AEGIS GLOBAL ACADEMY

STORE-LEVEL CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

REPORT

HARISH FOOD ZONE- VELLORE

KUMARASWAMI S – IC1107 – 101429

T
his study was undertaken with an intention to understand the
customer experience at Harish Food Zone – a super market at Vellore
– Tamil Nadu . This report is presented within a broad framework to
Customer Experience at Store Level.

The observation was made with a guide line of 7 A’s approach which covers
the customer experience of the accessibility to the store, the architecture
part of it, the overall assistance, and the engagement towards the
customers.
Observation: The survey was conducted in the border framework of the
questionnaire so the bench mark of data is required. The questionnaire gives
the detail picture stating the retail store is customer centric or not.

Survey : The survey was conducted on 09-01-2011 at 0930hrs to 1400hrs at

Harish food zone – Vellore –TamilNadu. The sample size was 34 customers.

Analysis : The analysis was based on the 7A’s approach, the details are
given below.

1. ACCESS

Accessibility of any retail outlet is of paramount importance. The location of

the store plays a significant role in attracting the sizeable and desirable
footfalls. Viewed from the nature of the products being sold point of view,
while some products attract impulsive buying motives, other products
involve planned buying motives. And accordingly, the retail outlets have to
pan out their physical presence.

70.00%

60.00%

50.00%

40.00%

30.00%

20.00%

10.00%

0.00%
POOR SATISFACTORY GOOD V GOOD

The sample size was 34 where the 60% of the customer were just happy
about the service but was not upto the expectations. If we consider the
domicile status of the customers were nearly from the VIT-Vellore, and some
were in and around of Vellore.

The Retail store should increase in their advertisement in order to increase

the walk in.

2. ARCHITECTURE

Given that the retail outlet is easy to access, located in an appropriate area,
another significant part of a store-level customer experience management is
the architecture of the store, i.e. the look and feel of the store. This includes
every aspect of store layout and design – ambience, the aesthetics,
amenities, etc. If the shopping area/place is not invigorating the shopping
experience would at best be minimal.

57.58%

33.33%

9.09%

SATISFACTORY GOOD V GOOD

Nearly 40% of the overall customer were not happy about the ambiance of
the store where as the parking facility provided were appreciative. The
customer report that the place is too clumsy and untidy. Store has to be
arranged in such a way that the customer feel comfortable to pick up the
product.

3. ASSORTMENT (PRODUCT)

The customers come to any retail outlet, after all, to satisfy their needs. And
the needs are satisfied either by products or services. All the product-related
issues – product variety, product quality, product pricing, product width
and product depth, etc are to be well taken care of. For any retail outlet, the
product assortment, the product quality, the pricing and the product deals
constitute a major buying-decision factor. The value-for-money is what the
stores should offer to every customer.

Customer in this store feel good about the product but some customer feel
that there are some products that have expired date.
 POOR
SATISFACTORY
GOOD
V GOOD
EXCELLENT

70.00%
60.00% 63.64%
50.00%
40.00%
30.00%
20.00% 3.03%
18.18% 15.15%
10.00%
0.00%
SATISFACTORY GOOD V GOOD EXCELLENT

4. ASSISTANCE.

Once the customers are happy about the location, store design, and the
product variety and quality, the sales assistance within the store plays a
major role in increasing their shopping experience. The sales assistants are
an all-important touch points for customer experience in a retail outlet.
They can elevate an ordinary, routine shopping to a memorable shopping
experience with their proactive, pleasant and perseverant attitude and
demeanor. No retail outlet can ask for more than helpful and hilarious work
force at the shop level.
 60.00%

50.00%

40.00%

30.00% 51.61%

20.00%
29.03%

10.00% 12.90%
6.45% 0.00%

0.00%
POOR SATISFACTORY GOOD V GOOD EXCELLENT

ASSISTANCE SERVICE

POOR SATISFACTORY GOOD V GOOD EXCELLENT

5. ALIGNMENT

It is not just good enough to have happy and helpful sales assistants. It is
equally, if not more, important to have alignment in all the touch points of
customer experience. The alignment encompasses strategic fit between store
design, visual merchandise, sales personnel assistance, facilities within the
store, etc. Even if there is one weak link in the customer experience value
chain, it would not augur well for the store. It is the answer to, “is everyone
and everything related to the store orchestrated to delight the customer?”

70.00%

60.00%
65.63%
50.00%

40.00%

30.00%

20.00%

10.00% 15.63% 18.75% 0.00%

0.00%
SATISFACTORY GOOD V GOOD EXCELLENT

6. AUGMENTATION

The relationship with a customer should not end with the immediate
transaction. It should go beyond the transaction in terms of well-planned
and brilliantly executed customer relationship initiatives. For instance,
keeping the customers informed about any new product/stock arrivals,
wishing/celebrating their birthdays/anniversaries/any special days.
Augmentation essentially endeavors going beyond the stores to give
customers a sense of belonging. While the sense of belonging can be
demonstrated while the customer is in the stores, even after he leaves the
stores, how to continue to give the same sense of belonging?
 52.94%

29.41%

11.76%
5.88% 0.00%

7. ASSOCIATION VALUE

One of the often-neglected yet very important elements of store-level

customer experience management is creating an association value. What is
association value and how to create it? Association value comes from
customer taking pride in being part of community. The communities are to
be created by the stores. Remember, Harley Davidson customer
communities? Many other global brands create both physical as well as
online communities to give an exclusive platform. Exclusivity is the key in
creating association value. The customer should be made proud of being
associated with a store, after all.

46.15%

23.08%
23.08%

7.69%
0.00%

POOR SATISFACTORY GOOD V GOOD EXCELLENT

EXPECTATION Vs DELIVERY

The over all sample size was 34 where this shows the expectation of the
customer and the service delivered to the customers.

Goals of Customer Focus:

Creating Better Products or Services

Offering compelling customer experience

Building deeper customer relationships

End goal of customer focused strategies is the same:

Boosting retention and repurchase = more sales!!!

“The gulf between satisfied customers and completely satisfied customers can
swallow a business.”
- Harvard Business Review