Consumidor Moderno magazine and Shopper Experience present the sudy showing companies that respect consumers the most

Transcription

1 Consumidor Moderno magazine and Shopper Experience present the sudy showing companies that respect consumers the most The seventh edition of the exclusive research conducted by Shopper Experience through a partnership with Consumidor Moderno magazine, published by Padrão Group, Companies that respect consumers the most, presented last Wednesday (Dec. 16) in São Paulo, shows the actual purchase experience of 1,350 consumers in the cities of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto (São Paulo), Recife, Porto Alegre, Rio de Janeiro and Belo Horizonte. The respondents assessed the level of respect towards consumers for companies operating in the consumer, industry, retail and services segments, and informed the 37 companies that stand out in regards to respect towards Brazilian consumers. The research will be included in the December issue of Consumidor Moderno magazine. São Paulo, December 16, 2009 Conducted by Shopper Experience in partnership with Consumidor Moderno magazine, published by Padrão Group, the exclusive study Companies that respect consumers the most was presented last Wednesday (Dec. 16) in São Paulo during an event attended by many executives from noteworthy companies that respect Brazilian consumers. The research which measures the actual experience of consumers and highlights which brands and companies respect them the most included 1,350 interviews with consumers over 18 years of age from classes A, B, C and D, living in São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Recife, Porto Alegre, Rio de Janeiro and Belo Horizonte. Among the attributes evaluated are service; quality of products and/or of services; price; advertising (ethical, serious and committed), social and environmental responsibility; and monitoring the rate of customer satisfaction through surveys. The results will be part of the December issue of Consumidor Moderno magazine. Considered one of the main researches conducted in Brazil on customer service, the unprecedented research Companies that respect consumers the most reaches its seventh edition with significant innovations, featuring the participation of consumers who have actual experience, that is, routine consumers of companies and brands that act in the following segments: industry, consumer, retail and services. According to Stella Kochen Susskind, president of Shopper Experience and research coordinator, the analysis of these consumers provided an actual measure of a real consumption experience, going beyond the mere perception or image that the respondent has of a brand or company. After specifying which companies the respondents were actual consumers of, they informed on a 10-point scale, how they would rank that company in terms of respect towards consumers. Companies that received a score of 10, ranked as greatly respects, really stand out in the segmented rankings, explains Stella. With objective questions What does a company or manufacturer of goods or services have to do or have to be, to be respected by consumers?, Which company respects consumers the most?, Which company least respects consumers?, among other questions the research encompasses a very broad scope of customer-company relationship, analyzing aspects such as service (employees and call center); product (quality, durability, packaging presentation, ease of opening, warranty, Inmetro stamp etc.); image (company image in the market); and price (value for money and payment terms).

2 Stella Kochen Susskind points out that the research is innovative in terms of format and content, because it has data on the actual experience of customers with companies. In this edition we had a great idea of creating quotas to assess results in different social classes, segments and Brazilian cities, which lead us to a thorough research; a valuable tool to assess the relationship that consumers have with companies. We believe in innovation, we are going beyond figuring out the trends in customer service, in fact, we are creating them and defining a new culture in customer-company relationship, says the executive, who is a pioneer in Brazil in customer service evaluation with secret shoppers and president of the Mystery Shopping Providers Association Latin America. What do Brazilian consumers value? The research Companies that respect consumers the most in Brazil undermines the principle that the price is the sole determinant for the purchasing decision. Even considering the scenario of the worldwide economic crisis, only 12% of Brazilian respondents mentioned cost as a main factor when purchasing products and services. In the regional analysis, consumers in Rio de Janeiro are the ones that value price the most (21%), followed by Pernambuco (18%), São Paulo (17%), Porto Alegre (14%) and Belo Horizonte (10%). Respondents from São Paulo are the least concerned about the price issue; only 5% of respondents think how much they pay is important. Research shows that 61% of respondents prioritize customer service rather than quality or price. In this context, attributes such as politeness, courtesy and well groomed clerks were highlighted by 34% of respondents. According to Roberto Meir, an international specialist in Consumer Relations and publisher of the Padrão Group, the importance that Brazilians give to the excellence in service provided is not surprising, since consumers are increasingly demanding, they know their rights and require that companies live up to them. Companies that are able to capture the essence of this new consumer and open their doors to allow their representatives from senior to frontline staff to talk freely with their customers, will prosper and establish strong and transparent alliances, stated Meir. In the regional analysis of the importance of service to respondents, the state of São Paulo is the most demanding crowd; 76% value a good reception in stores. In second place in respondents rank for the importance in service are the people in the state of Minas Gerais (74%), followed by the state of Rio Grande do Sul (61%), city of São Paulo (59%), Recife (56%) and Rio de Janeiro (53%). With respect to quality, the most demanding are consumers in Porto Alegre (43%), followed by consumers in São Paulo (27%), Belo Horizonte (25%), Recife (24%), Rio de Janeiro (22%) and interior of São Paulo (20%). Quality of product ranks second, being reported by 26% of consumers as the most important item regarding respect towards consumers; especially durability, warranty, Inmetro stamp and packaging, these items were mentioned by 14% of respondents as a competitive edge at the time of purchase. The overall rank of the research reveals that the company s image in the marketplace is decisive for 24% of respondents: 5% of customers are attentive in relation to companies that respect employees, 4% take into account the company's investments in social responsibility and 3% have their eyes open to check environmental initiatives. The regional results indicate that 63% of interviews in Recife picked the company's image and/or product as the most important attribute for

