The respondents surveyed cited knowledgeable employees, speed of delivery, the ability to find items, the ease of checkout and the flexibility of return/exchange policies as being the most important aspects of their in-store and/or online customer-service experience, according to this ICSC Research report. 

 

Overall, nearly three-fifths (59 percent) of consumers are more satisfied with the customer service they receive in stores than with what they get when purchasing online, says the report, titled Customer Service: A Key Part of the Retail Renaissance. Moreover, nearly that same number of respondents said they would be willing to pay more for merchandise or services if they know they will get good customer service.

And what applies to stores is applicable also to shopping centers: Nearly two-thirds of the respondents said they are disposed to traveling to a shopping center farther away for the sake of getting good service.

No fewer than 91 percent of the adult respondents cited good customer service as a significant factor when paying for services, and 88 percent said the same applies when the purchase involves goods. In fact, most consumers said that when choosing where to shop, they consider the treatment they are likely to receive as being more important than any particular purchasing channel, the brand reputation, or the design or style of the product.