1. “Detail the store you went to and the product you were shopping for”.
Furniture shopping can be one of those experience. Looking at a piece of furniture and imagining how it would feel in the living room is something that cannot be experienced online. Afterall, furniture is nothing like a garment. It will be a part of your house for the years to come.(Jasmand, 2012).
For customer delight, Leon’s furniture stores are the perfect stop for shopping. The store was founded in 1909, the store has kept up well with time. The store is located in Medicine Hat, AB, Canada. I had been one of the delightful customers who happened to acquire the first-hand experience. I went to buy a television.
2. “Prepare a report listing and describing your initial thoughts/impressions upon entering the store. This may include, though not limited to”:
Offering a wide variety of products that turn a house into a home.From furniture to electronic devices such as televisions to appliances etc. the brand brings them all together(Management, 2012). The store has it all on display. Giving you the perfect canvas to paint your imagination. The store is big but the well placed department signs help you along the way. But if you still are lacking in a sense of direction. A smiling helpful face would always be at your service to help you navigate the store.(Güneş, 2010).
The store itself offers a lot of variety and surprisingly for a place so big it was very well maintained. The overall arrangement of the departments was good but could have been better considering the number of efforts they put into the customer experience. But overall it did not look that anything was out of place and was not too hard to navigate.(Kamakura, 2012.)The well-dressed staff added the professional effect. The smiling faces and polite language made the experience more delightful. The staff looked really happy and delightful.(Hoyle, 2010). The store provided parking space as well. Staff was persuasive as well.
3. “Describe and analyse how the transaction transpired. Your comments should include but are not limited to the following:
• Were you served promptly”?
The staff of the store was customer friendly and willing to answer any questions a customer might have or possibly think of. No matter how silly the questions might be. The friendly demeanour and the uniforms were the perfect embodiment of the store itself.
4. “List and describe other elements of good customer service that were present”.
As a customer, from the movement, I stepped in the store I knew I was looking for a television. I knew the popular brands and my budget but not the current scenario of the television market. So when I entered I was dazzled by the commodities on display. I was like a kid in a toy store. I liked everything and wanted to buy it all. But after all, I had to make a decision and I don’t have the budget to buy a 100-year-old retail store. So after a bit of wondering, I finally reached the department. I was amazed by the sheer variety of televisions they had. Quite honestly I felt the task would be much easier. I thought there would be only two or maybe three brands and I would choose the most popular one. Unfortunately, for me, I was ill-prepared to what befell me. Looking at the giant screens flashing lights on my face. I was bewildered and could not make up my mind about what to buy. When suddenly a friendly toned voice pulled me out of my trance.(Kursunluoglu E. , 2012)
A helper staff was there to help me. I asked him all sorts of questions ranging from important to super stupid as to how to plug in the power source. To my surprise, he was very patient with me. The talk was very informative and even if I was not there for the television I could have paid the man to speak about televisions. Yes, he was that well informed about the products he was selling. He told me all the options I had on my limited budget. Then offered me a better-equipped option, at a discounted price that would cost me slightly more than my budget. Quite a good salesman. I accepted the offer and asked the man to seal the deal. My response brought a delight on his face and he was happy to bring the television to the counter, packed and ready to take home.(Black, 2014)
He offered me to look around and see if I would need anything else. If not then the product would be at the counter ready for check out. I accepted the offer because I was considering to buy a couch as well to go with the new television.
5. “List and describe what elements of customer service were missing from your expectations.”
But I found myself wandering around looking at products I did not need. By the time I reached the couch. The entire will to buy was gone. I had a lot of time to reconsider.
At the checkout counter, things went smoothly but I noticed that the person on the counter lacked a similar flair as the fellow staff member. She did not try to make conversation and was only concerned with getting the payment.(Kondasani, 2015)
Well, could not blame her it is her job. The transaction went smoothly and I proceeded to take the product home in my car. Thankfully I did not have to carry it the trunk as they have carts that go all the way to the parking. The only hassle I faced was to fit the television in the car in such a way that it did not break by the time I reached home.God the accidental insurance they offered would be helpful now.(Izogo, 2015)
6.” Describe your overall impression of the store and salesperson. Would you recommend others to go there”?
My overall experience with the store was good. They treated me with courtesy and to be honest I had no complaints. It was plain and simple business. They handed over the business card with the smile, we shook hands and they thanked me for visiting the store. I was assured after-sales services which reflected their care and willingness to help the customer even after-sales.(Dölarslan, 2014)
They were able to provide me with the kind of shopping experience you only get in a retail store and not online. The only issue I had was if I saw the couch right next to the television department. I would have been inclined to buying it. Overall the experience was very delightful their ability to enquire more about its customer need and providing the apt suggestion was their overall intention. (Savelli, 2017)
The company still holds its name and fame in all respects which may be the reason for consumer preference. The professional and friendly staff made it clear that customer is king for them and no matter what their focus is on customer requirement and their delight. While I was walking through the store I also observed the staffs’ behaviour with other customers was no different than the treatment given to me. I would also suggest others to have this delightful experience.
