Drown or Blossom? The Impact of Perceived Chronic Time Pressure on Retail Salespeople's Performance and Customer–Salesperson Relationships

For retail salespeople chronic time pressure, a perpetual perception of being rushed for time, is a prevalent and pervasive phenomenon in their daily sales jobs. Despite this practical relevance, consequences of perceived chronic time pressure on retail salespeople's selling behaviors, such as adaptive selling, and selling performance are not well understood. Thus, the authors investigate the effect of retail salespeople's perceived chronic time pressure in interactions with customers and its impact on retail salespeople's adaptive selling behavior, customers’ purchase outcomes, as well as salespeople's overall objective performance. Analysis of dyadic data from 291 salesperson–customer interactions from a large B2C furniture retailer revealed an inverse U-shaped curve for the relationship between retail salespeople's perceived chronic time pressure and their adaptive selling behavior. The chronic time pressure–selling outcome relationship strongly depends on the contingencies of retail salespeople's goal orientations and perceived organizational support and has implications for retail research and practice.     

Moderating effect of customer's retail format perception on customer satisfaction formation: An empirical study of mini-supermarkets in an urban retail market setting

Customer perceptions of retail formats have become ambiguous with new value-added features of traditional retail formats. Hence, this paper proposes a framework for explaining retail patronage formation under the condition that customers perceive the ambiguity of retail format boundaries. The moderating effect of customers' retail format perceptions on customer satisfaction is examined using data from Japanese mini-supermarket customers. Results indicate that customers' perceptions of retail formats partially influence customer satisfaction. Theoretically, this implies that considering retail format as a concept that customers construct a posteriori may be necessary and practically indicates that retail practitioners should manage customers’ retail format perception.     

Exploring the application of IVR: lessons from retail banking

In today's increasingly competitive retail banking environment, banks are faced with the challenge of building and maintaining relationships with profitable customers while at the same time embracing technological change. So, while on the one hand increasing the role of technology in a services organisation can serve to reduce costs and often improve service reliability; on the other hand, organisations are acutely aware of the important role for personalised relationships in the delivery of their service proposition. This article reports on a qualitative research study into the perceptions of customers and staff of a large retail bank regarding the piloting of an interactive voice recognition (IVR) system. This system is regarded as a way for the case bank to benefit from technological advances, while still retaining its relationships with more profitable customers. To this end, the system was hoped to encourage lower net worth customers to increase their use of the bank's telephone banking facility, and allow branch staff, who would be freed from dealing with routine telephone enquiries, to deliver a better personalised service to high net worth customers. However, despite this rationale, the article reports the paradoxical situation that the system has been effectively rejected by customers and staff alike. The key objection is that relating to the perceived service discrimination between high and low net worth customers, the very rationale for which the IVR was introduced.     

Mitigating customers’ negative responses to physical presence reduction

Building on the social exchange theory and presumption of a firm's multi-channel strategy as a customer relationship management initiative, three experimental studies show that: (1) reducing physical presence negatively affects customers’ perceived relationship investment and trust and increases their switching intention; (2) to mitigate these negative effects, firms should engage in strategic decisions that benefit customers and are perceived as highly strategic. This research offers new insights suggesting that customers’ appraisals of firms’ strategic decisions influence their switching intention through the sequential operations of perceived relationship investment and trust. These findings are consistent for both services and retail contexts, highlighting the importance of firms engaging in strategies that are deemed to be unfavorable in the eyes of their customers to be perceived as highly committed to maintaining relationships with their customers.     

Personal Selling in Retail Settings: How Does the Internet and Related Technologies Enable and Limit Successful Selling?

Despite the proliferation of Internet usage both by retailers and by retail customers, little is know about the impact of the Internet on the retail salesperson's ability to add value to customer encounters. This article identifies and discusses Internet-related factors that potentially enable and/or limit the salesperson's successful execution of the personal selling process and also considers the effects of limitations of Internet retailing on achievement of desired retailer performance. Research questions are identified as a foundation for future work in the area.     

Perceptions of others,mindfulness, and brand experience in retail service setting

This study examines how the presence of other customers in a retail service environment influences an individual’s service brand experience (SBE). Previous research indicates individuals perceive other customers based on their similarity, overall physical appearance and behavior. Findings from this study show this perception of other customers (OCP) will influence an individual’s service brand experience. At the same time, a person’s state of mindfulness mediates the relationship between OCP and SBE and the resulting SBE has a positive influence on word-of-mouth. The results extend existing theory, present a number of managerial implications and provide a basis for further research.     

How retail entrepreneurs perceive the link between surveillance,feeling of security,and competitiveness of the retail store? A structural model approach

This study seeks to create a comprehensive understanding of the ways in which retail entrepreneurs perceive the link between surveillance and customers’ and employees’ sense of security at the store level. This study also analyzes the link between customers’ and employees’ sense of the security and store's competitiveness from the viewpoint of retail entrepreneurs. The present study utilizes elements of Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) in its theoretical approach. The population for the study consisted of 946 grocery store K-retail entrepreneurs. The data collection was carried out through an Internet survey in February and March 2009. A total of 161 grocery store retailers filled in the questionnaire, yielding a response rate of 17%. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The study revealed that formal surveillance has a negative impact on customers’ feelings of security from the retailers’ point of view. In contrast to formal surveillance, informal surveillance had positive impacts on customers’ and employees’ feelings of security. Retail entrepreneurs perceived that both customers’ and employees’ feeling of security had a positive impact on the store's competitiveness.     

