Review Scheels

Positive review analysis

Review collection

As a follow up to the previous blog post regarding the use of AI to assist in digital marketing, we will look at using AI to analyze customer reviews for Scheels. To analyze customer reviews, we will use ChatGPT to insert specified prompts as well as copying and pasting in Google Maps customer reviews starting with the positive reviews.

Analyzing positive reviews

First analysis

To begin this process, I went to Google Maps and searched for Scheels located in Rapid City, SD. I then navigated to the reviews and set the sort filter to the highest ratings. I selected a portion of the highest positive reviews as ChatGPT could not analyze all the reviews. For the first analysis of Scheels reviews, I inserted the following specified prompt into the chat box followed by pasting in the copied Google Maps reviews. Here is the prompt I inserted: What are the customers most satisfied with based on the reviews? This was the result that ChatGPT returned using this information.

Based on customer reviews, Scheels customers are particularly satisfied with the following aspects:

1. Product Variety and Quality: Customers appreciate the wide selection of high-quality sporting goods, outdoor gear, and name-brand items. Many reviewers mention the availability of everything from hiking boots and camping gear to exercise equipment and sports accessories​.
2. Customer Service and Staff Expertise: Customers frequently highlight Scheels’ friendly and knowledgeable staff, who provide excellent service. Many mention instances where staff went out of their way to help, such as finding the right shoe size, explaining product benefits, or assisting with equipment installations​​ Solve Your Tech.
3. In-Store Experience: The fun, family-friendly atmosphere adds to Scheels’ appeal. Features like Ferris wheels, interactive displays, and clean, well-organized stores contribute to a memorable shopping experience for families and casual shoppers alike​ Backlinko.
4. Community Engagement: Customers are pleased with Scheels’ active role in supporting local communities, such as hosting events and sponsoring sports teams. This commitment to community involvement makes a positive impact and fosters customer loyalty​.
5. Efficient Returns and Exchanges: Scheels’ easy return and exchange process stands out, with customers noting that they feel reassured by the “no-risk” policy on returns. This flexibility and responsiveness enhance overall satisfaction​ WordStream.

Scheels consistently impresses customers with its product selection, helpful staff, family-oriented atmosphere, community support, and flexible return policies.

Second Analysis

The second analysis involves breaking down the best reviews and examining the words associated with these reviews. To achieve this, I entered in another specified prompt into ChatGPT. The prompt was: Extract positive keywords from those reviews, and analyze the frequency and associations of these keywords. This was the result ChatGPT produced.

Here is an analysis of positive keywords extracted from Scheels customer reviews, along with their frequency and associations:

1. “Selection”

• Frequency: Very high
• Associations: Customers frequently mention the vast “selection” of products, such as outdoor gear, exercise equipment, clothing, and brand variety. It often appears alongside words like “everything,” “wide,” and “all” to emphasize the comprehensive range of products available​ Solve Your Tech, Backlinko.

2. “Customer Service” / “Staff”

• Frequency: High
• Associations: “Customer service” and “staff” are repeatedly praised, often with words like “helpful,” “friendly,” “knowledgeable,” and “professional.” This association highlights the consistent, high-quality support that customers experience in-store, making it one of Scheels’ standout features​​ WordStream.

3. “Clean”

• Frequency: Moderate
• Associations: Customers describe Scheels stores as “clean” and “well-organized,” which is linked with a positive shopping environment. This keyword is often paired with “organized” and “stocked,” emphasizing an orderly in-store experience​ Backlinko.

4. “Quality”

• Frequency: High
• Associations: The word “quality” frequently accompanies product-related keywords like “gear,” “brands,” and “durable.” Customers value the high standards of the items they purchase, reinforcing Scheels as a trusted source for reliable products​ Solve Your Tech, WordStream.

5. “Fun” / “Family-Friendly”

• Frequency: Moderate
• Associations: “Fun” and “family-friendly” describe the overall store atmosphere. Features like Ferris wheels and interactive experiences make Scheels enjoyable for all ages, and customers often pair these words with phrases like “unique experience” and “great for families”​ Backlinko.

6. “Helpful”

• Frequency: Very high
• Associations: “Helpful” is a key term associated with Scheels staff, often appearing alongside “knowledgeable,” “supportive,” and “kind.” Customers appreciate the staff’s readiness to assist, from finding the right size to explaining product features​​ Solve Your Tech.

