstrate transparency in the food preparation process, Chick-fil-A began allowing customers to take tours of its kitchens.”
6. Trader Joe’s — It “has developed a unique identity in a very competitive industry, despite spending remarkably little on advertising. In addition to providing a unique selection of wines and food, the company offers a unique atmosphere.”
Click the image for a USA Today video on this study.

 

 

Posted in Part 1: Overview/Planning, Part 2: Ownership, Strategy Mix, Online, Nontraditional, Part 3: Targeting Customers and Gathering Information | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Amazon.com: The King of Retail Data Analytics

Posted on July 31, 2014 by bermanevansretail
Although most retailers have dramatically ramped up their data analytics efforts, Amazon.com still leads the pack. This is one of the retailer’s biggest competitive advantages.
As Anna Papachristos writes for 1to1 media:
“When it comes to the retail industry, customer data certainly aren’t in short supply. Yet, while retailers may have an abundance of information at their disposal, few have the necessary systems in place to bring insight to action.”
“Of those retailers polled [in a study by EKN Research], the majority (80 percent) believe they lag behind Amazon when it comes to analytics maturity, with 71 percent of retailers performing only basic analytics reporting or none at all, thereby highlighting the inefficiencies throughout the industry.”
 Click the image to read more.

 

 

Posted in Part 1: Overview/Planning, Part 3: Targeting Customers and Gathering Information, Part 5: Managing a Retail Business, Technology in Retailing | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

How Should You Respond to Negative Social Media Comments?

Posted on July 30, 2014 by bermanevansretail
One of the main social media challenges for all companies is how to respond to negative comments. It is imperative that negative comments be tracked and understood.
In general, there are three options for dealing with negative social media comments: (1) ignore the comments; (2) point out why the comments are wrong; and (3) constructively reply to the comments. Although many firms choose option (1) or (2), it is more appropriate to choose option (3).
As High Powered SEO puts it:
“You have spent hours preparing an amazing post or share something worth a meaningful discussion. Then, you notice that a couple of people are saying the complete opposite from what you have shared. This is normally fine except they express their opinions in a way that may rub you the wrong way. How do you handle this type of situation? Do you lash out in order to get your point across, not respond at all, delete the comment, or just flat-out ignore it?”
“There are plenty of ways you can handle this type of situation, but if you don’t handle it the right way you could be doing much more harm than good. It is best to handle this situation tactfully.”
Check out the infographic of tips from High Powered SEO.

 
RESPOND TO NEGATIVE COMMENTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND BLOG POSTS INFOGRAPHIC
 

Posted in Part 2: Ownership, Strategy Mix, Online, Nontraditional, Part 3: Targeting Customers and Gathering Information, Part 7: Communicating with the Customer, Social Media and Retailing | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments