In a competitive retail environment, supermarkets depend upon customers recommending them. One way they can achieve this is through good customer service.

People often highlight John Lewis as setting the standard for good customer service. Yet how hard do supermarkets need to work at impressing their customers in order to create recommendations?

A quick survey of Touchpoints 2012 reveals some interesting results. Whilst customers of M&S Food, Aldi and Lidl are most likely to tell their friends if these retailers impress them, customers of Waitrose, Tesco and John Lewis are least likely.

The results mean that Waitrose, Tesco and John Lewis need to work hardest at impressing their customers in order for them to recommend these retailers.