Can online lead to better customer service? Has it done so already? I found the following graph from the Institute of Customer Service to be fascinating. It shows the connection between the Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) and Sales Growth:
Though this graph is restricted to sales growth and not profitability, still: what an outlier from Amazon! They’re almost off the chart. Plus, I find it no surprise that Currys/ Dixons/ PC World are so lowly based upon personal experience.
I turned my back on many of these stores some time ago solely because of customer service. Examples: asking Dixons employees for details about a product only for them to lead me to the product and then read the product description out-loud to me; or when I spent 10 minutes in a PC World trying unsuccessfully to find an employee who could help. In the latter case I wanted to buy that day but ended up walking out without spending a penny.
I can only imagine that customer service was restricted here by cost saving on wages. But to what degree have growth and income suffered as a result?
As much as I like the community atmosphere that high streets have created in towns and cities all over the country, I can’t help but look to the future and online instead. Maybe high streets simply need to focus much more on customer experience. Indeed, they are able to meet the buyer in person – surely the opportunity is theirs.
Though this graph is restricted to sales growth and not profitability, still: what an outlier from Amazon! They’re almost off the chart. Plus, I find it no surprise that Currys/ Dixons/ PC World are so lowly based upon personal experience.
I turned my back on many of these stores some time ago solely because of customer service. Examples: asking Dixons employees for details about a product only for them to lead me to the product and then read the product description out-loud to me; or when I spent 10 minutes in a PC World trying unsuccessfully to find an employee who could help. In the latter case I wanted to buy that day but ended up walking out without spending a penny.
I can only imagine that customer service was restricted here by cost saving on wages. But to what degree have growth and income suffered as a result?
As much as I like the community atmosphere that high streets have created in towns and cities all over the country, I can’t help but look to the future and online instead. Maybe high streets simply need to focus much more on customer experience. Indeed, they are able to meet the buyer in person – surely the opportunity is theirs.
