CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (October 10, 2007) — For the eighth straight year, Crutchfield.com to has earned a "Circle of Excellence" award for website performance and customer service from BizRate Research, a division of Shopzilla. Crutchfield stands alone as the only consumer electronics retailer — and one of just two retailers overall — to win the "Circle of Excellence" honor eight consecutive years.
Overall, almost 200,000 customers have rated their buying experience with Crutchfield through BizRate. In the last year, customers have given the retailer top marks for its "outstanding performance" in areas including: "Ease of Finding What You Are Looking For," "On-Time Delivery," "Overall Satisfaction," "Selection of Products," "Customer Support," "Product Met Expectations," and "Would Shop Here Again."
"We believe that our customers love talking to us because we genuinely enjoy helping them," said Chris Lilley, Senior Director of Crutchfield's Contact Center. "Crutchfield's culture and values make it a great place to work, and our customers feel that, as these Bizrate scores show."
From the website presentation to the swift order fulfillment and the incredibly knowledgeable in-house tech help, it's clear that Crutchfield cares about every aspect of the customer experience, said Lilley.
"We give our people the tools and encouragement they need to custom-tailor solutions for their customers," he said, "and that applies just as much after the sale as it does beforehand. Helping people install and operate their gear is as important as helping them choose it. Service isn't seen as 'overhead' here, it's all part of the fun we have helping people."
Crutchfield's web site, available in both English and Spanish, features comprehensive articles, product reviews, installation videos, and easy-to-use online shopping tools designed to help customers make the most informed buying decisions and enjoy their purchases for years to come. Crutchfield's exclusive online shopping tools include the Home System Planning Center™, 10,000-vehicle Car Stereo Fit engine, TV Fit Finder™, iPod® digital drive-thru™, and a GPS tour that allows consumers to test drive in-dash and portable GPS. The site includes a toll-free number for easy access to live experts located in Crutchfield’s Virginia call centers. Customers are invited to interact online with Crutchfield staff and their fellow customers in the forums and blogs at community.crutchfield.com.
About Crutchfield Corporation
Crutchfield Corporation, which celebrates its 33rd anniversary in 2007, is the nation's oldest direct integrated marketer (catalog, call center, and Internet) of consumer electronics products. Since its introduction in 1974, the Crutchfield catalog has been a respected authority on car and home entertainment products, winning several awards for quality, design, and usefulness. Crutchfield's Sales and Technical Advisors, the core of Crutchfield's commitment to superior customer service, are noted for their high integrity, product expertise, and technical support. They are available by phone, e-mail, and live online chat. Crutchfield.com offers a convenient, full-service shopping destination to buyers of car and home audio/video products. CrutchfieldAdvisor.com is an all-information website that serves as a single comprehensive source about consumer electronics. Crutchfield was the first vendor-authorized audio/video retailer on the Internet and is one of only two retailers to have won BizRate’s coveted "Circle of Excellence" award eight times.
For more information, press only:
Bridgette King/Crutchfield Public Relations
954.937.9616
bridgette@getthescoop.com
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