7. “Community”

• Frequency: Moderate
• Associations: “Community” relates to Scheels’ involvement in local events and sponsorships, with phrases like “supporting community,” “local events,” and “sports teams.” This resonates with customers who value businesses that give back locally​.

8. “Efficient” / “Easy Returns”

• Frequency: Moderate
• Associations: Customers often mention “efficient” and “easy” in relation to returns and exchanges, with words like “quick” and “no questions asked” highlighting Scheels’ flexible policies and customer-oriented approach​ WordStream.

Summary of Findings

The top keywords—“selection,” “customer service,” “clean,” “quality,” “fun,” and “helpful”—reflect Scheels’ strengths in product variety, supportive staff, cleanliness, and community involvement. These keywords show that customers value the comprehensive, enjoyable, and well-supported shopping experience that Scheels provides.

Recommendation

Now that we have identified some positive reviews and some keywords associated with those reviews, we will look at some recommendations for Scheels to use to keep their positive reviews rolling in. To gather these recommendations, we will enter another specific prompt into ChatGPT. The prompt I entered was: What would be suggestions from the findings? Here are the suggestions ChatGPT returned to keep reviews high.

Based on the review analysis, here are tailored suggestions for Scheels:

1. Enhance and Showcase Product Selection

• Suggestion: Scheels should continue expanding its diverse product range, especially in popular categories like outdoor gear, fitness equipment, and branded clothing. Highlighting this variety in marketing campaigns and on its website would strengthen its appeal to shoppers looking for a “one-stop shop” experience​​ Backlinko.
• Actionable Idea: Create a “Scheels Picks” section or collection that spotlights top-selling and highly rated items across categories, helping new customers quickly explore popular products.

2. Emphasize Quality Customer Service in Marketing

• Suggestion: Since customers frequently praise the helpful and knowledgeable staff, Scheels could feature testimonials and stories that emphasize this quality. Adding staff profiles or “Meet Our Team” sections online or in-store could further personalize the customer experience​ Solve Your Tech, WordStream.
• Actionable Idea: Share staff-led videos on social media where employees offer tips, demonstrate product use, or answer customer questions. This would highlight the expertise available in-store and encourage more visits.

3. Maintain and Promote Clean, Organized Stores

• Suggestion: Scheels should ensure all locations uphold a high standard of cleanliness and organization, especially given its impact on the customer experience. This could be leveraged as a differentiator against other, less-organized stores​ Backlinko.
• Actionable Idea: Develop a “Scheels Store Experience” campaign highlighting the clean, inviting shopping environment. Customer testimonials about cleanliness could be displayed near store entrances or shared in digital ads.

4. Increase Community Engagement and Visibility

• Suggestion: Scheels already has a positive reputation for community involvement, which can be amplified through more local events, sponsorships, or charitable partnerships. Regularly updating the community on these efforts reinforces Scheels’ commitment to local support​.
• Actionable Idea: Add a “Community Corner” to Scheels’ website or newsletters where they share stories of local events, partnerships, or sponsored teams, inviting customers to participate or volunteer.

5. Promote Flexible Return and Exchange Policies

• Suggestion: Since the easy return policy enhances customer trust, Scheels should emphasize this in communications, especially online, to reduce any potential hesitation about purchases​ WordStream.
• Actionable Idea: Include “No-Risk Shopping” messaging on the website, especially on product pages and during checkout, to reassure customers about hassle-free returns.

6. Highlight the Fun and Family-Friendly Shopping Experience

• Suggestion: Scheels can promote its unique in-store attractions as part of its brand identity, appealing to families and those looking for a more engaging shopping experience​ Backlinko.
• Actionable Idea: Organize family-focused shopping days with additional activities like photo booths or mini-tours for kids, and promote these events on social media to showcase the enjoyable in-store environment.

These suggestions aim to build on Scheels’ strengths and continue to cultivate customer loyalty and positive experiences.

Negative review analysis

Review collection

We will do the same process of entering in specified prompts to ChatGPT in addition to copying and pasting all of the Scheels one and two star negative reviews.

Analyzing negative reviews

First Analysis

To start the analysis for the negative reviews for Scheels, I navigated to Google Maps and searched for Scheels located in Rapid City, SD. I then selected the reviews and filtered them to display the lowest rating. I selected all of the one star and two star reviews and copied them. I then went to ChatGPT and entered in a specific prompt and pasted the copied reviews after the prompt. The prompt I inserted is: What are the customers least satisfied with based on the reviews? This was ChatGPT’s result.

