For the fifth year in a row, The Good Guys was the only electronic retailer to receive a five-star rating for overall customer satisfaction in a recent Canstar Blue survey based on price and service, among other factors. Bing Lee followed closely behind in second place, while Harvey Norman snatched up third position, as JB Hi-Fi and Dick Smith lagged in fourth and fifth place, respectively.
According to the survey, point of sale service is the greatest driver of satisfaction at electronic stores, followed by price and value for money, store layout and lastly product range.
Canstar Blue head Megan Doyle said consumers will vote with their feet if they don’t get great customer service in-store.
“Consumers still enjoy the benefits of face-to-face shopping, but store-front retailers need to be constantly on their toes, otherwise people will head to another store or go home to buy online, where competition is even fiercer. It’s never been more important for the retailers to get their customer service absolutely spot-on,” Doyle said.
“If they’re spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on a new item, people want guidance from the experts and assurance that they’re making the best purchase decision for their needs. You can’t replicate that sort of customer service with a pop-up window on a website,” she added.
The Canstar Blue survey also identified in-store frustrations that put customers off returning. Topping the list of grievances was a lack of sales staff, closely followed by the retailer not having the wanted item, long queues and lack of knowledge from staff.
“The only thing worse than bad customer service, is no service at all. People can overlook a lot of things if they get a good product at a great price, but they want to be treated as a valued customer and that includes having staff available to help.
“The Good Guys is clearly a firm favourite with Aussie consumers, as few brands have enjoyed the same consistent level of success,” Doyle commented.