7. “If you had a chance to present the results of your mystery shop to the store manager—describe THREE constructive suggestions or comments you would make.”
Suggestion
- The store can bring in some new and latest designs in the store.
- If there would have been proper labels to each section it would have been easier for the customers to buy the product.
- It would have been more delightful if the cash counter staff also greeted the customer with the same enthusiasm.(Ali, 2016)
8. “Considering your experience, and the knowledge gained both from this class and your previous experiences, provide an overview of your own personal philosophy on customer service. What is important to you, why is it important, and how would you demonstrate these elements of customer service”?
Customer service should be such that the customer comes backs to the store or the service provider. This is only possible when a customer leaves with delightful past experiences and with a happy face. (Skačkauskienė, 2016).The delightful experience is based on a few key skills:
Attentive: The staff should be attentive and handle their floor with total attentiveness. They should also be very careful to listen to the customers’ requirements and demands. This will help in understanding the needs of the customer.
Patience: The sales attendant need to understand that their patience is the key to successful sales. The customer comes with many quarries and doubts, sometimes these doubts are really silly but it is expected from the staff to handle these doubts patiently and try to resolve them.
Knowledge of Product:If the sales executive is well aware of the products and has full knowledge he will be able to handle more quarries of the customer. Knowledge reflects confidence which leads to easy pitching of the product to the customer. Sometimes it’s the confidence of the sales person that leads to purchase of the product.
Polite behaviour: The behaviour also helps in attracting customers. It adds a personal touch to customer handling. The customer feels wanted and being listen to. Not only it improves customer handling but also spreads good word of mouth.
Convincing power: Convening power is an art that leads to buying of the product, the sales person should the ways to convince the customer.
The above-mentioned points are important as they reflect that the brand cares for its customers. These points can be reflected through sales person’s behaviour and attitude towards its customer.(Giovanis, 2017)
References
Ali, F. A. (2016). An Integrated Model of Service Experience, Emotions, Satisfaction, and Price Acceptance: An Empirical Analysis in the Chinese Hospitality Industry. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, https://doi.org/10.1080/19368623.2015.1019172.
Black, H. G. (2014). Service characteristics’ impact on key service quality relationships: a meta-analysis. Journal of Services Marketing., doi/10.1108/JSM-12-2012-0261/.
Dölarslan, E. S. (2014). Assessing the effects of satisfaction and value on customer loyalty behaviors in service environments: High-speed railway in Turkey as a case study. Emerald Group Publishing Limited, https://doi.org/10.1108/MRR-06-2013-0152.
Giovanis, A. &. (2017). An integrated model of the effects of service evaluation, corporate image, and switching barriers on customer loyalty. Journal of Transnational Management, , https://doi.org/10.1080/15475778.2017.1274612.
Güneş, E. D. (2010). Modeling customer reactions to sales attempts: if cross-selling backfires. . Journal of Service Research, 13(2), 168-183., https://doi.org/10.1177/1094670509352677.
Hoyle, R. H. (2010). Personality and self-regulation. . Handbook of personality and self-regulation, doi/abs/10.1002/9781444318111.
Izogo, E. a. (2015). Service quality, customer satisfaction and loyalty in automobile repair services sector. International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, https://doi.org/10.1108/IJQRM-05-2013-0075.
Jasmand, C. B. (2012). Generating Sales While Providing Service: A Study of Customer Service Representatives’ Ambidextrous Behavior. Journal of Marketing, , 76(1)(https://doi.org/10.1509/jm.10.0448), 20-37.
Kamakura, W. A. (2012.). Cross-selling: Offering the right product to the right customer at the right time. Journal of Relationship Marketing,, 6(3-4), 41-58. https://doi.org/10.1300/J366v06n03_03.
Kondasani, R. K. (2015). Customer perceived service quality, satisfaction and loyalty in Indian private healthcare. International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, https://doi.org/10.1108/IJHCQA-01-2015-0008.
Kursunluoglu, E. (2011). Shopping centre customer service: creating customer satisfaction and loyalty. Emerald Group Publishing Limited, https://doi.org/10.1108/MIP-11-2012-0134.
Kursunluoglu, E. (2012). Customer service effects on customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. International Journal of business and social science, doi/10.1108/08876041311330807/.
Management, L. (2012). leons. Retrieved from https://www.leons.ca/: https://www.leons.ca/
Savelli, E. C. (2017). Web atmospherics as drivers of shopping centres’ customer loyalty. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, https://doi.org/10.1108/IJRDM-07-2016-0120.
Skačkauskienė, I. V.-V. (2016). A model for measuring passenger loyalty. Transport,. JOURNAL OF ISLAMIC MANAGEMENT STUDIES, https://doi.org/10.3846/16484142.2015.1094748.
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