Shopaholics.

I used to be easily pleased at the mall when looking for products to buy but with so much choice, the things that stand out because of exemplary service or product design are the only ones that really catch my eye. Whereas we used to buy local because we were and we used to buy local because that's what the jingle espoused, we no longer have those restraints or expectations and as such we have become dissatisfied with our life at the mall. This particular scenario will be played out globally as real versus virtual shopping has one fulcrum that will sway either way, service people.

Seems Australian shoppers are no longer as relaxed as they used to be, in fact a recent survey by American Express over 10 countries found us to be only behind the French when it comes to complaining about service. Even the English and the Americans are happier shoppers, which should send shivers up our spines and shake our belief in the relaxed "she'll be right" attitude we have on most things, including picking up the groceries.

Seems a lot of us (39%) believe that we are not getting the service we deserve when engaging with real shops and real people. Customer Service Institute of Australia executive director Brett Whitford said the results showed local firms needed to focus on improving customer service. This is especially true if they intend to stem the tide of online competition or at least find a niche in the struggle to keep face to face shoppers happy.

The investments that companies need to concentrate on today involves their staff and how they interact with their customers. The survey
found the health of many businesses depended on training their frontline staff to go that extra mile because that is what customers expected for them to spend those hard earned dollars. Australian shoppers indicated, by a whopping 73%, that they would splurge on products if they were given first class service while 25% thought their business was taken for granted. There is a lot of room for improvement between those numbers and any slight increase in customer satisfaction ends up on the bottom line or even more important, survival.

This is an edge that real life can use over virtual life. Many websites think that putting an email address or phone number directing customers via push buttons on their site for communication or feedback is all that is required, when people are looking for so much more. There is a reason there are only a few sites like Zappos around, they have found out what it takes to provide service on the web and its all about people and how they engage and interact.

Real life has an opportunity to take the lead from an area of competition that most think is insurmountable. Convenience and cost will always grab a certain section of the buying public but service and recognition through the right employees will gain you lifetime customers willing to become advocates for what was once taken for granted.

When was the last time you really went that extra mile with first class service? It could put you so far ahead of your online competitor that you may not even have to contemplate building that App for your business.