This article from Progressive Grocer reveals several findings from the 2012 U.S. Supermarket Experience Study. Key highlights include elements that affect grocery customer satisfaction such as customer service, checkout speed and cleanliness. However, the study shows that no factor influences customer satisfaction to the extent of products being out-of-stock. Close to 50 percent of those shoppers who failed to find an item reported going to a different store to purchase that item. It is also worth noting that only 28% of shoppers reported that the store they visited offered a customer feedback program. That’s an interesting point to note as the majority customers said they would gladly use a feedback tool if one was available.
If your grocery brand doesn’t have a feedback program or a channel for customers to voice their concerns, how do you know what they value the most in your brand and what you can improve on? You may know a list of elements that could affect your customers’ satisfaction but with limited resources and time, it is unrealistic to focus all your energy on everything on the checklist. So what should your team focus on with limited resources and time on their hands?
With a Customer Experience Management program in place, you will be able to survey your customers and from their responses, determine the drivers of their great experiences. Could it be the store display? The inviting environment? The friendly staff? Or the product quality? Once you identify which elements drive customer loyalty and active advocacy, your team can work on the specific areas that generate the most return on investment.
Now you may ask, what if a customer is unsatisfied? How do you prevent them from going to your competitors instead? A Customer Contact & Rescue program can help you resolve customer issues, many of which originate at the location level. These programs help you get to the heart of what’s making your customers dissatisfied – before they have the chance to destroy your brand.
Want to learn how we can take your grocery customer experience from just satisfactory to great? Visit the grocery section of our website.