ROLE OF CUSTOMER SERVICE IN THE SUCCESS OF LIDL

Role of customer service in the success of LIDL in the UK



Role of customer service in the success of LIDL in the UK

Introduction

Lidl Dienstleistung (Lidl) is a privately held company that operates a chain of discount stores and supermarkets. The company offers kitchen and household products, furnishing products, office supplies, garden and balcony products, child care products, groceries, clothing, home electrical products, and promotional specials. The company operates in Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, France, the UK, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Switzerland and Finland. It is headquartered in Neckarsulm, Germany.

Lidl Dienstleistung (Lidl) is a privately held company, which is engaged in operating a chain of discount stores and supermarkets. The company has operations in Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, France, the UK, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Switzerland and Finland. (Zemke, 2011)

The company, through its discount stores and supermarkets, offers a range of consumer products such as: kitchen and household products, furnishing products, office supplies, garden and balcony products, child care products, groceries, clothing, home electrical products, promotional specials, car and motorbike accessories, sportswear and sports accessories, hobbies and leisure products, and multimedia and technology products. It also provides wines and other wine accessories like wine bottle stopper set, wine cooler and wine rack. (Sewell, 2011)

Lidl offers about 800 different products in its stores mostly under Lidl's own brand. The company's product portfolio also include dairy products, frozen foods, sausages, fresh meat and poultry, fruits and vegetables, and a range of breads.

The company's subsidiaries include Lidl Ceska republika, Lidl Austria, LIDL Italia, Lidl Nederland, LIDL Danmark, Lidl France, Lidl & Cia, Lidl UK GmbH, Lidl Slovenska republika, and others. (Solomon, 2010)

Objective Of the Research

The main Research objective of this study is to understand the role of customer service in the success of LIDL in the UK, the specific objectives of this study are to study:

Use of Standardization in practicing better customer service

The role of Instant feedback in customer service

How Customer support objectives of Lidl are fulfilled

Use of social media to enhance customer service

Purpose Of the Research

The basic purpose of this research is to provide information to assist in research to gain knowledge and to understand the problems. Taking this point into consideration, this investigation will be an exploratory research, with the aim to test the role of customer service in the success of LIDL in the UK.

Literature Review

A review of the literature shows that in order to build on its position in the market Lidl has entered into a new strategy of broadening the range of its offering to also include more brands, better customer loyalty, a greater number of British brands stocked in its outlets, more shelving in place of traditional pallet displays, and, more recently, remerchandising activity to improve the look and feel of its stores. This is being done to retain new consumers, who came to the store over the course of the recession out of necessity, in ...