Retail Salespeople's Training and Its Impact on Attitudes Toward Handling Consumer Complaints

Abstract

This paper reports the results of a study of retail salespeople's training and its impact on attitudes toward consumer complaints. A sample of 59 retail salespeople from a variety of retail stores were surveyed via a self-administered questionnaire.

Significant differences were found between salespeople with more formal training and those who received informal/no training when they were hired into the sales positions. Findings indicate that proper training can equip salespeople to deal with customers who complain.     

The importance of atmospherics in the choice of hypermarkets and supermarkets

Are the atmospheric variables equally relevant for supermarket and hypermarket customers? As a contribution to the customers' choice of the store format, firstly this work aims to determine the perception of differences between hypermarkets and supermarkets in terms of store attributes. Second, it sheds light on the role played by atmospherics in the customers' decision process. This study uses a logit approach to model the probabilistic choice of the customers' store format using atmospheric and other marketing variables as important attributes of the grocery store. The model's estimation is based on personal interviews conducted during the shopping process in urban supermarkets and hypermarkets belonging to the same retail chain. The findings show that although the atmospheric variables are significantly important for both store formats, the customers perceive differently the importance of each retail atmospheric cue and other marketing variables, when buying in a hypermarket or in a supermarket: the choice of buying in hypermarket is explained by the significant importance given to the latent variables named pleasant atmosphere and accessibility and responsiveness; in contrast, the choice of buying in supermarkets is explained by the significant importance given to the latent variable nice decoration and empathy with the staff. The other latent variable designated by other marketing variables is only significantly important in the decision of choosing supermarkets.     

Closeness,strength, and satisfaction: Examining the nature of relationships between providers of financial services and their retail customers

This article presents the results of the analysis of data collected in a telephone survey of retail customers of banks and other financial institutions. The objective of the research is to identify various dimensions of the customers' relationships with their principal financial institution and to ascertain the factors that contribute to the types of close relationships that are likely to lead to customer retention, referrals, and long-term profitability. A survey of 400 adult retail bank customers provided data for analysis. The results indicate that the factors that contribute most to the establishment of close, satisfying customer relationships are affective variables, rather than situational or behavioral variables. The results also point to the existence of quite different segments of the retail bank market as defined by the type of relationship the customer wishes to have with his or her main bank. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.. Inc.     

The impact of stereotyping on consumers' food choices

There is mounting evidence to show that people's food choices are influenced by social others. However, there is scant research on how consumers' food choices are affected by perceived competence of others present in the retail setting. The findings of Study 1 indicate that when the other customer is perceived as competent (i.e., paying with a Platinum Amex), the focal consumer chooses the same (organic vs. standard) chicken wrap. However, such a mimicking behavior is absent when the other customer lacks competency cues (i.e., paying with food stamps). Study 2 shows that social modeling doesn't occur in the context of indulgent food choices. Moreover, the findings of Study 2 demonstrate that competence cues perceived similarity between the other customer and the focal consumer.     

Non-targeted customers in individualistic versus collectivistic cultures

This research explores non-targeted customers in two countries displaying dominant collectivistic and individualistic characteristics. Using China and the UK as research contexts, the study investigates non-targeted customers' perceptions and responses to multiple marketing tactics (MT)' effectiveness. Non-targeted customers are interesting, as they exhibit feelings of inequity and unfairness, influencing their perceptions, responses, and behaviors. Given continuing globalization of retail services and diverse markets, more research that provides insights into cross-cultural shopping behavior is needed. The study fills an important gap in examining non-targeted customers in a cross-cultural framework. Findings reveal that non-targeted collectivists perceive marketing tactics differently than individualists. While the first group responds to price and reputation, the latter group responds to service, communication, and customization. The study posits that collectivists' concerns with loss of face, equality, and status evoke self-expression such as extensive price and reputation comparisons. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed and future research directions offered.     

Aesthetic labor and visible diversity: The role in retailing service encounters

This study endeavors to investigate the role of the appearance of customer service staff in forming customer perceptions. It also aims to fill the gap in existing knowledge by exploring the notion of visible diversity, for example, ethnicity, age, gender and perceived sexual orientation of store staff in service encounter from the customers’ perspective. The study adopted a qualitative, inductive approach in data collection using a sample of 30 customers from leading Australian fashion retailers. This study identifies three themes explaining customer perceptions of staff's aesthetic labor, namely mirroring appearance, matching appearance, and charming appearance, which can be explained by the social identity theory, role theory and aesthetic capital. It is found that staff appearance might affect customers’ intention to revisit but does not guarantee sales. In addition, based on signaling theory, the results show that age, ethnicity, gender and perceived sexual orientation of the retail store staff are meaningful factors in determining customers’ attitudes and behavior. This study is one of the first that takes aspects of visible diversity into account along with aesthetic labor and customer experience in a retail setting.     

