Here are a couple of interesting customer service statistics...
According to The Retail Consumer Dissatisfaction Survey, 33% of people can't find a salesperson when they shop and 25% are ignored by associates (Source). These stastics are not surprising to me because I experience this every time I go shopping. Just the other day I walked into a Radio Shack and two salespeople looked up from their post behind the counter...but did either one say anything to me? They just looked up and then continued on with what they were doing.
However, it's interesting to note that luxury brands are changing their mindset on how to treat customers. I bring this up because these types of stores are where most people experience being ignored by associates. You may recall my post last year about Louis Vuitton's less than satisfactory service. I still have yet to revisit any Louis Vuitton stores since that post, but I have visited Burberry a couple times and associates there are more welcoming.
These types of issues are easily fixed and all it takes is just a little more coaching and training by management. However, in regards to not being able to find a salesperson signifies that perhaps many retailers are operating on "skeleton" crews - meaning that they schedule just the bare minimum of employees needed. It's a common scenario in retail - especially now with the economy the way it is. The 25% statistic mentioned above may even grow higher in the months ahead...
Photo Credit: Richard Faulder
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