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April 03 2008
The customer is always?
Problems working out the next word in this popular phrase? You’re not alone. A survey of popular shopping websites has identified customer contact and delivery as the two key areas where online retailers need to improve
While the average retailer has improved in leaps and bounds, not all of the lessons have been transferred to the web. The latest e-retail benchmarking study from eDigitalResearch has identified customer contact and delivery as the two key areas where online retailers need to improve in order to capitalise on customer loyalty and brand satisfaction.
The eDigitalResearch tracking study used eMysteryShoppers to evaluate over 30 of the most popular shopping websites in the UK, and the results show retailers are being challenged by the management of increased levels of customer service contact (both telephone and email). Although the majority of those surveyed by eDigitalResearch said that they expect a response within 24 hours of sending an email, many businesses are leaving customers frustrated by being unable to provide such a service. It is clearly imperative that this is improved upon; otherwise brand loyalty will be at risk.
The other aspect of e-commerce that the survey identified as cause for customer complaint was delivery. Once a purchase has been made online, customers want their order to be delivered at a time and place that suits their lifestyle. The customer is increasingly looking for more flexible delivery options to meet their own individual requirements. Online retailers that fail to provide flexible delivery options will lose out.
The e-retail study identified Amazon as the overall leader in customer service. The e-retail giant scored the highest for customer telephone contact as well as accurate search results and website first impressions. It has repeatedly scored high in the league tables over the last seven years and its fast, user friendly website is complemented by excellent levels of customer service. John Lewis Direct also scored very highly in both email and telephone support.
Michelle Fuller, director, eDigitalResearch, comments, “It is a concern that so many online retailers are overlooking important aspects of their service such as customer communication and delivery. Both loyalty and customer conversion are affected when customers email product or delivery queries before making a purchase online and their query goes unanswered.”
Fuller concludes, “The survey demonstrates that the long term e-commerce winners will be those sites that deliver at every stage of the ‘end to end’ customer process. Amazon and John Lewis are both excellent examples of how online players should be focusing on more than site functionality and price.”
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