We’ve all been in this situation. It seems that when you shop, customer service staff either fall into two categories. There are customer service staff that seem to never be there when you need them (we’re talking to you The Bay), and then there are customer service staff that essentially harass you as you try to navigate the store. The truth is, that when most of us do our shopping we want to do it in peace.
A recent survey from the firm HRC Retail Advisory surveyed close to 3,000 North American shoppers to find out how they want to be treated in stores and a resounding 95 per cent stated that they want to be left alone while shopping.
We are currently living in a world where shoppers want to be left alone until the exact moment where they don’t. We have a feeling these are the same people that will say no to a helpful sales staff only to complain shortly after when no one is there to help them. While this isn’t everyone we’re sure the fact that 95% of shoppers don’t want to be bothered while shopping is very interesting. We assume that when most floor staff are replaced by robots you’ll all be cool with that as well?
When you dive a little deeper into the survey you also discover that a massive 85 per cent of people would rather price check an item on a scanner than ask a person for help. This is concerning because decision makers and retailers use this type of information to plan out their store, and if they are getting numbers like 9 out of 10 people don’t want to be helped in a store, then guess what you’ll slowly start to see salespeople disappear from the retail landscape.
What we also found interesting is the fact that many customers are averse to tech-enhanced dressing rooms, that would remove the need for salespeople and retail floor staff. So the real question is what do people want? Shoppers don’t want to be bothered but then want immediate help when they want something. In the end, it’s making it harder for retailers to plan and anticipate what customers want.
The one thing to note is that if you are one of the few that likes to be helped in a retail store, your days are probably numbered…
Source: HRC Retail Advisory