Lowes Case Study Essay

When considering the actions of customers, the consideration must be made to the comprehensive experience of the customer during their experience as a customer. From entering the store, to perusing the aisles, contemplating service purchases, employee service and solicitation, to ease of purchase and exit. Each step the customer takes from outside the store, to in, and back out again all influence the overall experience and impression of the service provided by the vendor. (Zeithaml, Bitner, & Gremler, 2013)

In the case of the home improvement store, Lowes, the customer experience is geared toward the homeowner rather than the commercial builder. The store is set up so that as the customer enters the store they are greeted with an immediate

Although Lowes has many products for sale, its services are what help the customer determine which product will ultimately will be used to satiate the need.

Employee Interaction

As a customer walks through the store there are employees stationed at each service center. From paint to flooring, bath to kitchen, and garden and appliances, each area is staffed with employees who approach the customer to solicit service. Once a service is determined or found, each department has dedicated staff knowledgeable about the service they are selling. Customers can gain consultation and learn what options are available.

Should the customer bypass the customer service desk as they enter, each employee is ready and willing to direct the customer to the area that they are searching for. If a customer chooses to adventure on their own to find products or services, each aisle has customer service call buttons. These buttons, once pushed, will alert the store over the intercom that a customer is in a particular area and is seeking assistance. If the customer cannot find an employee the employee will come to them by using this

After an item has been returned, a backstore employee needs to update the system and have the item available to go back shelf. This includes managing return items and constantly update inventory if the point of sale software system does not already do so. The accounting system processes all the cashflow made by the store.

Support Processes

Several employees and systems offer support roles to the organization including human resources, inventory management software, training personnel and suppliers. Behind this whole organization and any organization there has to be a human resources department that customers do not face.

Inventory management is also important for a service and product based retail business such as Lowe’s. The company must have excellent inventory control to ensure customers can get what they need when they need it.

Employee training is an essential part of any organization. All employees must meet the customer requirements and company standards in order to be able to be on the sale floor. This also includes how to handle in inventory management system, training for customer services