Music also has a positive impact on customer experience in banks, pharmacies and gas stations

17 October 2017

It’s well known that music evokes a pleasurable experience for customers in clothing stores and supermarkets, but in more “business-like” and serious retail, music also has a clear positive impact on the customer experience. This is according to new research from Mood Media (the global leader in in-store media solutions to enhance the customer experience) and Sacem (the French association of composers, authors and music publishers).

The study “The Cost of Silence 2017” gauged the difference that background music makes for both customers and staff in five different types of stores in France that previously did not play music, such as banks, opticians, pharmacies and gas stations.

Some key highlights include:

70% of customers had a more positive perception of the company image (or brand) when the store played music; 65% of customers agreed that music helped differentiate the company from the competition.
93% of employees preferred music vs. no music at work.
When the more serious industries (banks and pharmacies) were “quiet,” initially only 33% of customers thought music would be appropriate in these stores. However, after the introduction of music, 76% of customers were convinced that background music was consistent with and complementary to the purpose of these branches.
The majority of customers, particularly in banking, felt more comfortable having confidential, private conversations if background music was playing that somewhat masked their conversations.

“This research shows that thoughtfully designed background music can improve the atmosphere and customer experience of business environments, even within industries that are not part of traditional retail. Any business that welcomes customers and clients has a legitimate reason to use background music – not only because it’s an essential part of people’s daily lives, but because music is clearly as important to the customer experience as lighting, store décor and other design elements” said Wim van der Stelt, Sales Director at Mood Media Benelux. “We are increasingly designing music programs for locations that go beyond traditional retail, including car dealerships, financial institutions, healthcare providers, wellness centers, pharmacies, retirement homes, to name a few. This independent study shows that this trend will only increase in the future.”

“The results of this study revealed the impact and potential of music for a wide range of business types,” said Jean-Félix Choukroun, Director of Customer Relations at Sacem. “Sacem is dedicated to helping our customers find the best sound systems and solutions to match their brand. We are convinced – and this study supports this – that music plays an important role in attracting and retaining customers, while also greatly improving the sense of well-being at work.”

Below are additional highlights and results from the study.

Music improves the customer experience and loyalty:

Nearly 8 in 10 customers in these mostly quiet stores said they preferred the store to another when music was playing.
The net promoter score (NPS) – an index that reflects customers’ willingness to recommend a company’s products or services to others – increased by 30% when appropriate music was played, compared to when the store was quiet.
When background music was used in the store, 72% of new visitors said they were likely to return. When no music was playing in the store, only 50% said they were likely to return, a drop of a whopping 22%.

Music improves the perception of a brand:

76% of customers did not perceive waiting for a checkout as long thanks to the use of background music.
The rating of a store as a premium store increased by 20%, from 36% to 56% when background music was used in the store.

Music improves customer relations and staff’s daily routine

Both employees and customers see the benefits of music: 67% of employees noted that customers are in a better mood when background music plays in the store.
Store personnel consider music to be a real motivator: 93% of the employees studied would rather have music than no music during work.

Feelings of honesty and trust grow through the use of background music

The results show that all companies, regardless of market sector, can benefit from incorporating background music into their environment. Once exposed to background music in a “serious” environment such as banks and pharmacies, as many as 76% of customers agreed that the music was compatible with the seriousness of the industry.
56% of customers felt more comfortable having a private or confidential conversation when music was playing in the background, compared to only 26% when no music was playing.

Over 1,000 customers and 50 staff gave their feedback to the study, both before and after background music was used. Mood Media designed the customised music programmes for the different store types. An independent research company (LSA Studies) measured the responses of customers, store owners and staff.