How many customers are lost to bad service?

Retailers who don`t make good service a priority do so at their own peril, according to a recent study from MARC Research and National In-Store, which found that more than 16 percent of consumers would stop visiting a store completely after a bad experience.

The study included shoppers at stores in eight categories total, including mass merchandisers and department stores. In the consumer electronics and home-improvement categories–where consumers actively seek advice and knowledge from sales associates–95 percent of respondents said sales associates are very/somewhat important, and two-thirds said they are very important.

"The role of sales associates is further reinforced by the results of our survey," MARC Research Research Manager Erika Cinicolo said in a statement. "While product and price may bring customers in the door, executing the expected level of customer service keeps them from walking out and into a competitor`s store."

The study also looked at shoppers at office supply, club, grocery and drug stores. It included responses to an online survey from more than 12,000 shoppers and in-store audits of almost 4,000 office supply and consumer-electronics stores.

To download the full study and receive a free subscription to Measure: A Monthly Measurement of the Retail Experience, visit Marcresearch.com/measure .