Main Street Monday – 65% of U.S. Consumers Feel Good About Supporting Small and Medium Businesses

October 21, 2019

By Mary Miller
Contributing Editor, Main Street Monday

Main Street Monday – 65% of U.S. Consumers Feel Good About Supporting Small and Medium Businesses

In September 2019, Zendesk released the results of a survey of 1,001 U.S. consumers. The survey showed that small to medium-sized businesses have an advantage over large companies because of their ability to provide niche-specific products and personalized services.

Here are the highlights from the survey results:

  • 91% of consumers surveyed prefer doing business with small businesses when convenient.
  • 74% of respondents said they go out of their way to search for opportunities to work with small businesses even when not convenient.
  • 65% of participants stated they “simply felt good” about supporting small businesses.
  • 65% of survey participants indicated that the most positive aspect of supporting small businesses is the more personalized relationship and ease of building relationships.
  • 44% stated they support small business because of convenience.
  • 77% stated they were willing to spend more to show their support of small businesses.
  • 71% said they expected better service and more attention from a small business as a reward for their patronage.
  • 42% indicated they encountered less bad experiences than they have with larger companies.

Additionally, the survey determined that consumers believe small and medium-sized businesses provide better all-around customer service than larger companies:

  • Faster response time (53% vs. 23%)
  • Resolution of issues or inquiries (46% vs. 21%)
  • Knowledgeable staff (51% vs. 15%)
  • Flexibility (43% s. 14%)
  • Ability to foster better customer relationships (50% vs. 23%)
  • Enjoyment of working with staff members (40% vs. 19%)

Although larger companies provide lower prices in many cases, only 23% of survey participants said this was a factor in choosing to patronize small businesses.

Source:
The Big Expectations, Small Businesses: What Customers Want