Nordstrom Tops Customer-Service List

Washington, D.C., Anationwide poll puts Nordstrom at the top of the customer-service list of retailers, followed by Coldwater Creek, Marshall Field’s, Kohl’s and Boscov’s. The poll is part of a new survey by the NRF Foundation, an arm of the National Retail Federation, and the American Express Co. Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI), J.C. Penney, Lane Bryant, Best Buy and Eddie Bauer round out the top 10.

The survey, conducted by BIGresearch, notes the important role shoppers place on customer service. Eighty-five percent of consumers said that they spend and shop more at retailers that provide good service.

“Through excellent service, retailers have an opportunity to retain and build on their customer base,” said John Theiss, VP, retail industries, American Express Establishment Services.

According to the survey, consumers expect the highest level of service from restaurants, followed by specialty stores, department stores and drug stores. Shoppers have average service expectations from grocery stores and Internet retailers and have the lowest expectations of service at membership warehouse clubs and discount stores.

When looking at the top stores for service by segment, a variety of retailers emerged as front-runners in their sector. For discount outlets, Wal-Mart holds the No. 1 spot for customer service, while Nordstrom is tops for department stores. Coldwater Creek ranked first in the specialty apparel segment, and REI took the top spot among non-apparel specialty stores. Wegmans Food Markets ranked first in the supermarket category.