当零售商未能达到预期时，顾客就会察觉到差距，从而导致顾客不满。

这对公司的影响可能是巨大的。公司可能会失去忠实客户，迫使他们花费大量金钱来获取新客户，从而降低盈利能力。公司知道，从长远来看，投资于客户满意度通常比失去客户更便宜，因此可以专注于多项举措来提高客户满意度。

1. 瞄准间接购买者

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. 自助结账

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. 网上购物体验

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 通过以下方式实现这一目标：

库存几乎所有顾客想要的服装
极其易于使用的浏览流程和退货政策
一个有趣的品牌名称，对许多注重成本和不满的购物者来说很重要

好处：

心怀不满的购物者和其他接受群体会在其他渠道购买相同的产品
Brand improvements, as customers receive a better experience online
线上销售利润增长

4. 通过销售点活动解决长时间等待的问题

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.

解决长时间等待问题的一个有趣方法是在收银台周围安装镜子。研究发现，这些镜子可以转移顾客对效率低下的售货员或其他购买廉价商品的顾客的注意力。为什么？因为顾客往往会照镜子，思考他们最关心的问题。

5. 保持既定的服务质量

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. 为顾客提供更多便利

公司可以让客户更轻松地联系公司、查看产品和下订单。例如，商业银行的营业时间比大多数其他银行更长。

7.员工辅导

员工培训通常被认为是浪费时间，而且在员工流动率高的行业中很难跟上。

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. 会员福利计划

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.

提高零售客户满意度的 8 种方法