By George Anderson
A new study conducted by BIGresearch for the National Retail Federation and American Express, found that 85 percent of consumers shop more often and spend more at retailers that offer higher levels of customer service. Eighty-two percent said they are likely to recommend retailers with superior customer service to friends and family.
Nordstrom ranked first for delivering service to shoppers in the poll of more than 8,600 consumers. Also making consumers' top 10 list were Coldwater Creek, Marshall Field's, Kohl's, Boscov's, Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI), JCPenney, Lane Bryant, Best Buy and Eddie Bauer.
The study also ranked retailers by channel. Those ranking highest in online and direct sales were L.L. Bean, Blair, Amazon.com, Overstock.com, and NewEgg.com.
Wal-Mart graded highest in the discount segment followed by Target, Kmart, Meijer and Costco.
Wegmans ranked number one in grocery with Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, Publix and Vons following.
Moderator's Comment: Are there commonalties across retail segments that appear in retailers known for customer service? Pick companies from the NRF's survey list and explain what it is about them that connects with consumers? - George Anderson - Moderator