Customer Service Management

Customer Service Management

Retailers distinguish that greater thoughtfulness of customers could enhance customer satisfaction as well as retail performance. The significance of understanding customer behavior can never be more important to retailers. Whereas consumer research once was a task left to manufacturers of consumer packaged goods? retailers have embraced this responsibility? spending millions of dollars to research? understand? and influence consumer behavior. As we outline? academic research confirms the importance of such practices and we summarize the results of those efforts. Further? this paper develops an ongoing consumer research agenda that provides the authors' views as to the most important consumer issues worthy of retailers' attention.

As theoretical work in consumer behavior becomes more refined? retailing must keep pace and remain vigilant in the pursuit of deeper customer understanding. Building on the existing activities of retailers? we seek to provide a theoretical foundation for retailers' consumer research efforts. This overview suggests some specific consumer behavior theories retailers can use to inform and illuminate their customer understanding? ensure greater predictability? and identify sustainable retail advantages.

Other study considers the impact of individual variables on behavior related to retail products and retail formats. For example? an older consumer might find it difficult to develop a positive attitude toward Urban Outfitters? whose slogans seem offensive and oversized pants and shirts appear slovenly.

Context plays an important role for consumer attitudes? especially in retail environments. Perhaps the most studied contextual element in retail is atmospherics (Bitner 1992)? as discussed subsequently. Broad-level context effects include the country-of-origin and the influence of patriotism or nationalism? national versus private-label brands? and shopping format (e.g.? Garretson? Fisher? and Burton 2002). Low and Lichtenstein (1993) disclose that double deals influence attitudes positively merely when they agree in their valence. Thus? the retail context can affect attitudes in various ways and as retailers ...