In-store advice: the key point of customer experience

Remains that for certain product categories, the complexity, the technicality or the high-end position of the brand requires the presence of a salesperson. There are many reasons, but the fact is that customers sometimes want to talk to someone to guide and inform their choice. Moreover, not being able to find staff in a department is one of the top three negative feedbacks about stores (with long checkout lines and pushy salespersons).

There is a strong expectation of customers toward the in-store advice expressed through 2 significant numbers. The first one, 73% of customers regularly turn to a salesperson during the shopping journey. The second one is a promise for the future, as 90% say they ask salespersons for help more and more. Certainly, the counter-effect of growing online shopping: the customer in store wants human contact and advice.

The result of in-store advice is a better customer experience and as a consequence higher expenses. If proof of this is needed, remember that 73% of customers say they spend more in stores with good customer service. More than a quarter think that unavailable staff prevent them from buying and 23% often abandon in-store purchase because the staff can’t properly advise them. Rethink merchandising to include in-store advice is a necessity to increase stores revenues in a time of great competition between the physical store and the digital offering.