Comparative Study of Customer Experience in Two Electronic Stores in Calgary

The report compares the customer experience in two electronic stores in Calgary, highlighting the difference in customer service and satisfaction. It provides recommendations for improving customer service and quality of service. The study focuses on Apple Market Mall and Speed Bit Inc. stores, and provides an analysis of the visit, elements of good customer service, and elements missing from customer expectations. The report also includes recommendations for customer service, quality of service, and teaching and selling strategies.

Running Head: SELLING AND CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
SELLING AND CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
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Executive summary
The report focuses on a comparative study of two stores located in Calgary. Both the stores
are local electronic stores that sell mobile phones, and other related electronic and mobile
phone accessories. In this, Apple market mall is a wholly owned subsidiary that sells Apple
product in the country, and the other one is a local electronic store located nearby Apple
market mall. In this context, the report highlights the difference in the experience of the
customers after visiting the luxurious and a normal store. It explains the level of satisfaction
while visiting the luxurious store that teaches the customers in details about the product, but
the other store is not able to convince the customers. To help the stores with improved
customer service the study also provides proper customer service and quality service
recommendations for the stores.

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Table of Contents
A. Initial thoughts/impressions after entering the Store............................................................3
B. Analysis of the visit...............................................................................................................3
C. Other elements of good customer service that was present...................................................5
D. Elements of customer service that were missing from your expectations............................6
E. Overall impression of the store and salesperson....................................................................6
F. Recommendations..................................................................................................................7
G. Conclusion and summary.....................................................................................................8
Reference list..............................................................................................................................9

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A. Initial thoughts/impressions after entering the Store
After entering the store of Apple Market mall, there was a positive first impression
that helped in developing a relationship. Once the customer enters the Apple Market mall, it
may seem a bit an unsettling for the first time they may not find any clear recognisable
product or familiar layout of the store. There is a wide area of parking lawn below the store,
through which customers visiting the store will not have any problem in visiting the stores.
However, the store coordinator who are always properly dressed up with proper manners to
help the customer. While entering the store it was the first impression that set out the tone for
the complete consumer experience.
On the contrary, while entering the Sped bit Inc. customers were completely messed
up, as there was no specified parking lawn, no product banned no familiar service that may
scream at the customer. It is a deliberate layout of a local marketplace that has been designed
to let you walk around and allow the individuals to listen to the conversation. Products in the
store are scattered inside the store where people are floating around the areas that pick the
interest. However, it in Apple market mall it is the design of the store and behaviour of the
store supervisor that generated the accidental discovery and good experience that grows upon
the customers.
B. Analysis of the visit
The first impression delivered by Apple market Mall
The greeting after entering the mall store was a simple step that impressed the
customers. It was their foremost opportunity to create a positive impact on the consumer.
Considering the two electronics store service:
Apple market mall
Internal sales coordinator: Hi, this is Mandy, thank you for visiting our store. How
can I you madam/sir?

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Customer: “I need to buy the latest Apple phone trending in the market.”
Internal sales coordinator: Great, I will be happy to help with the latest phone. Sir/ madam
please be seated… can you please tell me something about phone features preferences...?
Customer: “I would like to check on the phone with updated technology and unique voice
calling facility...”
Speed Bit Inc.
Inside Sales coordinator: “Hi, how can I help you?”
Customer: “I am searching for the latest Apple phone with latest features. Can you find me
the appropriate phone?"
Internal sales coordinator: “Sure sire/ madam. Just wait a minute I will just check”
After waiting for 5 minutes:
Internal sales coordinator: "Sorry sir we have limited colours for the phones. If you are happy
with this colure we have, I can show you the features of the phone"
Customer: “Okay, I do not have much problem with colours”
The differences about the first impression in both the stores may be little but they are
quite significant. The personalised behaviour of the store coordinator in the first store takes
almost no extra time, but it has a capability to leave a potential impact on the customer. The
use of the greeting and smile has made a difference that has set them apart from the
competition by making it significant for the customer's knowing that they have come to the
right place (Gallino & Moreno, 2014). The tone and behaviour of the second store seemed
demotivating that may distract the customers.
In today’s competitive retail business store, Apple market mall has tried to use the
experience of the customer as a competitive advantage over their customers in Calgary. In
this context, it can be said that the store managers of Apple market mall completely
understand the needs and expectations of the customers. It is the interaction and behaviour

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the impressed the customer on visiting the Apple market mall for the first time (Pantano &
Gandini, 2017).
However, after visiting the second store, the customers did not seem to be satisfied
with the demotivating behaviour. Specifically when the coordinator said that they lack
colours. It was a delightful experience for the customers, to have one-on-time with the
product and full attention given by Apple store employees, who was there to help the
customer only. As stated by Cao & Li, (2015), it helped to create a level of personal
connection with the product and the store. However, none of the stores asked for a business
care or the name of the customer initially after visiting the store. After purchasing the
product, Apple Market mall employees asked for the name of the customer for the
transaction, but speed bit Inc. asked for none of it as they are locally set up business.
C. Other elements of good customer service that were present
The other elements of good customer service that were observed in the store were
when the customer was waiting, the employees present there immediately acknowledged the
customer to make them feel welcomed to the store. Apart from these, it was the appearance of
the sales coordinator that attracted the customer most, shirts of the employee were properly
tucked in, employees were wearing appropriate uniform and the entire dressing and store was
clean, that was attractive (Ramanathan, Subramanian & Parrott, 2017). Employees greeting
with a smile on the face showed that they happy and ready to help the customer. Eye contacts
were another major indication of acknowledgement, connection with the customer that they
made (Bell, Gallino & Moreno, 2014). All the employees present there in the store has a
well-trained posture and body language that helped to leave a long lasting impression on the
customers.

