Lowe’s has top in-store customer service

An analysis of Google reviews that mention store associates from top retail chains reveals the best and worst in-store customer service.  

Lowe’s has the top in-store associates across its retail chain, according to a new report from review management platform Chatmeter. 

Chatmeter used its artificial intelligence-powered software to analyze more than one million Google Reviews from 10 of the largest physical retail chains in the U.S. during the entire year of 2024, and compared it to all of 2023.  

When analyzing the average rating (out of five stars) that mentioned a customer experience with a retail associate in a store, here is how those 10 retailers ranked: 

1. Lowe’s (4.3) 

2. Food Lion/Ahold Delhaize (4.1) 

3. Home Depot (4.05) 

4. Albertsons (3.9) 

5. Target (3.8) 

6. Walmart (3.7) 

7. Costco (3.5) 

8. CVS (3.4) 

9. Kroger (3.4) 

10. Walgreens (3.0) 

When looking at all 10 retailers as a whole for their reviews mentioning a store employee, compared to these reviews in 2023, the report found: 

• References to product shortages decreased 25% year over year.  

• References to long wait times decreased 16% year over year. 

• References to staff shortages decreased by 1%. 

• Mentions of items being locked in cases surged 198% on average at each retailer that does this.  

Lowe’s provides most welcoming employees

For Lowe’s, shoppers frequently described employees as welcoming and going above and beyond.  

Compared with the other retailers, Lowes’ reviews also stood out by having good customer feedback around staffing levels. Reviews mentioning wait times decreased 17% year over year, and mentions of staff shortages decreased 13% year over year.  

For negative reviews at Lowe’s, returns was a common theme, with reviews mentioning returns increasing 27% year over year. Also reviews mentioning items being locked up increased 213% in 2024, highlighting a potential issue for Lowe’s.

Target ranks in the middle 

At an average of 3.8, Target ranked in the middle of the group with shoppers giving inconsistent remarks of employees. Some reviewers highlighted associates’ friendliness while others frequently mentioned a lack of professionalism and a need for improved customer service training.  

Compared with the other retailers, Target has more frequent mentions of incidents of discrimination, returns and locked up products.  

At the bottom of the list was drugstore Walgreens. A significant portion of reviews cited inadequate training, with staff unable to handle basic inquiries or store operations. Reviews mentioned staff shortages at Walgreens more frequently than all the other retailers on the list.