Date of Award
4-1979
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Department
Psychology
First Advisor
Dr. Richard W. Malott
Second Advisor
Dr. Dale M. Brethower
Third Advisor
Dr. Cheryl E. Poche
Access Setting
Masters Thesis-Open Access
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to increase the frequency of four specific customer-service behaviors in three full-time department store salespeople. Each related to the steps involved in a sales transaction, the behaviors recorded were: approaching and greeting customers, being courteous, and appropriately closing the sale. These four responses were defined as exceptional customer service behaviors. A training program had only a slight impact on improving service, but feedback produced a substantial improvement in the frequency of all four targeted customer-service behaviors Removal of feedback produced a small decline in performance; but the percentage of exceptional customer-service behaviors increased to approximately the same levels as those obtained during the Feedback phase, when we told salespeople that their service would be evaluated by customers they waited on. These results suggest that some forms of training may not greatly improve customer service, but feedback on performance while on the selling floor perhaps combined with a training program can produce considerable improvement.
Recommended Citation
Brown, Mark G., "Improving Customer Service in a Large Department Store through the Use of Training and Feedback" (1979). Masters Theses. 1949.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses/1949