Based on the reviews, here are some areas where Scheels customers have reported dissatisfaction:

1. Lack of Assistance and Greeting

• Issues: Some customers expressed frustration when they weren’t greeted or offered assistance, even when staff were present nearby. This lack of engagement made customers feel unvalued and overlooked, especially for those unfamiliar with the store layout​​ Backlinko.
• Examples: Customers like Mariah Vessel and Harvey Belvedere mentioned instances where they were not greeted or assisted despite the presence of staff on the floor.

2. Customer Service Miscommunications and Delays

• Issues: Several customers reported issues with specific departments, such as archery and bikes, where service delays or miscommunications led to dissatisfaction. In particular, delays in ordering or servicing items were mentioned as problematic, especially when customers had expected timely updates​.
• Examples: Bryce Kudlock expressed frustration over a delayed archery string order, and Matt Fisher reported issues with the bike department regarding unclear communication and service delays.

3. High-Pressure Sales Tactics

• Issues: A few customers noted feeling pressured by sales associates, which created an uncomfortable shopping experience. This high-pressure approach was particularly noted in the clothing and dressing room areas, where customers prefer a relaxed atmosphere to try on items​.
• Examples: Adam Harrington shared his discomfort with high-pressure tactics in the dressing room, which detracted from his shopping experience.

4. Product Availability and Inventory Accuracy

• Issues: Several customers were disappointed when items they expected to be in stock were unavailable, or when inventory did not match the online listings. This led to inconvenience and frustration, especially when customers traveled specifically to purchase an item​ Solve Your Tech, WordStream.
• Examples: Kylee Smith mentioned finding an item listed online only to discover it wasn’t available in-store, highlighting a need for improved inventory management.

5. Perceived High Prices and Limited Discounts

• Issues: A few customers found Scheels’ prices to be high and felt the store lacked competitive discounts, especially when compared to other stores or online options. Some customers also expressed disappointment over the lack of a military or Veterans Day discount, which they felt could be more inclusive​.
• Examples: Vernon Eshelman noted the absence of military discounts, and other reviews suggested that some customers feel Scheels’ prices are not always competitive with online or other retail options.

Suggestions for Improvement

1. Enhance Staff Training for Engagement and Approachability: Reinforce the importance of greeting and offering help proactively. This can help make customers feel more welcomed and valued from the moment they enter.
2. Improve Communication for Special Orders and Services: Setting clear expectations and maintaining communication with customers awaiting special orders could prevent frustration. Regular updates or clear timelines would benefit service-heavy departments like archery and bikes.
3. Provide Training on Customer Comfort in Sales Settings: To address high-pressure sales concerns, staff could be trained on how to provide assistance without creating a pressuring atmosphere, particularly in areas where customers need time to make choices.
4. Ensure Online-Offline Inventory Accuracy: Implement better inventory syncing between online listings and physical stock, so customers who rely on online information aren’t disappointed when they visit the store.
5. Reassess Pricing Strategy and Discount Policies: Consider offering targeted promotions or occasional discounts, especially on high-demand items or for specific customer groups.

Second analysis

The second analysis involves breaking down the negative reviews and examining the words associated with these reviews. To find these associated words, I entered in a specific prompt to ChatGPT to gain these results. Here was the prompt I entered in: Extract negative keywords from those reviews, and analyze the frequency and associations of these keywords. Here was the result ChatGPT produced.

Here’s an analysis of the negative keywords extracted from Scheels customer reviews, along with their frequency and associations:

1. “Unhelpful” / “No Greeting”

• Frequency: Moderate
• Associations: Customers frequently mentioned not being greeted or offered help when they entered the store, despite seeing staff on the floor. Words like “ignored,” “not greeted,” and “unhelpful” appeared, particularly in relation to departments like bikes or general customer assistance​​ Backlinko.
• Example: Mariah Vessel and Harvey Belvedere shared frustration about not being acknowledged by staff, which left them feeling undervalued as customers.

2. “Delay” / “Miscommunication”

• Frequency: High
• Associations: Delays and poor communication were common issues, especially with special orders or service-related items. Keywords like “delay,” “miscommunication,” “wait,” and “not on time” are associated with this issue, often in relation to departments like archery and bike​.
• Example: Bryce Kudlock faced issues with a delayed order in the archery department, highlighting a lack of follow-up that affected his shopping experience.

