10 Ways to Boost Customer Satisfaction in Retail Businesses

In recent years, customer satisfaction has become an important metric for retail businesses. By understanding what drives customer satisfaction, businesses can make changes to improve the shopping experience and increase sales. 

Customer satisfaction is one of the most important goals for any retail business. A satisfied customer is more likely to return, and to recommend the business to others. 

10 Ways to Boost Customer Satisfaction

There are many ways to boost customer satisfaction, but here are ten of the most effective:

1. Focus on the Customer Experience

As the world of retail changes, so must the way businesses interact with their customers should evolve. In order to boost customer satisfaction in retail businesses, it is essential to focus on the customer experience. By making sure that every interaction is positive and tailored to the individual customer, businesses can create a lasting impression that will keep customers coming back.

There are a few key ways to make sure that the customer experience is always positive, no matter what. 

According to Salesforce research on the state of customer experience “80% of customers say the experience a company provides is just as necessary as its products or services.”

Every touchpoint matters, from the minute a customer walks in the door until the moment they leave (and even after they leave). Make sure every interaction is a positive one.

2. Train your employees

While great customer service starts with the right attitude, it also requires employees who are properly trained to handle customer interactions. By investing in employee training, you can ensure that your staff has the skills and knowledge needed to provide outstanding service.

When it comes to customer service, employees need to be knowledgeable about your products and services and be able to effectively communicate with customers. They should also be trained on how to handle difficult situations, such as handling complaints or addressing problems.

By providing your employees with the tools they need to succeed, you can create a positive customer service experience that will keep shoppers coming back. 

3. Get feedback and act on it

When it comes to customer satisfaction, feedback is essential. Retail businesses need to be proactive in soliciting feedback and then taking action on that feedback. Here are a few ways to do that:

• Make it easy for customers to give feedback. Have a dedicated phone line, email address, or online form for feedback. Make sure employees know how to direct customers to these channels.
• Use customer surveys to gather feedback. Ask customers about their recent experience, what they liked and didn’t like, and what could be improved.
• Analyze the data you collect from surveys and other sources of feedback. Look for patterns and areas where you can make changes to improve the customer experience.
• Take action on the feedback you’ve received. Make changes based on what your customers have told you they want and need. 

4. Have a great return policy

A great return policy is one of the best ways to boost customer satisfaction in retail businesses. Customers want to know that they can return items if they are not satisfied with them, and a great return policy gives them the confidence to make a purchase. Returns are a part of doing business, and customers will appreciate a business that makes it easy to return items.

There are a few things to keep in mind when creating a return policy:

• Make sure the policy is clear and easy to understand. Customers should be able to find the information easily and know what conditions must be met for a return.
• Be flexible with returns. Allow customers to return items even if they do not have a receipt, or if the item is not in perfect condition.
• Offer exchanges or refunds as options for customers who are not satisfied with their purchase. 

Teamwork Commerce Returns Manager allows quick and efficient returns and automatically refunds back to the original card regardless of sale channel. Pre-approved return codes included with the shipping documents allow customers to easily return or exchange items with minimal effort. 

5. Offer discounts, coupons and gift cards.

Discounts and coupons are a great way to boost customer satisfaction. They show your customers that you appreciate their business and want to give them the best possible deal. Discounts and coupons also encourage customers to come back and shop with you again.

Loyalty & membership is out-of-the-box with Teamwork Commerce. Customers can access rewards across channels & automatically rewarded based on behavior. Gift cards can be linked to a user’s account to be used digitally.

6. Provide superior customer service.

This means being friendly and helpful at all times, and going above and beyond to help your customers find what they need. If you make a mistake, always apologize and try to make it right.

This includes everything from providing knowledgeable and helpful employees to offering easy returns and exchanges. 

7. Be Omnichannel

This means more than having just a website that’s easy to navigate and provides all the information customers need, it means being able to provide a seamless customer experience, regardless of the customer’s desired channel. 

It also means being active on social media and responding to customers’ questions and concerns in a timely manner. By being omnichannel, you’ll be able to build trust with potential and current customers and keep them happy, providing better CX. 

Don’t mix-up your customer information. Create a holistic – safe and secure – customer experience with all customer data, history and behavior in one place. With Teamwork Commerce as the hub of data, retailers can create universal customers, with information accessible across sales channels. This holistic view makes every aspect of the sales process more effective.

8. Be responsive to complaints

It’s inevitable that at some point, a customer will leave your store unhappy. Maybe they couldn’t find what they were looking for, or maybe the line was too long. Whatever the reason, it’s important to be responsive to complaints and take steps to resolve them.

This gains importance as “90% of consumers worldwide consider issue resolution as their most crucial customer service concern.” According to The Global Customer Experience Report by KPMG. 

The first step is to listen to the complaint and try to understand the problem from the customer’s perspective. Then, take action to resolve the issue. This might mean offering a refund, exchanging an item, or simply apologizing for the inconvenience.

In some cases, you might not be able to resolve the issue immediately. In this case, it’s important to thank the customer for bringing it to your attention and let them know that you’re working on a solution. Following up with customers shows that you value their feedback and are committed to providing a positive experience. 

9. Take care of your employees

It’s not a secret that happy employees lead to happy customers. When your employees are satisfied with their job, they’re more likely to provide quality service and leave a lasting impression on your customers. Here are a few ways you can take care of your employees and boost customer satisfaction in your retail business: 

• Offer competitive salaries and benefits. Your employees need to be compensated fairly for the work they do. If you want to attract and retain top talent, offer salaries and benefits that are competitive with other businesses in your industry.
• Provide opportunities for growth and development. Your employees will be more satisfied if they feel like they’re growing in their roles. Offer training and development opportunities so they can learn new skills and advance in their careers.
• Create a positive work environment. The company culture must have positive values that allow employees to feel safe, comfortable, and excited to come to work every day. According to the LRN Ethics Study, 57 percent of Americans said it is critical for them to work for a company that they believe is ethical.

10. Get to know your customers

This can be done in a number of ways, such as through surveys, customer loyalty programs, and social media.

By getting to know their customers, retail businesses can learn what their needs and wants are. This information can then be used to improve the customer experience by making changes to the product selection, store layout, and other aspects of the business.

Additionally, by building a relationship with customers, retail businesses can create loyal customers who are more likely to return in the future and recommend the business to others. 

Customer Satisfaction will Payoff

A satisfied customer is the best business strategy of all. In today’s retail environment, the customer is always right. The customer is also always looking for value; they want to be treated well and they want to find what they’re looking for quickly and easily. 

As a result, businesses need to find ways to not only meet but also exceed customer expectations.  By following these tips, retail businesses can create a customer service experience that will keep customers coming back.

Are you ready to improve your customer’s satisfaction with superior omnichannel retail?

Teamwork Commerce is an industry-leading Omnichannel Solution, providing retailers with Point-of-Sale (POS), Order Management (OMS), Inventory Control, CRM, and Analytics.

Our multichannel approach focuses on providing seamless customer experience whether the client is shopping online from a mobile device, a laptop or in a brick-and-mortar store.

Contact our experts to learn how we can help your retail business boost customer satisfaction.