Fine tuning grocery store departments: using customer feedback for smart decision-making

Did you know? 75% of consumers will spend more with businesses that offer a good customer experience. The best way to ensure that you win your share of these consumers is to create personalized, expectation-exceeding experiences. AI-enhanced customer experience management software (CX) allows you to do that quickly and effectively, aggregating real-time customer responses across your tailored map of touch points.  

It pays to transition: exploring the costs of CX management  

While costs are associated with the transition to a customer experience management tool, Qualtrics XM has found that the cost of poor customer experience is much higher, on average. United States businesses (including grocery stores) are estimated to lose $856 billion annually from negative experiences alone — resulting in a profit problem that could be addressed proactively with CX management tools like those offered by HappyOrNot. 

What makes a negative customer experience?  

Negative customer experiences happen any time a client feels that they are mistreated or otherwise neglected by a brand. For example: if a grocery store cashier at a store seems frustrated or distracted during checkout, the customer may feel that this disengagement is personal or unwarranted — leading to a negative experience.  

As this is so subjective, brands can succumb to localized “blind spots” that can impact their bottom line directly.  

CX management support: strategic mapping is your first step to success  

Staying aware of the areas of your customer’s journey that are most vulnerable to negative customer experiences is a key step in customer experience management in grocery stores. Common touch points to consider in your assessment include:  

• Grocery store social media channels 
• In-store experiences 
• Web-based grocery store site navigation  
• In-store or online checkout experiences 
• Frontline staff service experiences  
• Employee experiences  

After you explore the different areas of need in your customer’s next shopping trip, you can insert opportunities strategically for feedback via customer experience management software like the one that HappyOrNot offers. 

CX management support: removing barriers to entry  

Grocery stores are a unique form of retail, acting as some of the most critical and widely used storefronts in the U.S. Customer experience management software and kiosks, specifically, are powerful tools in this specific subsect of retail as about 44% of shoppers do so in-store. 

Those who shop online generally still require third-party shoppers and services to shop and deliver for them physically, which will still allow a store to gather feedback for further optimization.  

Stores might find success, then, putting customer feedback kiosks in high-touch areas, such as exit points, checkout desks, and department “epicenters,” such as a butcher’s counter or a florist’s hutch. Keeping kiosks in easy-to-access places removes barriers to mass feedback and empowers your customers to share their experiences; engaging them with your brand further.  

HappyOrNot: your partner in Customer Feedback Management 

HappyOrNot’s solution enables grocery store managers to fine-tune their operations with their collected feedback. By placing our feedback kiosks at high-touch locations and areas of the store, stakeholders can collect data quickly and effectively. This data fuels collaboration at all brand levels for a better customer experience. 

Suppose you want to limit your potential for loss and enhance your customer experience. In that case, it’s time to consider customer feedback management utilities. With their strategic placement of kiosks and real-time data aggregation, you can drive meaningful change and optimize every aspect of your grocery store operations. 

The value of feedback: using input to drive grocery store optimization and change  

Feedback is critical to the survival and optimization of grocery stores worldwide. Beyond corporate-level branding and engagement shifts, stores can also react to feedback locally — using it to change how they present products and the type of products they order. They can also use it to collaborate with mid- and high-level corporate entities to present the brand more cohesively, shifting current assets to align with customer needs and expectations. 

For instance, Connolly SPAR, a renowned grocery chain, harnessed the power of HappyOrNot’s feedback system to revolutionize its customer experience. By placing feedback kiosks strategically throughout its stores, it collected over 1,500 feedback responses weekly. This real-time data allowed it to identify areas needing improvement, such as checkout efficiency and staff friendliness. Consequently, it made targeted changes, resulting in a significant increase in customer satisfaction scores, placing it in the top 10% within its industry. 

Customer feedback fuels grocery-store decision-making  

If you’re looking to limit your potential for loss, it’s time to consider customer feedback management software. Placing kiosks at high-touch locations and areas of the store enables stakeholders to collect data quickly, fueling collaboration at all brand levels further for a better overall customer experience.