For a second consecutive year, friendly and knowledgeable staff continues to be the key driver to higher satisfaction among specialty coffee retailer customers, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2013 Specialty Coffee Retailer Satisfaction Report released on 4 April.
Now in its second year, the report measures overall customer satisfaction among US specialty coffee retailers by examining five key factors. These factors were, in order of importance, staff (34 per cent), merchandise (23 per cent), cost (18 per cent), facility (14 per cent) and sales/promotions (11 per cent). In 2013, overall satisfaction with specialty coffee retailers averages 810 points (on a 1,000-point scale), an increase of four points from 806 in 2012, J.D. Power said in a statement. “Staff friendliness and positive interaction with the customer are keys to achieving high levels of satisfaction,” said Sally Lombardo, Director of Research Pperations at J.D. Power and Associates, in a statement. “A specialty coffee retailer whose staff learns to master these skills may not only achieve high customer satisfaction, but also benefit from positive recommendations, customer loyalty and attachment to the brand.” The report finds that customers spend an average of US$7.31 per visit to a specialty coffee retailer. The average amount of time customers spend in the checkout line is 6.3 minutes. Among the seven brands included in the report, Dutch Bros. Coffee ranks highest in overall satisfaction for a second year, with a score of 824. Dutch Bros. also performs particularly well in the staff, sales/promotions and cost factors. Following Dutch Bros. Coffee in the rankings are Seattle's Best Coffee (812) and Starbucks Coffee (811), both outperforming the industry average (810). The report noted that customer satisfaction with specialty coffee retailers may equate to customer loyalty, as 52 per cent of highly satisfied customers say they “definitely will” recommend and “definitely will” repurchase their brand. In addition, 34 per cent of highly satisfied customers indicate they are “highly” committed to their specialty coffee retailer brand. Among Dutch Bros. Coffee customers, 56 per cent say they “definitely will” repurchase and 58 per cent “definitely will” recommend the brand to family and friends, both significantly higher than the industry averages (52 per cent) and are the highest among brands ranked in the report.
“Dutch Bros. Coffee is exceptional at creating an experience that resonates with their high-intensity customer base, which results in their very high loyalty and satisfaction ranking,” said Lombardo. “Being able to provide a hip, fun experience to customers with a local and unique feel helps Dutch Bros. Coffee continue to differentiate itself from its competitors year over year.” The 2013 Specialty Coffee Retailer Satisfaction Report is based on responses of more than 3,100 customers who purchased any product or beverage at a brick-and-mortar specialty coffee retailer in the 30 days prior to being surveyed. The report was fielded in December 2012 to 2 January 2013. Brands included in this report have revenue that exceeds US$35 million and have at least 100 locations.
