As part of their sales training, the staff at Penny Stores is encouraged to build personal relationships with the store's patrons. Apart from receiving product training, the staff is taught to follow a scripted sales process wherein they must greet the customers, introduce themselves, and enquire about their purchase. They are also encouraged to engage in casual conversation with the customer. In a recent survey conducted by the marketing department, it was revealed that customers were dissatisfied with the level of service at Penny Stores. Which of the following, if true, best explains this situation?

Question

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If customers associate superior service with efficiency and not friendliness, then this would most likely explain why Penny Stores received low customer satisfaction scores. The store's scripted sales process and encouragement of casual conversation with the customer would probably be time consuming. If customers come to Penny Stores to make high-involvement purchases then it does not explain their dissatisfaction as the staff has received product training. Even if the training period for the staff is three weeks long it does not explain customers' dissatisfaction. In customer service, one is expected to be friendly but not familiar with the customer, hence, this too would not explain customers' dissatisfaction. The fact that Penny Stores offers an extensive range of consumer products should result in customer satisfaction.

As Part of Their Sales Training, the Staff at Penny