Where's the service ?

Interesting article by Jeffrey Pfeffer . Retailer myopia is clearly a global phenomenon :)

....First stop: Macy’s

December Same Store Sales: –4%

Macy’s has perfected the neutron-bomb theory of retailing. You remember the neutron bomb — it was designed to kill the people but leave the buildings. Macy’s has lots of merchandise but no sales help that can be located....

..But I was determined to find the sales help, and with some diligent searching I made a discovery. There are several “hiding places” in the store I visited — spots ostensibly on the sales floor but out of sight of the customers — where the sales people hang out. One was giving another a back rub. In another department, a small group was happily chatting away. But they were not to be interrupted by me, so I went on my way. They also didn’t seem very happy to see me. Even in these stringent financial times, it doesn’t cost much to smile

Third stop: Sears
December Same Store Sales: -7.3%

Sears has a pretty large store in my local mall, so to find what I was seeking, I needed to ask people. Big mistake. No one seemed to know where anything was. Well, that’s not entirely true; some of the other customers were actually quite helpful. Couldn’t blame the sales staff — many were new to the store, and I doubt they had received much, or any, training.

.....By then I’d had all the fun I could stand, so I went home. So what did I learn in my brief shopping excursion? First, no wonder I hate to go shopping. It has become a thoroughly unpleasant experience. Second, the mall is sort of like an Outward Bound experience: Lots of friendly customers helping each other out, since the sales staff is either nonexistent or would rather not be bothered. Third, without for a moment denying that the principal factors causing the retail downturn are the lousy economy and the credit crunch, it is also the case that the in-store experience adds almost nothing to shopping success......

....We supposedly live in a service economy, now that manufacturing has mostly disappeared. If that’s true, we are truly in trouble. Because in this service economy, where’s the service?