Cuando un minorista no está a la altura de las expectativas, los clientes perciben una brecha, lo que lleva a la insatisfacción del cliente.

Los efectos pueden ser dramáticos para una empresa. Las empresas pueden perder clientes leales, lo que las obliga a adquirir nuevos clientes a un costo elevado, lo que reduce la rentabilidad. Sabiendo que a menudo es más barato invertir en la satisfacción del cliente que perderlo a largo plazo, las empresas pueden centrarse en varias iniciativas para aumentar la satisfacción del cliente.

1. Dirigirse a compradores indirectos

One way to combat dissatisfaction is to make indirect buyers happy. Who are indirect purchasers? Children are often the best example. For example, if Burlington Coat Factory were experiencing high customer dissatisfaction among adults 35-50, the company could combat that by making children feel excited when they come to the store. The store can offer candy and merchandise that kids will like (e.g. Dora the Explorer accessories). Children will be excited to come to the store and will drag parents along to appease them. Parents are often happy when their children are happy. By delighting children, the store would better combat dissatisfaction among adults.

2. Autopago

Long lines are a major complaint among shoppers, especially in discount stores. One way to combat dissatisfaction is to set up self-checkout machines. Not only can the store decrease its overhead and staff costs, but also it gives shoppers another activity to do. Our research has found that shoppers, particularly women, often go to discount stores for excitement. Giving control to shoppers in checking out and providing a new experience for adventurous shoppers can be a way to increase satisfaction.

3. Experiencia de compra en línea

One way to have profitable sales without having customer dissatisfaction is having an exciting online shopping experience. Companies can have exciting videos and a robust interface that interacts with customers, instead of just peddling goods.  With lower overhead, companies can limit the problems customers face in-store. They can even go one step beyond and replicate an exciting in-store shopping experience and put it online.

Zappos lo hace mediante:

• Disponer de casi todas las prendas que los clientes desearían
• Un proceso de navegación y una política de devolución extremadamente fáciles de usar.
• Una marca divertida, importante para muchos compradores descontentos y preocupados por los costos.

Beneficios:

• Los compradores descontentos y otros segmentos receptivos compran los mismos productos en otro canal.
• Brand improvements, as customers receive a better experience online
• Impulso de las ventas rentables online

4. Abordar los largos tiempos de espera con actividades en el punto de compra

Companies can make checkout lines more exciting and engaging. They can go beyond placing magazines and candies to provide meaningful activities. One idea might include having trivia games for children and touch screen activities for adults (e.g. what is my carbon footprint counter). Companies implementing ideas like these not only address dissatisfaction but also contribute meaningfully to the lives of their customers.

Other companies that want to make a statement with their efficiency can also use these benefit-oriented activities. For example, Wells Fargo posted on its branch banks “5 minutes or 5 dollars” which offered to credit a customer’s account if she/he waited more than 5 minutes. This promotion may help to position the firm as an efficient company offering convenience to busy customers. Not only can the customer feel as though they benefit from fast banking, but they also feel that the bank is generous with what it offers to customers.

Una forma interesante de abordar los largos tiempos de espera es introducir espejos alrededor del mostrador. Los estudios han descubierto que estos espejos desvían la atención de un vendedor ineficiente o de otro comprador que se abastece de mercancías baratas. ¿Por qué? Porque los clientes tienden a mirarse en el espejo, pensando en los temas que más les preocupan.

5. Estar a la altura de una Calidad de Servicio establecida

Customers have an expectation of what service they will receive. Companies that concretely define the level of service quality that they can realistically satisfy can better monitor their customers’ satisfaction.

High-end stores can build a reputation for outstanding customer service by promising to go above and beyond the call of duty for their customers. An example of this is Ritz Carlton Hotel Company. They promise to focus wholeheartedly on the customer, and receive a premium for that promise and their reputation for keeping it. These hotels customize services and communications to make interactions between the brand and customer feel more personal. The company can then promise an unparalleled service quality that its hotel managers can live up to.

6. Más comodidad para el cliente

Las empresas pueden facilitar que los clientes lleguen a la empresa, vean sus productos y realicen pedidos. Por ejemplo, Commerce Bank ofrece horarios más amplios que la mayoría de los demás bancos.

7. Entrenamiento de empleados

La capacitación de los empleados a menudo se considera una pérdida de tiempo y puede ser difícil mantenerse al día en una industria conocida por su alta rotación de personal.

Yet customers can often tell a difference between an untrained employee who cares little for the customer and one that provides a level of service consistent with the retailer’s brand. Often, customers encounter situations when they need to deviate from the traditional buying process. For example, a customer might need to buy a huge amount of liquor for a party next week, and may desire a discount for future purchases throughout the week. A customer may need their Zappos shoes purchased online to be able to be modified by their favorite cobbler. Retailers need employees who are flexible enough to understand why customers are buying their products and to see the “bigger picture” about their customers, to provide exceptional service.

Unfortunately, many customers get a representative who cannot see the “big picture” about such a customer. They declined the discount because they asked another inexperienced clerk, instead of a manager who would have approved the discount to build a long-term relationship with that customer.

8. Programas de beneficios para miembros

Retailers can retain customers by rewarding them for being customers. An express or red-carpet checkout line can be devoted to high-frequency, lucrative customers. This could provide customers with many major reasons to shop at your store instead of a competitor: prestige, convenience, and a better customer experience.

Contáctenos para su próximo proyecto de Investigación de Mercado de Satisfacción del Cliente.