It's generally held in retailing circles that poor customer service has a correlation to sales. If you tick customers off enough, they'll go elsewhere to shop. That's what makes findings from the latest American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) so interesting. Because even as consumers say they hate shopping at certain retailers, those very same chains are among the most successful in the U.S.
Here's the ACSI list of the 10 worst retailers when it comes to satisfying customers.
1. Walmart
2. Rite Aid
3. CVS
4. Walgreens
5. Macy's
6. Safeway
7. Best Buy
8. Gap
9. Supervalu
10. Winn-Dixie
Interestingly, customer satisfaction at retail actually improved for the third consecutive year, according to ACSI. The increase resulted from higher marks given by consumers to specialty retail stores, supermarkets and drugstores. The rating for department and discount stores remain unchanged.
Another interesting part of the research was that satisfaction with online retailers fell. ACSI put the blame on late orders not being delivered in time for Christmas. Here too, consumers continue to increase what they buy online even though retailers and package carriers may not be fully up to meeting those demands during peak periods as seen during the holidays.