Consumers expect top-tier service and will take leave if retailers fail to deliver

Consumers still favor the in-store shopping environment, which is great news for pure-play brick and mortars, but true optimization from the trend isn’t going to happen unless customer experience is the best it can be.

A new TimeTrade survey reveals customers expect better customer experience and there’s a disconnect between that expectation and what retailers are providing.

And it’s not just about fast efficient purchase options or ease in finding wanted products. As TimeTrade notes in its blog on the report findings, consumers expect solid service in every retail interaction point.

"For example, 85 percent of consumers report that if they try on clothes in a dressing room and they need a different size, but no associate is available, they would consider abandoning the dressing room and leaving the store altogether," explains TimeTrade.

The survey polled 5,444 consumers about perceptions and behaviors around retail shopping, as well as 100 senior-level decision makers in retail. The poll results state just 27 percent of consumers view traditional big-name brands are trying to provide a VIP-like service at this point.

With regard to customer experience technologies retailers are likely missing some good opportunities to gain valuable insight and data on customers in stores as those polled by TimeTrade state they don’t mind beacons and smart mirrors as long as it results in some benefit to their shopping experience.

"Meanwhile, retailers do not indicate heavy investment in these areas, so this is a missed opportunity in the form of consumer data that could be collected to provide more personalized service," states TimeTrade.

Other findings from the survey include:

• Nearly three-quarters (72 percent) of U.S. consumers plan to shop in-store this year as much as they did in 2015
• More than half (54 percent) of those surveyed cite prompt and speedy service as top demand
• Over three quarters (85 percent) of those surveyed stated a lack of prompt service would make them abandon a purchase and leave a store
• One third of those polled cite personalized experience and smart recommendations as important retail experience factors

"In order for retailers to stay relevant, they must bear in mind that today's leading companies are meeting consumers' basic need for help in a timely, affordable manner," states Sarah Wallace, principal market analyst, TimeTrade, in the blog.