Retailers aren’t perfect. When they screw up, how can they try to win back customers?
In this study, researchers (Goudarzi et al., 2013) investigated customers’ spending after filing a customer service complaint to a grocery retailer. Some customers received a coupon after complaining and some didn’t. Some customers received a quick response from the retailer, while others received a slower response.
Overall, the researchers found that those who received the coupon actually spent less after filing their complaint, and those who received a quick response spent more in the time following. They also found that for customers who received a slower response, the coupon made a big difference; a slow response AND a coupon reduces future spending greatly.
Overall, according to this research, retailers should respond quickly to all customer complaints. However, if they can’t respond fast, giving a coupon may hurt their bottom line even more.
Goudarzi, K., Borges, A., & Chebat, J. C. (2013). Should retailers pay to bring customers back? The impact of quick response and coupons on purchase outcomes. Journal of Business Research, 66(5), 665–669.
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