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D. Elements of customer service that were missing from your expectations
According to Mah et al., (2017), research on the customer selling and expectation
shows that the atmosphere of the store leaves a differentiating impression on the decision
making of the customers. In this context, the store atmosphere, mood and purchasing attitude
reported that customer's rate of developments is differently based on the atmosphere. The
study compared two electronic retail stores where one had a pleasant atmosphere and the
other had an unpleasant atmosphere. Therefore, while measuring the mood of the customer in
both the stores it has been found that during the end of the shopping pleasant atmosphere was
deteriorating into a less pleasant store (Hracs & Jakob, 2015). These are because the store
was becoming crowded that influenced the mood of the customers. The store lacked the
elimination of cutter around the cash registering area that was problematic for the customers.
E. Overall impression of the store and salesperson
The overall impression that the customers had was a learning experience from the
mobile phone and gadgets products. A complete interesting experience runs in Apple market
mall where they schedule 30 to 60-minute sessions about the product before buying the
product and learning labour its use (imore.com, 2018). However, starting with the basic
aspects, they offer live expertise with the products and their advanced features, such as
professional video editing, advanced photography with an iPhone to impress the customers.
This, session before buying the product served as the way to generate engagement and the
way to get the customers into the store in an innovative way. Signing up customers, in iPhone
store and products provide the customers with a way to discover the related products in these
process. Communication and other service criteria within the Market mall were in an addition
to exciting services that allows educating the customers and kids present around the crowd
(Hracs & Jakob, 2015).

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In all, this was a wholesome experience for me; I will be looking forward to hanging
around the store some more time. Considering the experience, I will be recommending others
too including my friends and peers to visit the store and learn about the process.
F. Recommendations
Customer service
It is necessary for the store, to manage the customer service issues, attempting by
handling them by communicating with them by offering them dedicated customer service.
They are required to manage the customer cash registering area by focusing more on the
ambience of the store (Faulds et al., 2018).
Quality of service
They are required to focus on the drive to improve quality and consistency of the
service by addressing the challenges faced by the customer specifically those who belong to
the young customer base (Verhoef et al., 2017). In this context, it is necessary for them to
improve the internal quality of service, for approaching a standard working environment by
delivery fine service in comparison to the competitors.
Teaching and selling
It is often found that time prospects calls on the store and sends the email requesting
the employees to provide the information and price quotations for the products. This process
is typical for the retail electronics industry, but most of the industry is quite impressive with
the initial conversation (Khodakarami & Chan, 2014). In this context, I realised that the
prospect of the company did not have enough teaching and selling strategy at the end.
Therefore, while teaching about the products they need to ensure that the entire customer has
effectively learned about the features of the products. They should therefore, focus teaching
and selling strategy to impress the customers (Cuellar, Eyler & Fanti, 2015).

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G. Conclusion and summary
Therefore, from the above report, it is evident, the both Apple market Mall and speed
bit Inc is located in Calgary. Both the stores are local electronic stores that sell mobile
phones, and other related electronic and mobile phone accessories. In this, Apple market mall
is a wholly owned subsidiary that sells Apple product in the country, which has been
operating since a long-term period offering the best service, and quality products with
exciting customer experience. On the speed bit, Inc is a local store that sales electronic
products for a long period. After entering, the stores, the store coordinators helped to
enlighten the customers on the queries and doubts by creating a comfortable atmosphere for
them.
It has been seen from the study, it is the greeting behaviour of the coordinator and
them orderly behaviour that impressed the customers most apart from the crowded and
clutters around the cash registering area. Speed bit lacked proper communication. However,
the most attractive thing that influenced me the most after visiting the stores, is that the way
all the store coordinator takes responsibility of each of the customer to persuade them in
buying the product even in a crowded floor of the store. Despite the upbeat pop music
playing in the store, they manage to deal with all the customers patiently.

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Reference list
Bell, D. R., Gallino, S., & Moreno, A. (2014). How to win in an omnichannel world. MIT
Sloan Management Review, 56(1), 45.
Cao, L., & Li, L. (2015). The impact of cross-channel integration on retailers’ sales
growth. Journal of Retailing, 91(2), 198-216.
Cuellar, S. S., Eyler, R. C., & Fanti, R. (2015). Experiential marketing and long-term
sales. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 32(5), 534-553.
Faulds, D. J., Mangold, W. G., Raju, P. S., & Valsalan, S. (2018). The mobile shopping
revolution: Redefining the consumer decision process. Business Horizons, 61(2), 323-
338.
Gallino, S., & Moreno, A. (2014). Integration of online and offline channels in retail: The
impact of sharing reliable inventory availability information. Management
Science, 60(6), 1434-1451.
Hracs, B. J., & Jakob, D. (2015). Selling the stage: exploring the spatial and temporal
dimensions of interactive cultural experiences. In Spatial Dynamics in the Experience
Economy(pp. 83-99). Routledge.
imore.com (2018). The Apple Store experience, good and bad. Retrieved from
https://www.imore.com/good-and-bad-apple-store-experience
Khodakarami, F., & Chan, Y. E. (2014). Exploring the role of customer relationship
management (CRM) systems in customer knowledge creation. Information &
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Mah, C. L., Minaker, L. M., Jameson, K., Rappaport, L., Taylor, K., Graham, M., ... & Cook,
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