Everyone knows when it doesn’t work, but it is sometimes difficult to quantify. It is about what we expect, not what we actually see and is different depending on who we are and whether we are looking to purchase in-store or online. Brick-and-morter customer satisfaction can comprise of things from bathroom cleanliness to employee interactions while online shoppers are more concerned with return policies, delivery and security. A customer’s loyalty to any given business is only as good as the overall customer experience from beginning to end.
There are far too many stories of bad customer service including misscommunication, ill-tempered personnel, or lag times in response. Social networking sites such as MySpace allow consumers to spread the compliments and complaints fast. Such sites are visited at least once a month by about a quarter of the U.S. online population, according to a study by market research firms iProspect and JupiterResearch.
According to Quidco, 67% of customers start shopping through search engine queries. By using search engines the customer could see both the good and the bad depending on how they bubble up in the search results. While this gives the perception that we have great issues with online shopping, according to a study by the NRF Foundation, on average an online shopper has greater satisfaction in their purchase than the traditional brick-and-morter customer. The ASCI (an econmic indicator of customer statisfaction)
There are some things as customers that we can do to help ourselves in case we have to contact customer service. These points should be done PRIOR to ordering from the merchant:
1. Note the contact information. A Toll-Free number or live help is best, but an easy to find email form or address should be posted.
2. Find the return policy. If it is not clearly understood, email the merchant before ordering. A good refund policy will state whether the you can return at a brick-and-morter store, if the item can be returned if already open and if there is a "restocking"
3. Note whether the site is endorsed or is a member of consumer watch groups such as the BBB. While not necessary for e-tailers which also have brick-and-morter stores, this is essential for internet only merchants.
4. What is the shipping policy. The FTC(Federal Trade Commission) the seller must ship within 30 days unless stated otherwise. If there is a delay in your order beyond 30 days, the seller should give the option to cancel and receive a refund.
5. Print a hard copy of all policies and procedures. Also include the contact information. Should you need to contact customer service, be sure to note dates and times as well as the person you speak to.
As to the top performers in customer service, The NRF survey found the following to be their Top Ten; Amazon.com followed by Nordstrom, L.L.Bean, Overstock.com, and Lane Bryant. Retailers rounding out the top ten included Boscov’s, Kohl’s, REI, Lands’ End, and Macy’s.
The ASCI survey breaks out companies according to different retail categories. A few of those categories and the above average winners are:
Apparel -hanes brand, liz claiborne, VF Corporation
Department Stores - kohls and target, pennys dillards
specialty Retail - best buy, costco, sams
Athletic Shoes - reebok
Personal computing - apple/hp
Internet Travel - expedia
Store-Finders(
