• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, January 5, 2012

A new study by MarketTools shows that providing a good customer experience, bolstered by good customer service, is do-or-die for retailers both online and at the store.

According to the study, 60% of consumers said they shop more often at certain online sites because of a good shopping experience marked by good customer service, and 50% of shoppers said they shop more often at specific retail stores because of the good customer experience they offer.

But more telling, 29% said they have stopped shopping at a specific retail store because of a bad shopping experience, and nearly a quarter have done the same with online retail sites. The primary factor for avoiding certain brick-and-mortar retail stores is

• Unhelpful/unfriendly sales personnel (71%)
• Long lines or long wait time (41%)
• Quality issues with merchandise (39%)

The main reasons shoppers cited for no longer returning to a shopping website were quality issues with the merchandise or damaged merchandise, high shipping costs, and shipping problems.

And, 84% of respondents said that they read reviews posted online by other consumers before purchasing a product, signaling the trend that social channels are increasingly influencing purchase decisions.

When shopping at a particular store, the most important factors to consumers are: good prices (75%), quality and availability of merchandise (64%), and return/exchange policies (46%).

When shopping at a particular website, the results are very similar, with ease of use also a factor:

• Good prices (70%)
• Quality and availability of merchandise (67%)
• Ease of navigation (55%)

12% of respondents have posted comments about their shopping experience (either good or bad) on Facebook and/or Twitter.

Greg Marek, Vice President of Corporate Marketing at MarketTools , concludes that “... the retailers who capture and analyze feedback from their customers, to understand the drivers of a good shopping experience, will reap the rewards... “

 For more information from MarketTools, please visit here.