L.L.Bean Tops Amazon for Customer Service Honor

For the third year in a row,  outdoor outfitter L.L. Bean has been named customer service champion over Amazon.com in Prosper Insights & Analytics’ annual review of service excellence among retailers. The list was developed from write-in votes from more than 6,500 U.S. adults in September 2016, and was weighted by each retailer’s size in annual revenues as well as its fan base, as defined by each retailer’s Net Promoter Score. Lands’ End, Fingerhut and Kohl’s follow L.L.Bean and Amazon, respectively, to round out the top five. Others joining this year’s list of 25 retailers range from department stores (J.C. Penney, Nordstrom) to big-box outlets (Best Buy, Lowe’s), as well as grocers (Publix, Wegmans), discounters (Target, Wal-Mart) and a warehouse club (Costco).

Total Retail’s Take: So, what's the special customer service sauce that L.L.Bean has? According to an analysis of the more than 3,000 responses received for the top 25 retailers, L.L.Bean has continued to distinguish itself by staying true to its roots — providing legendary customer service through guaranteed-to-last products as well as helpful, knowledgeable and accessible associates. That's a mission that all retailers should keep in mind!