Walking the Line: Post-Holiday Staff Reductions Directly Impact Merchandising Services

So the crazy holiday season is behind us – that means we can pay less attention to providing good customer service, right? Wrong!! Making sure your consumer has a good customer service experience, no matter what time of year it is, is vital. Make sure your merchandising company offers merchandising services that ensure a great customer service experience. 

Often after the holidays, retailers decrease their staff significantly because they think they don’t need those workers. But what kind of impact is this going to have on your brand? Shedding holiday staff is understandable, however retailers sometimes cut too deep which can have a devastating impact on brands. If there are not enough staff members around to make sure your stock is replenished or that customers are getting answers to their questions, customer service rates will suffer which can result in the consumer shifting loyalty from the retailer. Or worse, if their bad experience was associated trying to purchase one of your brands that was out of stock or not properly tagged, it is your brand that can suffer a shift in brand loyalty when the consumers decide to try something else that is in stock. 

Think about it this way – if you go into the local grocery store and receive poor customer service are you really going to be interested in returning to that store? Probably not. What if you enter a store and ask an employee to retrieve stock from the back and are told ‘I’m busy’ or ‘If it’s not there it’s out of stock’  without even looking, that’s not going to make you jump at the chance to go back there next week. Working with a merchandising company that offers merchandising services to combat these challenges is crucial. 

But if you are a brand that sells its products at retail, how can you make sure that your customers are receiving good customer service? A merchandising company that offers merchandising services like mystery shopping and planogram compliance can make sure that your products are on the shelves, in the right place, and priced correctly. They can also make sure that your planograms are executed properly and that a retailer’s staff members are actually doing their job.

Don’t just take our word for it. Right Now Technologies’ Customer Experience Impact Report spells out exactly how crucial it is for consumers to have a good customer service experience. Check out these stats:

-          Over 80% of consumers state that they are willing to pay up to 25% more in order to get good customer service.

-          Almost 90% of consumers actually started purchasing from a competitor after getting fed up because of a poor customer service experience.

A merchandising company that works to ensure that your consumers are having a good customer service experience can help maintain those points of distinction that differentiate you from your competitors. Relying on the retailer where your brand is located can spell disaster. Taking advantage of the merchandising services offered by a merchandising company can keep good customer service at your fingertips.

For more information about merchandising services and how they can ensure a good customer service experience, please contact Storesupport at 1-877-421-5081 or visit www.storesupport.ca.