Are Your Customers Dissatisfied? It May Be Time to Check-out Your Salespeople

Customer service can make all the difference in a commodity market such as retail. This key differentiator is often ignored. This article provides an important reminder.

The sales associate, noticing the approach of a customer, is suddenly intent on restocking merchandise or discussing when she will take her next break -- anything to avoid actual contact with the shopper. It's the type of behavior that dominates the list of complaints cited in the second annual Retail Customer Dissatisfaction Study. The study, conducted by Wharton's Jay H. Baker Retail Initiative and the Verde Group, found that disinterested, ill-prepared and unwelcoming salespeople lead to more lost business and bad word-of-mouth than any other management challenge in retailing. Can IT help? Read the article>>