Customer Service
Examining the knowledge gap between shoppers, retail store associates
Retailers and store associates are facing challenges meeting the needs of consumers. The answer lies in ensuring retail workers are given the tools and opportunity to provide better customer service and necessary attention.
September 2, 2025 by Judy Mottl — Editor, RetailCustomerExperience.com & DigitalSignageToday.com
Nearly half of retail store employees, 45%, are spending too much time trying to find answers to customer service questions and at the same time 36% of retailers report that meeting demands of hyper-informed customers is a top threat to their business.
Many retailers report store associates spend too much on technology support and maintenance (42%) and on administrative tasks (38%).
Those findings, from a Retail Systems Research study sponsored by Jumpmind, reveal an increasing knowledge gap between shoppers and store associates and the gap is eroding consumer trust and diminishing the value of human interaction.
The survey polled retail executives and store managers from December 2024 through January 2025 to understand opportunities, threats, gaps and technology spending priorities, as retailers aspire to meet modern shopper expectations.
Meanwhile, one-third (32%) of consumers reported their favorite retailer provides easy access to customer service when they have a problem.
The findings reveal retailers need to provide technology that allows associates to handle whatever comes their way — from picking an order to processing a return, according to Lauren Cevallos, head of strategy and customer success at Jumpmind.
RetailCustomerExperience reached out to Cevallos via an email interview to learn more about the challenges facing store associates and retailers and what solutions need to be brought into play.
Q: The report's data about retailers struggling to meet customer expectations. Has this been a trend in play and is it getting worse? Or is it relatively new and maybe tied to customers' increasing expectations in the past few years?
Cevallos: Retailers have chased consumer expectations for years, but the stakes are higher now. Shoppers carry more power in their pockets than ever before. Smartphones let them fact-check prices and promotions, reviews and availability on the spot. Social media can turn one bad experience into a viral backlash, and digital innovations in other industries like financial services have raised the bar for what channel-less experiences should look like.
We also see retailers overpromising and underdelivering on omnichannel experiences. A customer buys online for pickup, only to find the item isn't available. Or fulfillment takes longer than promised. Returns become strict or confusing in an effort to cut costs. Shoppers interpret these moments as the retailer failing to respect their time or loyalty.
Q: What do retailers need to do given this report's insight? Is it about hiring more associates and providing deeper training or is it about trying to take away tasks from associates that then gives them more time for customer service interactions?"
Cevallos: Retailers should reassess staffing if customers consistently can't find help when they need or want it. But the solution isn't just to add more people. Successful retailers lighten the load on store associates with automation and self-service, equip them with intuitive tools that reduce training time, and reward them to boost morale. Appointments are another lever, letting retailers match the right associates to the right customers and deliver high-touch service where it matters most.
Q: How can retailers help associates find info/answer customer questions faster?
Cevallos: Inventory visibility and accuracy remain a key pain point in the store. Shoppers usually go to associates when they've exhausted what they can't find on their own. Retailers can help by giving associates a single, reliable view of inventory, products and customers.
I think the device itself matters less than the flexibility. A mobile unit that when docked, is a fixed register and can be easily undocked and carried onto the store floor, ensuring that store associates always have the same tools and data wherever the customer needs them. Of course all the buzz in the market is how AI can add value here by helping to surface answers faster and guiding associates to next-best action. The point is to remove the friction of searching across multiple systems and let associates spend more time engaging with customers and value-added tasks.
Q: Consumers are much flightier than ever — jumping brands with one disappointing experience so how critical is it for retailers to solve the challenges?
Cevallos: It's critical. Today's most empowered consumers switch brands after just a single disappointing experience. Less than a quarter of shoppers surveyed say their favorite retailer delivers a great in-store experience — further indication that the bar is low and loyalty is fragile.
Retailers that succeed are honest about these gaps and laser-focused on closing them. They invest in knowing their customer, set realistic priorities and take an incremental test-and-learn approach rather than chasing shiny objects. That steady progress separates winners from laggards, and what helps turn a one-time customer into a loyal one.
About Judy Mottl
