Half of the highest 100 retailers in the UK don’t show delivery information on product pages. This impacts customer satisfaction. And of the retailers who do show delivery information, nearly 40 percent miss their very own advertised delivery times.
These data come from a brand new post-purchase study from success company Salesupply and ParcelLab. The researchers tested the post-purchase experience at 100 of the largest online sellers in the UK.
‘Reliable delivery is crucial for customer satisfaction and retention, and lots of retailers fall short’
“Our report underscores the critical need for UK retailers to reinforce their services”, stated Tobi Buxhoidt, CEO at parcelLab. “Nearly 40% of outlets don’t meet their advertised delivery times, highlighting a spot between customer expectations and repair delivery. Reliable delivery is crucial for customer satisfaction and retention, and lots of retailers are falling short. This can be a stark reminder that timely and dependable delivery is foundational to customer satisfaction and retention.”
Tracking not provided by 45% retailers
Moreover, 55 percent of outlets send a tracking link from their carrier to customers, which improves transparency and trust. That also signifies that a big portion of outlets (45 percent) is failing to try this.
80% of outlets provide express delivery options
With regards to costs of delivery, the study shows that nearly 20 percent of outlets all the time charge for delivery. And 80 percent provide express delivery, which may attract customers who must receive their orders quickly. On average, online retailers in the UK charge their customers 4.13 British kilos (4.85 euros) for shipping.
Customer support closes too early
The study also includes customer support, as it may well also influence pre- and post-sales satisfaction of consumers. One in 4 major online sellers in the UK only have customer support during business hours, while peak online shopping hours within the country are between eight and nine within the evening.
Closing customer care during peak hours increases the chance of losing customers to competitors which can be available
Because of this these sellers risk losing their customers to competitors who can be found during those times. This result was also present in German and Dutch online stores, where greater than 40 percent close customer care after five within the evening.
Long waiting times in customer care
On average, online sellers in the UK offer 2.8 contact channels. Telephone is obtainable essentially the most ceaselessly, though 6 percent hid their customer support number. And greater than 1 / 4 didn’t publish a number on their website.
50% of outlets took greater than five minutes to reply a call
In online stores where customers could call a phone number, 50 percent of those stores took longer than five minutes to reply a call. The typical waiting time was 8.23 minutes. Waiting times were also high on other channels. Email enquiries were answered after a median of 12 minutes, on social media after 10 minutes, and on Whatsapp it took quarter-hour on average.
Chatbots to reinforce efficiency
Nonetheless, the study also shows that already 66 percent of outlets use chatbots to administer queries from customers. This enhances efficiency and improves customer satisfaction. In a solution to this shift within the industry, Salesupply launched an AI chatbot in April.
‘These findings should function a call to motion for retailers in the UK’
“These findings should function a call to motion for retailers in the UK to critically assess and improve their customer support to deliver the exceptional service that today’s customers expect and deserve”, says Jonathon Huggett, senior business developer at Salesupply.
