Customer service 'important to retailers'

Date: 8th October 2009

An industry group reacted today (October 8th) to a report advising retailers to improve their customer service.

According to the British Retail Consortium (BRC), every "good retailer" realises that treating customers well is important for their businesses.

A BRC representative also criticised the new report, conducted by analysts at Retail Eyes, for providing a more "negative picture than I would recognise".

Bright Eyes conducted a poll on the issue, finding that only six per cent of participants believed that high street retailers provided the strongest customer service.

Hotels scored 52 per cent and restaurants 23 per cent.

Richard Dodd, head of media and campaigns at the BRC, said: "On the occasion that something goes wrong, most retailers will fall over themselves to put things right to ensure the customer is satisfied in the end."

He added: "[The Retail Eyes report] paints a picture which very few customers and very few retailers would recognise."

Nationwide's latest Consumer Confidence Index, released yesterday, registered a six point rise for September.

This indicates that shoppers were feeling more positive about financial affairs than at any point since early 2008.