Dive Brief:
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Aveda, Golfsmith, L.L. Bean, REI, Sunglass Hut, and Zappos performed the highest in customer service in the 16th Annual Mystery Shopping Study by the E-Tailing Group.
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Customer-service factors assessed by the study included fast shipping of three days or less, check-out clicks of five or fewer, shipment-tracking ability, and good response times to customer inquiries by email or phone.
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While the average response time to email inquiries for the 100 companies was 21 hours, the top-rated companies responded in an average of eight hours, by contrast. Phone response, including time on hold, was also better among the top companies.
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The research found that 43% of the retailers have one-click checkout, down from 49% last year; 62% accept PayPal payments, up from 56%; and 27% allow online returns, up from 21%.
Dive Insight:
This study reiterates the importance of meeting the high expectations retail consumers have when shopping online. They want ease of shopping, quick shipping, and good communication via email and phone. Even as consumer confidence strengthens, and even if consumers begin to shop more, let's face it: It’s likely that customers' expectations of e-retailers will remain high. More must step up their game to stay in the game.