2009.01.14
Retailers' customer service rankings
When consumers recently weighed in on the retailers with the best customer service, L.L. Bean came out on top. That's according to a National Retail Federation/American Express Customers' Choice survey this week.
Various Internet retailers ranked at the top. They included Overstock.com at No. 2, Zappos.com at No. 3 and Amazon.com at No. 4.
Other noteworthy retailers were J.C. Penney ( No. 7), Lands' End (No. 5), QVC (No. 8), Coldwater Creek( No. 9) and Nordstrom( No. 10).
The survey polled 8,167 consumers, who responded to the question "Thinking of all of the different retail formats (store, catalog, Internet or home shopping), which retailer delivers the best customer service?"
Let me know about your customer service experiences with any of these top ranked retailers.
I've bought off Lands End and LL Bean a few times, and I'll agree that their service is outstanding. Beyond them, most of our shopping is done at box stores. We've had awful customer service at Best Buy (Christiansburg) lately, and will never shop there again...despite their selection and prices. The last straw was we were looking at MP3 players, and the sales guy approached everyone except for my wife. He even asked me if I needed help and I was just standing in the aisle checking my phone, but he never asked my wife if she needed ehlp and she was the one looking through the different devices. To make matters worse, he rudely told her to move out of his way so he could get into the cabinet to pull out a box for another customer.
Comment by Other John — January 14, 2009 @ 10:40 am
Interesting. I'm very surprised to see Overstock.com in that list; it seems like the only things I ever hear about them are horror stories. But I haven't dealt with them personally, so perhaps my impression of them is incorrect?
Comment by MarkR — January 14, 2009 @ 10:57 am
I agree 100% about LLBean. They are not the least expensive, but the items they sell are durable and really are guaranteed to satisfy you for life. I have sweaters from there that are 20 years old and if I decided I wasn't happy with one, I could send it back and they would send me a new one. Try that at WalMart.
Comment by Rob — January 14, 2009 @ 11:28 am
That's the thing. Wal-Mart sells things designed to last a year or 2 tops, then replace it once it wears out...hence the cheap purchase price. But the LL Bean & Lands End clothes I've bought have lasted for several years with regular use, so its worth the extra cost when I can afford it. In most cases, I would prefer to have the ability to buy something with a higher quality and longer durability over something cheaply made and designed to be replaced frequently. I just don't like the amount of waste that a true consumerism society creates. Of course, long-lasting products have their downside too: manufacturers don't need as many people to make things if they last a long time. Can you imagine if Detroit made cars that easily lasted 20+ years? The Big 3 would have fallen apart decades ago if that were the case. For most businesses, it's in their designs for products to last a specified amount of time before either becoming obsolete, worn out, or undesirable (where marketing campaigns come in). Gotta love it.
Comment by Other John — January 14, 2009 @ 12:02 pm
I just wanted to chime in with my endorsement of Land's End. I do not buy from them as much as I once did, because their clothing primarily appeals to children and to women in their late 30's and older (I'm 24). But as a child I lived in their t-shirts. When they developped small holes, the company sent me replacements. I also received a replacement when my Land's End bookbag wore out. Each bag lasted about 5-7 years, which was good mileage in light of the fact that they took quite a beating from my prepubescent and teenage self. If they would sell more clothes for my demographic, such as comfortable, modest low rise pants, they could easily woo me into being their customer again. I do like the fact that there's a petite option for all the women's wear, but I don't shop with them anymore because they only sell the mom jeans (high waisted and peg-legged).
Comment by CE — January 14, 2009 @ 12:57 pm
I am very concerned about the survival of some of the anchor stores in Roanoke. In Roanoke, prior to Christmas, I visited Macy's, both J.C. Penney stores, and both Belk stores and there was no one in sight to take my money, much less offer any assistance and when I did manage to obtain assistance, the sales associates were less than helpful and lacked enthusiasm. When I visited these same stores in Richmond, Virginia at Chesterfield Town Center, there were a sufficient of store associates who literally tripped over themselves trying to assist me as well as the other customers. Needless to say, most of my Christmas sales dollars were spent in Richmond. I don't understand the reason for the difference in the level of staffing and the mindset between the Richmond and Roanoke stores. Is it a local problem or does the problem trickle down from corporate in that they provide minimal monies for staffing in the Roanoke stores? I became so frustrated and disgusted and I left the stores on two occasions. Yes, the economy is bad, but how can a store sell merchandise if the customer cannot find anyone to assist and/or take their money?
Comment by Suzanne — January 14, 2009 @ 9:48 pm
overstock.com rocks!!! free or $1 shipping on almost everything & the only time i had an issue w/them i emailed my concern & it was resolved in 24 hrs.
Comment by shopper — January 15, 2009 @ 2:13 pm
Jenny - Circuit City is CLOSING! They just announced they will be closing all stores and liquidating merchandise. About 35,000 jobs will be lost. I'm sure this will hit VA hard since the headquarters is in Richmond.
Comment by Greg — January 16, 2009 @ 11:13 am
Greg,
Thanks for the heads up. I heard about this news just before your comment came up. This is a big deal for Virginia and for the electronics retail industry.
Comment by Jenny — January 16, 2009 @ 11:50 am
I have a field jacket from Bean that is 10 years old.It has a zip out liner so it can be worn 3 seasons.Still looks like it's barely used though is worn all the time.They are fantastic at customer service-it figures they are in Maine and Mainers also made Dexter shoes!
Comment by Big Tulla — January 16, 2009 @ 3:58 pm