3. “High-Pressure”

• Frequency: Low to Moderate
• Associations: The phrase “high-pressure” was associated with uncomfortable sales tactics, especially in areas where customers were trying on items or browsing clothing. Customers linked this with words like “salesman,” “pressure,” and “uncomfortable,” suggesting a need for a more relaxed shopping environment​.
• Example: Adam Harrington described feeling pressured by staff, which detracted from his ability to shop comfortably.

4. “Unavailable” / “Out of Stock”

• Frequency: Moderate
• Associations: This keyword relates to instances where items listed online weren’t available in-store, or where popular items were out of stock. Words like “unavailable,” “out of stock,” and “couldn’t find” were used by customers who felt disappointed by stock inconsistencies​ Solve Your Tech, WordStream.
• Example: Kylee Smith’s review mentioned her frustration with a product being listed online but not available when she visited the store, emphasizing a need for better inventory management.

5. “Expensive” / “High Prices”

• Frequency: Moderate
• Associations: Customers often used words like “expensive,” “high prices,” “no discount,” and “overpriced” to describe their experience with Scheels’ pricing. This is often paired with disappointment over limited discount options and a lack of military or other targeted discounts​ WordStream.
• Example: Vernon Eshelman expressed dissatisfaction over the lack of military discounts, and other customers mentioned that Scheels’ prices felt uncompetitive compared to other retailers or online options.

Summary of Findings

The main negative keywords—“unhelpful,” “delay,” “high-pressure,” “unavailable,” and “expensive”—reflect areas of improvement in customer service engagement, inventory accuracy, relaxed sales tactics, and pricing transparency. These insights suggest that focusing on customer engagement, communication, and competitive pricing could help mitigate these common pain points for Scheels customers.

Recommendation

After identifying the negative reviews of Scheels and the keywords that are associated with these reviews, we’ll examine some recommendations for Scheels to avoid gaining more negative reviews. To get these recommendations, I entered in another specific prompt into ChatGPT. The prompt I used was: What would be suggestions from the findings? This was the result from ChatGPT.

Based on the analysis of negative keywords, here are some specific suggestions for addressing customer dissatisfaction and improving the Scheels shopping experience:

1. Improve Staff Engagement and Training for Customer Assistance

• Suggestion: Enhance staff training to ensure that every customer is greeted and feels acknowledged upon entering and while browsing. Reinforcing a proactive approach to customer service would help reduce instances of customers feeling ignored or unassisted​ Backlinko.
• Actionable Idea: Implement a simple greeting policy, encouraging employees to greet customers within a few seconds of entering the store or passing by. Regularly check in on this during team meetings and use role-play to practice these interactions.

2. Set Clear Expectations for Special Orders and Reduce Miscommunication

• Suggestion: Improve communication around special orders by setting clear timelines and following up with customers proactively to prevent misunderstandings. This would particularly benefit departments where specific items need ordering, like archery and bike​​ WordStream.
• Actionable Idea: Create a standard operating procedure for special orders, including setting realistic delivery expectations and establishing a system to automatically notify customers of updates via text or email.

3. Create a Relaxed, Low-Pressure Sales Environment

• Suggestion: Train employees to be mindful of customers’ comfort levels, especially in spaces like fitting rooms. Teaching a more consultative, less aggressive approach to sales would help address complaints about high-pressure tactics​.
• Actionable Idea: Emphasize a “helpful, not pushy” approach in sales training. Employees can be encouraged to assist rather than upsell, focusing on understanding customers’ needs and creating a welcoming environment.

4. Enhance Inventory Management and Synchronize Online and In-Store Availability

• Suggestion: Improve inventory tracking to align online availability with in-store stock. Consider using real-time inventory management systems that help customers check product availability before visiting​ Solve Your Tech, WordStream.
• Actionable Idea: Implement a system on the Scheels website that shows real-time stock availability by location, or add an option for customers to reserve items for pick-up, reducing frustration for those who travel specifically for a product.

5. Introduce Targeted Discounts or Flexible Pricing Strategies

• Suggestion: Address price sensitivity by offering more targeted discounts or loyalty rewards, particularly for high-demand products. Consider implementing seasonal sales or limited-time offers to make pricing more competitive with online and other retailers​​ WordStream.
• Actionable Idea: Introduce a loyalty rewards program, providing discounts on certain product categories or on recurring purchases. Additionally, consider offering discounts for military or veterans to enhance customer goodwill.

Implementing these suggestions could help Scheels enhance customer satisfaction by proactively addressing common pain points related to service quality, communication, product availability, and pricing.