Definition (1):
Service retailer refers to a retailer, whose product line is actually a service, including hotels and motels, banks, airlines, colleges, hospitals, movie theaters, tennis clubs browsing alleys, restaurants, repair services, hair salons, and dry cleaners. These retailers in the United States are growing faster than product retailers.
Definition (2):
The fundamental to all service retailers’ businesses is customer service. A service retailer protects customer loyalty and offers the customers their best service so that they have outstanding retail experience.
These retailers can be mainly of three types based on the form of service they are providing.
1. Full-Service: These retailers provide support to customers at each touch-point of the total shopping process. It is not just limited to the area of personal interaction and also offers service type making the overall shopping experience easier in the following ways:
- To accept multiple payment forms such as debit card, credit card, check, and cash.
- To offer delivery services
- To provide demonstrations or make recommendations, such as to offer product samples, cooking classes, or recipes.
- To allow returns or exchanges
- To allow special orders
- To provide consumer loyalty programs
2. Assorted-Service: Most service retailers provide some level of service to customers. Services include managing the purchase-point transaction, assistance in product selection, offering delivery, arranging payment plans, and the like.
3. Self-Service: These retailers allow customers to perform all or most of the services related to retail purchasing. Some customers view self-service as a benefit, but others may take it as inconvenient.