Survey released of top 10 retailers for customer service

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Big selections, cool gadgets, in-store cafes and cheap prices are nice. But without customer service, your favorite store might as well be a flea market. Falling head-first into the Black Friday frenzy, helpful service with a smile could be the difference between retail heaven and hell for holiday shoppers.

The National Retail Federation and American Express announced the top 10 retailers for customer service, a list that included a mix of stalwarts like L.L. Bean, JCPenney and Nordstrom along with online juggernauts like Overstock.com and Newegg.com. The results, announced by the NRF Foundation -- the research and education arm of the NRF -- were generated from surveys of about 9,000 shoppers. According to BIG research, the firm that conducted the surveys, shoppers were asked which retailers provide the best customer service. The survey was conducted Aug. 31-Sept. 8.

However, instead of giving us each store’s rank, NRF decided to list the top 10 stores in alphabetical order. It will announce the full rankings of the top 10 with a list of 46 total stores that were included in the survey on Jan. 11, during NRF’s 100th Annual Convention and Expo. Sneaky.

In any case, here’s the list they’re feeding us now, in alphabetical order.

--Amazon.com

--JCPenney

--Kohl’s Department Stores

--Land’s End

--L.L. Bean

--Newegg.com

--Nordstrom

--Overstock.com

--QVC

--Zappos

All or most of these stores have been cited on this list since the NRF and American Express began their survey six years ago. L.L. Bean, a mail-order, online and retail company specializing in outdoor recreation products and clothing, has topped the list since 2007.

-- Nate Jackson