Attention Retailers: Want to Have Customers Shop in Your Store and Buy More?

Have Your Employees Wear Name Badges!

To determine what motivates customers to shop in stores, make multiple visits, and buy more merchandise, a recent random survey of 1,000 men and women across the U.S. was conducted by Social Science Research Solutions (SSRS) for Imprint Plus, leading manufacturer of customized reusable name badge systems.

According to the survey, nearly three out of five customers (59%) were more likely to shop in a store where they knew the sales associates by name, title and area of expertise. Of those surveyed (57%) of the total claimed that they buy more merchandise and frequent a store more often when they had a relationship with the sales associate by name. Men were even more likely to do so (65%) than female shoppers (64%).

Two thirds of those surveyed stated that knowing the name of store employees helped in building a relationship with the retailer. The percentage among male customers was slightly higher at 71%. Among the top reason for shopping at a specific store was listed as “merchandise selection” (62%) with the second reason being identified as “personal service” (29%).  When asked about what customers would like to know about sales associates, 67% of the respondents stated “area of expertise” (67%), followed by “years of service” (21%).

In prior surveys, when customers were asked whether it is important to recognize a person by name when doing business, an overwhelming number of the total respondents (96%) said yes.  Over 70% of all respondents agreed upon the importance of identifying a sales person by name and 76% stated that they have more trust in a business whose employees wear name badges, and consider the company more professional. Surprisingly, the percentages were higher overall among the 18-34 year old demographic.

“A name badge stating a sales associates’ name, title and area of expertise is a personalized introduction to the customer, one that the survey clearly establishes as a pathway to developing better customer relations with the retailer, as well as generating more sales and frequent visits,” says Marla Kott, CEO of Imprint Plus.

“Most retailers spend thousands or even millions of dollars promoting their image, a concept which includes everything from advertisements to shopping bags. However, that carefully cultivated image can be undermined when the sales associates greet customers without the proper identification tools such as customized and personalized name badges,” adds Ellen Flanders, Imprint Plus founder.

Imprint Plus’ patented name badge systems use an exclusive, magnetic backing which holds the tag firmly in place without pins or glue, and also provide a reusable, eco-friendly solution to making personnel changes. Rather than sticking on a plain paper label or pinning on a plastic name tag, people and businesses are choosing to customize their own sleek, impressive-looking metallic name badges that showcase the wearer professionally, without falling off or damaging clothing.

Imprint Plus manufactures an assortment of name badges and systems that range from customized company name badge systems; to The Mighty Badge Kit, perfect for the small to mid-size businesses with 10+ employees; to YouWho name badges in two- and four-unit kits, starting at $25. For information on name badges, visit www.imprintplus.com, www.themightybadge.com, or www.youwhobadges.com.

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About Imprint Plus
Imprint Plus manufactures an assortment of name badges and systems that range from customized name badge systems for large multi-national companies; to The Mighty Badge Kit for the small to mid-size businesses with 10+ employees; to YouWho name badges in two- and four-unit kits. Imprint Plus recently introduced its multi-language version of its “plug and play” Name Print Graphics (NPG) software. The new software supports five languages of English, Portuguese, German, French and Spanish for creating professional looking name badges in print text with graphics on any PC. In addition to the multi-language feature, the new software offers foreign language character input for Chinese and Japanese languages. For information on name badges, visit www.imprintplus.com, www.themightybadge.com, or www.youwhobadges.com.