Which Retailers Offer the Best Customer Experiences? Verint Research Reveals All

The CCaaS vendor benchmarks leading U.S. retailers on CSAT and NPS

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Which Retailers Offer the Best Customer Experiences? Verint Research Reveals All
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Published: July 14, 2022

Charlie Mitchell

Verint has revealed that Amazon is the CSAT front-runner, and Costco is the NPS leader in the U.S. retail sector.

Surveying thousands of U.S. consumers as part of its “Verint Experience Index: Retail”, the vendor used the two CX metrics to benchmark many prominent retailers.

In doing so, it formulated the following top ten lists:

By CSAT

  1. Amazon – 85.0
  2. Publix – 84.5
  3. Costco – 84.4
  4. ALDI – 84.1
  5. H-E-B – 83.9
  6. Apple – 83.3
  7. Lowe’s – 83.3
  8. Ace Hardware – 82.8
  9. Kroger – 82.5
  10. Sam’s Club – 82.4

By NPS

  1. Costco – 55.3
  2. ALDI – 50.9
  3. Lowe’s – 50.2
  4. Ace Hardware – 49.6
  5. H-E-B – 49.6
  6. Amazon – 48.5
  7. Publix – 46.4
  8. Target – 44.4
  9. Apple – 39.8
  10. Kroger – 39.7

Yet, perhaps the most eye-catching statistics from the report show how CSAT and NPS have declined over the past year, despite a drop in pandemic-induced uncertainty.

Indeed, the average CSAT rate across the 25 top scoring brands is over a point lower than 12 months ago, with only a fifth enjoying increases in the metric.

What’s more, the average rating for retail was 2.7 points below the figure recorded for financial institutions, as noted in the banking edition of the report.

A similarly bleak picture emerges when assessing the NPS results, as six of the top ten ranked brands have endured declines since last year.

Moreover, the average score for the top 25 brands fell by more than five points to 37.1.

Such scores are concerning as the report references numerous positive CX in retail trends coming to the fore. Omnichannel journeys and curbside pick-up are excellent examples.

So, why – if innovation is rising – are retail customer experiences seemingly on the decline?

Heightening customer expectations in digital service – now many businesses are catching up to the likes of Amazon – is perhaps a factor. Long wait times, pain points in new-look experiences, and trouble keeping track of customer context are hindrances extending beyond the retail space.

Yet, Verint also proposes another obstacle for CX teams in retail to overcome. Its report suggests that many struggle to find a balance between offering consistent and exceptional online and in-store experiences.

Building on this point, Jenni Palocsik, VP of Marketing Insights, Experience and Enablement at Verint, suggests:

Connecting every customer touchpoint and surfacing information from traditionally siloed departments can drive decisions for improved customer experience.

“By collecting regular feedback around factors such as merchandise, pricing and loyalty programs, retailers can continually enhance and improve shopping experiences.”

By increasing collaboration, gathering insights, and tuning further into the voice of the customer (VoC) – as Palocsik recommends – retailers will hopefully help steer the CX ship back on track.

However, there are no guarantees. Continuing supply chain issues – which seem to be negatively influencing the variety, quality, and cost of merchandise – may further skew CSAT and NPS figures.

Meanwhile, other concerns – such as long wait times – are proving stubborn. Yet, as CX programmes mature, there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Survey Methodology

To calculate these results, Verint surveyed 250-275 customers of each retailer who had shopped at the store in the previous 30 days. The vendor collected this data between November 23-30, 2021.

Eager to gather more insights from recent Verint CX research? If so, read our article: CX Directors and Managers Need Greater Alignment

 

 

Retail

Brands mentioned in this article.

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