NEWS IN BRIEF
The Vitamin Shoppe’s omnichannel business gets award for ‘exceptional customer service’
Customer service software and data company StellaService provided the award, based on analyses of thousands of customer service data points collected by the firm’s shopping analysts across a retailer’s multiple channels, including phone, email, chat, shipping, and returns.
From the analyses, less than 20 out of more than 500 companies measured by StellaService qualified for the 2018 StellaService Elite Award, showcasing the rigorous requirements for inclusion, according to a press release from the Vitamin Shoppe.
For 2018, The Vitamin Shoppe placed fourth and is among the seven companies to be named ‘Elite Overall.’ Additionally, the company was ranked number one in the Index for email and chat for the second consecutive year.
"We are thrilled to receive this award for the third consecutive year,” said Mike Hollick, director of customer care at The Vitamin Shoppe.
“In the current retail landscape where consumers have many options to shop, delivering best-in-class customer service is an important differentiating competitive advantage for us. Our Health Enthusiasts strive every day to help our customers navigate our complex and broad product offering to find products that best meet their health and wellness needs. Being recognized for best in class customer service year after year is an achievement we are very proud of."
"Each year our Elite Awards recognize the best-of-the-best in customer service. This is the third year running that The Vitamin Shoppe has been named Elite Overall, highlighting the consistent, industry-leading service the company provides," commented Kevon Hills, SVP of operations and insights at StellaService. "We want to congratulate the team on another fantastic year of service delivery."
In the past few years, the retailer has strived to revamp its in-store customer experience by turning stores into ‘wellness locations’ with in-store beverage bars and sampling counters. It also ramped up its online business by creating a subscription service called Spark Auto Delivery.
However, its efforts have not yet translated into strong sales and margins. During the company’s year-end earnings call in February this year, outgoing CEO Colin F. Watts said that margins are not yet where they want them to be, though there is some progress in the retailer’s business recovery.
