NEW YORK – According to the third annual NRF Foundation/American Express Customer Service survey, L.L. Bean delivers the best customer service in all retail formats. Results were announced at the annual retail industry luncheon during the National Retail Federation’s Annual Convention and Expo in New York City. L.L. Bean moved up from third place in 2006 to secure the number-one spot for 2007.

The NRF Foundation/American Express 2007 Customer Service survey was designed to gauge consumer attitudes toward retailers’ customer service and to provide a listing of the top customer service retailers. The survey, which polled 8,877 consumers, was conducted by consumer marketing intelligence firm BIGresearch from Sept. 4-11, 2007. The consumer poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 1 percent. Consumers answered the open-ended question, “Which retailer delivers the best customer service?”

In order to develop a fair comparison, regardless of a retailer’s size or geographic coverage, the consumer survey responses were compared to each retailer’s 2006 revenues to develop the overall rankings. The survey data and the process for selecting the winners were reviewed by professor Martin P. Block, Ph.D., of Northwestern University.