Furniture Customer Survey Finds That Quality Trumps Price As Most Important

Furniture World Magazine

Integrity Survey Center, a company that specializes in providing online customer survey and e-mail marketing system for home furnishings, appliance and electronics retailers, announced the results of a recent survey. This survey asked the question: "What is most important to you Mr. Mrs. Customer?" According to Hal McClamma, President & CEO of Integrity Retail Solutions, "The numbers indicate customers' actual perceptions as surveyed by the Integrity Survey Center retailer customer satisfaction and shopping experience surveys. These surveys are asking questions of both buyers and non-buyers in furniture, and appliance stores." Results: Quality... 30.8% Service... 26.9% Price... 19.2% Financing... 11.5% Selection... 11.5% The survey found that nearly 60% of customers felt that service and quality is the most important thing they consider when shopping. Mr. McClamma continued, “Who is in complete control of the customers perceptions in these 2 areas? It is retail management and sales staff. Quality of the store, the staff and the merchandise is equal to perceived quality/value. And the since sales staff is the point of contact with the customer, the perception of entire store is no better off than the customers' perceptions of your salespeople. 90% is not good enough is it?" According to Mr. McClamma, most sales people report that their customers are price conscious when in actuality almost 80% of customers say it is not so. Another area of concern, he says, is that sales people that do not take their customers seriously. You cannot greet and retreat and appeal to the 60% that want quality and service. You cannot make a customer feel special with hit and run greeting. You cannot win the service battle by NOT following up or by not asking the right questions and not engaging the customer. Another surprising survey result is that customers reported that selection is not as important as quality and service. In fact, only 11.5% said that selection is most important. Surveys also found that service is considered service in the store or the customer experience, not the service department. "Customers are yearning," says McClamma, "to be treated differently. They want to feel special. Your experience cannot and must not be just like every other store. While price is of some importance, if service and quality is not there, price is now elevated to extremely important." Another survey result is that financing is important to 11.5% of customers. Given high oil prices, this is understandable. This points to the need for retailers to have competitive financing options. The survey looked at non-buyers as well. Only 11% of them said price was the most important thingt. Nearly a third of non-buyers said selection was most important, finding the right item. And 44% of non-buyers said that quality and service was most important. IntegritySurveyCenter.com is an exclusive online customer survey and e-mail marketing system for home furnishings, appliance and electronics retailers. The system is designed to ascertain the perceptions of retail customers and increase customer satisfaction, traffic and sales. The System will allow retailers to fine tune the customer experience, increase team efficiency, effectiveness and accountability and build their competitive advantage. Find out more about surveying your customers at www.integritysurveycenter.com or contact Hal McClamma at 334-494-4631