Study Reveals Where Dot.Coms Fail

While a majority of studies point to most consumers being satisfied with their online shopping experiences, there are a few that key on the dissatisfied segment of Net shoppers. A six-person team, sponsored by Resource Marketing, Inc. spent 10 weeks surfing sites, placing orders, returning merchandise and contacting customer service agents while taking note of how each performed.

Their impression? "In the race to grab new business many sites are forgetting the customer," Resource Marketing spokesperson Kelly Mooney said. "While the shopping experience is improving, customer service falters. Its no wonder that customer conversion rates hover near 1.5 percent and abandoned online shopping carts have soared to as high as 88 percent."

So what can we do to get prospects through the sales cycle and then coming back for more? First of all - follow the same process for customer service issues that you would for an offline firm. Many of the customer service principles that succeed in the brick and mortar world are mirrored in the digital world.

Make the online purchase process intuitive. Web customers hate nothing more than being lost within a shopping site, unable to find the checkout or what theyve already placed in their shopping cart. Integrate your shopping and warehousing databases to reflect in stock and backordered items so customers know up front how long theyll need to wait for an item - dont shock them after theyve taken their time to give you credit card information to tell them their item is backordered for six months.

Information, information, information. Let customers know where in the fulfillment pipeline their shipments are via your web site. Integrate shippers tracking number systems to allow customers to see that their pack of new Beanie Babies will be on their doorstep on Thursday. Instant access to this information will deflect a large number of the "wheres my stuff" communications into a customer service center.

When those communications do come into the customer service center - have real people available to answer them. Automated responses and phone systems can be cost effective and have a definite place, but the empathetic person on the other end of the phone, online chat or personal email is most often the cure for questioning and disgruntled customers.

About the Author.

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