Foreign investment in the retail sector of the People's Republic of China

For many years, manufacturing was the hottest sector in the Chinese market. But when free market retailing became legal again in 1978, China's retail sector took off. Joint ventures between large department stores, such as Yaohan Department Store of Japan and the Chinese state-run Shanghai No. 1 Department Store, are growing to take advantage of China's potential 1 billion new customers. Davies paints a clear picture of the industry and candidly discusses the problems surrounding this new market: over-estimates of consumer demand, retail price inflation, currency flow problems, and increased smuggling and counterfeiting. Yet he is optimistic that retailing can only grow when Hong Kong becomes part of China in 1997.     

Service worker appearance and the retail service encounter: the influence of gender and age

This study explores how the age and gender of service workers influence customers' perceptions of the retail service encounter in a health and beauty retailer. An analysis of qualitative interviews with 40 customers and 20 service workers suggests that customers seek reassurance in the service encounter by ‘matching’ and ‘mirroring’ the age and gender of customer-facing staff with their expectations of who should deliver appropriate service during the retail service encounter. These non-verbal cues, as a way of assessing the credibility of the service provider, are particularly important when customers are involved in high-involvement purchase occasions.     

The influence of social capital on local retail patronage in an urban setting

Local retail stores are currently facing intense competition from both online retailers and large chain stores. An understanding of local retail store patronage (i.e., patronage of retail stores in one's own community) is essential to the survival and growth of local retailers. Drawing on Social Capital Theory, we theorize and show with store-level survey data the influence of social capital (community attachment and reciprocity) on local retail store patronage in a large urban setting. We find that the impact of social factors differs for residents within the community compared to those outside of the community. We also demonstrate the importance of social factors in comparison to non-social factors. These findings contribute to the literature by extending the impact of social capital on local retail store patronage beyond rural settings, providing insight into urban consumers' decision to patronize local retail stores, and highlighting the impact of community boundaries. These findings also generate practical recommendations for local merchants and stress the importance of building reciprocal relationships with local customers as well as varying communications across community boundaries.     

Consumer trust toward retail websites: Comparison between pure click and click-and-brick retailers

This paper examines the effects of security/privacy and social presence of retailers on consumer's e-trust in two different contexts: pure click and click and brick retailers. It explores how e-trust affects consumer attitudes toward websites and WOM. A conceptual model is tested using Structural Equation Modeling, on a random sample of 989 French customers. Results suggest that perceived website social presence and perceived security/privacy exert strong and positive impacts on website credibility and benevolence, which in turn directly influence website attitudes and indirectly influence word-of-mouth. One major difference between pure click and click-and-brick retailers is that the role of social presence in developing online benevolence is more important in the case of pure click retailers. The study concludes with managerial implications that may be useful in retail marketing.     

Influence of salesperson characteristics and customer emotion on retail dyadic relationships

Retail salespeople often serve as a critical nexus between retailers and their customers. Salespeople can provide information and service that assist customers during the purchase process. Through buye–seller interaction, salespeople conceivably will influence how customers feel when shopping; in essence, salespersons are likely to have an impact on customers' emotions. Prior research has found that customer emotions have beneficial effects for both the store and the salesperson. Although previous work has considered the effect store environment has on customer emotions, no extant research has examined how customer emotions emerge after interacting with salespeople or what the outcomes of those emotions are. Consequently, this paper examines potential precursors of customers' emotions that arise during interaction with retail sales personnel, as well as consequences of those emotions. A conceptual framework is developed, propositions are posited, and retail management and research implications are presented.     

The Determinants of Retail Loyalty of Indian Consumers

This study investigated the influence of expectations and evaluation of functional and social attributes on Indian consumers' food retail loyalty. Structural equation modeling results indicate that social self-congruity is an important determinant of food store patronage in India. Food assortment and services are critical drivers of supermarket loyalty, whereas relative advantage is the only determinant of store loyalty among traditional food retail customers. Positive store experiences lead to increased store commitment and perception of greater relative advantage for traditional retail shoppers, whereas positive store experiences increase switching costs for supermarket customers. Implications for food market entry into India are presented.     

Determinants of retail bank choice in Nigeria: a focus on gender-based choice decisions

As the Nigerian retail banks customers become more sophisticated, it is now very important that retail banks determine the factors that are important and relevant to the customers’ retail bank choice decisions. By using a survey of retail bank customers, this study evaluates the relative importance attached to retail banks’ choice criteria used by male and female customers in Nigeria. The results show that there are some differences in choice factors used by male and female customers in selecting a retail bank for patronage. The recommendation is that bank managers should take both female and male market segments into consideration when making retail bank strategic planning in order to become competitive. The findings can assist retail bank managers in refining their marketing strategies as a means of overcoming the intense competition that exists in the Nigerian banking system.