Is Shopping While Latino as Bad as Shopping While Black?

I'm sure we all have our shopping horror stories. This article was written by the DiversityInc staff. Where have we come as a nation? Oh, I forgot, we do have a Black President. I guess the proper question is, where are we going as a nation?

'Tis the season to be shopping, but that's where Latinos, blacks and whites are all most likely to report experiencing discrimination, a new Manhattanville College poll finds.

Most Latinos who say they've experienced discrimination say it happens while shopping (53 percent). Sixty percent of blacks say the same thing, compared with 44 percent of whites. Discrimination--real or perceived--in stores is likely to be even more pronounced during the busy holiday season, but stores would be wise to be aware of consumer perceptions because bad shopping experiences translate into lost customers.

"We've heard a lot about police," Manhattanville College President Richard Berman said, referring to media coverage and public dialogue often dominated by racial-profiling and police-brutality claims. "But have we heard anything about shopping?"

For DiversityInc readers, this is a major issue. Read Part I: Shopping While Black: One Serious Buyer's Customer-Service Nightmare and Your Worst Customer-Service Experiences Ever to learn more about their frustrations and what they want.

Poor customer service can cost a company big bucks, especially when it comes to multicultural dollars. Black and Latino customers are incredibly loyal to the stores and salespeople that treat them with respect. They may warn friends and family members about patronizing places where they don't feel they've been treated well, but they'll encourage everyone they know to shop at places that understand their needs and treat them with respect, not stereotypes.

Just how much does customer service matter to Latino and black consumers? Here are a few examples highlighted in the October 2007 issue of DiversityInc magazine :

• 75 percent of Latinos say they've stopped shopping at a store because of rude salespeople, and 35 percent tell their friends to do the same. Rudeness is less likely to turn off white shoppers (51 percent), who are less likely than Latinos to relay their experiences to a friend (25 percent), an Ipsos poll found
    
• 69 percent of blacks consider customer service in deciding where to shop, compared with 46 percent of whites, reports Target Market News
   
•  65 percent of Spanish-speaking customers who have had a product/service problem in the last year want a refund, and 38 percent threatened to go to a lawyer or the news media. Only 43 percent and 12 percent, respectively, of English-speaking customers frustrated with a product/service say the same, according to Customer Care Measurement & Consulting