3 the purchase decision, whereas in São Paulo, 25% of respondents associate the purchase to the image. The rates in the other capitals are: 24% in Rio de Janeiro, 20% in Porto Alegre, Belo Horizonte 16%, and 7% in the interior of São Paulo. The research results, according to Stella Kochen Susskind, indicate opportunities for improvement in customer service for the following sectors: service, industry and retail. In services, we have the lowest levels of customer satisfaction rates, because this is the segment in which human resources cause the most impact on the shopping experience for consumers with different profiles. TV subscribers, for example, have the issue of sales versus the claim of the technology to be delivered, i.e., consumers don t always get what they pay for. Even fast food, which has a history of good service, got very low rates compared to previous years, said the executive, adding that even in segments with high levels of customer satisfaction such as the food sector, there is room for improvement. COMPANIES THAT RESPECT CONSUMERS THE MOST CONSUMER FOOD: Cosan Alimentos/União (77%) SOFT DRINKS: Coca Cola (69%) HYGIENE AND CLEANING: Bombril (65%) PERSONAL CARE AND BEAUTY: Johnson & Johnson (65%) BEER: Ambev (46%) MANUFACTURERS SPORTS GOODS: Adidas (69%) PERSONAL COMPUTERS: Apple (67%) CELL PHONES: Nokia (57%) ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT: Sony (57%) PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY: Medley (56%) AUTOMOBILES: Honda (53%) FOOTWEAR: Vulcabrás / Azalea (53%) HOME APPLIANCES: Philips (49%) RETAIL DRUGSTORES: Panvel Sul (61%) FAST FOOD: McDonald s (53%) TEXTILE / CLOTHING STORES: C&A (48%) HYPERMARKETS: Carrefour (41%) HOME APPLIANCES AND ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT: Casas Bahia (35%) SERVICES PRIVATE PENSION: Porto Seguro (52%) CREDIT CARD (BRAND): VISA (51%) MAGAZINES: Editora Abril (50%) NEWSPAPERS: Folha de S. Paulo (47%) HEALTH (MEDICAL PLANS/INSURANCE): Amil (47%) KITCHEN GAS (LPG): Ultragaz (45%) GAS STATION: Petrobras (45%) ELECTRIC POWER: Cemig (44%) TV NETWORK STATION: TV Globo (41%) INTERNET PROVIDER: Terra (41%)

4 FOOD VOUCHER: Ticket (40%) NATURAL GAS: Comgás (36%) AIRLINE: Gol (34%) MOBILE PHONE SERVICES: TIM (33%) BANKING INSTITUTIONS: Bradesco (30%) TV SUBSCRIPTION: Sky (30%) LANDLINES: Embratel (26%) FINANCIAL SERVICES / PERSONAL LOAN: Banco IBI (19%) PUBLIC SERVICES: CPTM (18%) Padrão Group Padrão Group originated from Editorial Group with the purpose of creating and disseminating content and initiatives to improve practices in the corporate environment. It is based on four dimensions ( 4 Es ): Editorial, Events, Education and Electronic; Editorial focuses on publications aimed at the relationships, business, retail and IT, yearbooks and tailored magazines; Events is aimed at conferences, forums, workshops and seminars; Education, is aimed at Universidade do Cliente (Client University ( training and qualifying people always focused on the client; and Electronic, which creates and disseminates content and interactivity in digital media. These are some of Padrão Group s publications: Consumidor Moderno ( the leading magazine and absolute reference in company-client relationship in Brazil, and B2B Magazine ( the largest IT publication focused on business in the country, with emphasis on telecom, mobility, banks, SMEs, retail and e-gov. Consumidor Moderno No Varejo ( magazine for professionals who have the challenge of making Brazil s retail become a world reference for quality, creativity, innovation and customer service. Among the events, the highlight was the CONAREC, the biggest event of company-client relationships in Latin America. And yet in electronics, the portal Portal Call Center ( provides both national and international content for professionals in the customer relationship segment. Shopper Experience With differentiated products, Shopper Experience works with Customer Experience, Secret Shoppers and In-Company Workshops. Firm specialized in market research, the Shopper Experience has expertise in transforming data into knowledge which will be applicable to the business. The company provides consulting services to different segments (retail, industry, consumer and services) and business sizes, helping them improve their relationship with customers and build commitment. Shopper Experience is a pioneer in Brazil in secret shopper research methodology, a type of research used for over 100 years abroad and then brought to the country by executive Stella Kochen Susskind. The secret shopper, who works as a researcher in research projects for brands and services, is seen as an actual consumer that visits points of sale carrying the mission of evaluating customer service. Secret shoppers have previous experience and a consumption profile aligned with specific projects; they receive exclusive training that enhances their ability to perceive all the angles of a shopping experience. Shopper Experience counts on more than 15,000 secret shoppers working in Brazil and abroad.

5 The company Shopper Experience deepens our understanding of the customer experience with products and brands and invests in diversity to qualify and train a differentiated network of secret shoppers who will provide managers with a more efficient retro feeling when behind the counter. Among Shopper Experience s assets is the deep knowledge of consumers and clients universe. In 2009, Shopper Experience began to develop an unprecedented project of social inclusion to train professionals with disabilities to work as secret shoppers. Stella Kochen Susskind, President of Shopper Experience also chairs the Mystery Shopper Providers Association South America, which is linked to the Mystery Shopping Providers Association North America, headquartered in the United States including over 350 companies in the sector around the world, of which 260 are North American. MORE INFORMATION: Printec Comunicação Vanessa Giacometti de Godoy vanessa.godoy@printeccomunicacao.com.br Betânia Lins betania.lins@printeccomunicacao.com.br Phone #: // Fax #: (11)