The Good Guys tops Canstar Blue customer satisfaction awards for fifth year running

WHEN you can get everything online, customers need a good reason to shop in store. And there’s one thing that turns us away more than anything else.

Good Guys

WHEN you can get everything online at the click of a button, customers need a good reason to come into a store. And there’s one thing that turns us away more than anything else.

The Good Guys has been named Australia’s favourite electronics retailer by consumer research company Canstar Blue for the fifth year in a row.

The retailer was the only retailer to win five stars for overall satisfaction, ahead of Bing Lee (4), Harvey Norman (4), JB Hi-Fi (4) and Dick Smith (3).

It’s only the third company after United Petroleum and Pizza Capers to win five stars every year since Canstar Blue began handing out awards five years ago.

Respondents were asked to rate the electronics retailer they most recently visited across a range of criteria.

The Good Guys scored a full five stars in all seven categories: overall satisfaction, value for money, price compared to others, point of sale service, product range, store layout and catalogue.

“The Good Guys is clearly a firm favourite with Aussie consumers,” said Canstar Blue head Megan Doyle. “Few brands have enjoyed the same consistent level of success, so it really is a fantastic achievement.”

How some of our biggest chains rated. Source: Canstar Blue

Mrs Doyle said companies needed to offer a good in-store experience more than ever to compete with online retailers.

“The biggest differentiator for bricks-and-mortar stores is the face-to-face interaction, and its becoming more important,” she said. “It’s also the number one driver of in-store frustration.”

According to the survey of more than 1600 shoppers, conducted by research company Colmar Brunton, the number one driver of satisfaction was point-of-sale service (27 per cent), while the biggest driver of in-store frustration was lack of sales staff (26 per cent).

“The only thing worse than bad customer service is no service at all,” said Mrs Doyle.

“People can overlook a lot of things if they get a good product at a great price, but they want to be treated as a valued customer and that includes having staff available to help.

“If they’re spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on a new item, people want guidance from the experts and assurance that they’re making the best purchase decision for their needs. You can’t replicate that sort of customer service with a pop-up window on a website.”