"The customer is no longer king!"
Citizens are dissatisfied with services
Good service is the most important competitive factor in retail. However, many companies and service providers in Germany are unable to offer this. Only one in four Germans (27%) believe that the saying „the customer is king“ is still true today. This is the result of a recent study by the BAT Foundation for Future Studies, which surveyed a representative sample of 2,000 people aged 14 and over in Germany.
Professor Dr Ulrich Reinhardt sees two main reasons for the low service orientation: „As our society has become more affluent, demands have also increased. What was not expected 20 years ago is almost taken for granted today. In addition, it should not be forgotten that the service sector is often poorly paid. The willingness and motivation of employees to deal with the topic of ‚service‘ under these circumstances and to constantly present themselves in a friendly and courteous manner can fall by the wayside.“
„I won't put up with this!“
Three quarters of Germans do not tolerate unfriendly staff
Dissatisfied customers are consistent: if they receive unfriendly service or poor advice, the majority of Germans leave the shop (75%). Within the population, it is particularly the members of the middle generation aged between 35 and 54 who leave (82%). For Reinhardt, these results are also due to social factors: „In Germany, it is common to perceive the negative rather than the positive. If the service is provided to full satisfaction, this is seen as normal. If, on the other hand, something goes wrong, the consequences are quickly drawn or generalised.“
Conclusion: In future, the big ones will not take over the small ones,
but the friendly ones the unfriendly ones
The globalisation of the economy has many positive effects for consumers: The quality of comparable items and goods hardly differs from one another, availability is guaranteed either immediately or within 24 hours at the latest and prices are also largely transparent. Good service therefore often decides where the customer shops. In future, the claim „I'm just doing my job“ will no longer be enough in any area with direct customer contact. Consumers expect service and attention, friendliness and expertise. It is important to be aware of these customer requirements and to fulfil them if you want to continue to welcome satisfied customers and guests in the future.
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