WRIGHT’S SUPRERMARKET, Colchester
(Customer survey 19th March 2002)

Dear Mr. Green
I was asked to make a customer survey in your supermarket. Thank you for choosing us. Our personnel asked over one hundred of people in various age and now I am presenting you these results of the research, where are three obvious points. Your shoppers are not satisfied enough with:
1. Opening hours
2. Product availability
3. Customers service
There are two aspects what you have to pay the attention to. The first one is to make your customer comfortable while shopping in the store, make them happy and fully satisfied. The second one is to take into a count, that you are not only one on the market. There are several competitors in the neighborhood. Let us take into consideration, that if you persuade competitor’s customers to go shopping into your store, this will certainly increase your turnover, what directly influences your profits in a positive way. In the first part I will respond to complaints and support you with useful tips how to eliminate them.

1. Opening hours

1.1. As you can see, enclosed to the survey, there were complaints oriented on opening hours. On the doors of supermarket is written that you are closing at 7 p.m., but customers often find the store already closed at quarter to 7. Neighboring supermarkets have opened since 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. A brilliant step will be - start opening at 8 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. It has several advantages, like: people have your store on their way to work in the morning, so it is mind us well to have the shop opened while they are passing by. Similar should be done in afternoon. People want to buy fresh items for dinner, so why not allowed them to do so? Next solution would be to delegate one person whose task will be to keep time of opening hours. 1.2. Another problem is about selling on Sunday. Nowadays, it became popular to go for a walk to supermarket. For many people is this day the only one, when they are able to do the shopping together with their families. There are some disadvantages, too: You will have to hire some more shop-assistants, because of enlarging work hours. Even though this will certainly increase your costs a bit, the revenue will be higher and you should keep in mind - these people are your potential customers only on Sundays!

2. Product availability and quality

1.1. Next part of complaints were oriented on product availability and quality.