Survey: U.S. businesses more pleasant to customers than European.
Central Valley Business Times

JULY 5, 2006

When you walk into a store in the U.S., Canada or Mexico you’re more likely to be greeted with a smile than if you went into the same kind of store in Europe, according to a survey released by a Central Valley company.

The North American work force offers a smile to 90 percent of its customers, 15 percent better than the results reported by shoppers in Europe, says the survey by International Mystery Shopping Alliance and released by National Shopping Service of Rocklin.

North American workers fared the best in the mass merchandising -- or big box -- sector, registering a 98 percent success margin compared to 35 percent in Europe, it says.

Workers in clothing/specialty stores in the U.S., Mexico and Canada also offered smiles to 96 percent of their customers -- compared to 71 percent in Europe -- and to 93 percent of those entering a jewelry/accessories store, it says. The lowest score for North American workers was 85 percent in the grocery/food/supermarkets and automotive categories.

"A smile is a universal unspoken language that speaks volumes," says Matt Wozniak, president and CEO of National Shopping Service.

"The physiology of smiling actually creates a biochemical result, activating neuro-hormones, endorphins and nitric oxide to make you feel great,” he says. “So smiling can actually make you, and those around you, happier and healthier."

Results are based on 411,350 mystery shops performed in North America and Europe during 2005.