Online shoppers have no tolerance for poor customer experiences. Customers expect reliable sites and a frictionless shopping journey.
Expectations for seamless experiences were not always this high. The advent of digital commerce saw shoppers spent a great deal of money on shipping fees and waited weeks to receive an order. Marketplaces ramped up transactional expectations which aren’t a surprise to anyone who has made a recent purchase on Amazon. However, the existence of frictionless and poor user experience raises a question of what do shoppers expect from customer experience today?
Free delivery is shoppers’ top demand
Seamless fulfilment is the top criteria of good customer service, says the new report Reimagining Commerce: Principles of Standout Digital Shopping Experiences by Episerver. Free shipping, delivery tracking, and returns policy information are the top three service features customers cite as the most important. These service points are increasingly becoming universal expectations for seamless experiences online.
The research polled 4,500 global online shoppers to understand the changing behaviour of ecommerce consumerism.
Marketplaces as a basic touch-point of customer service
There is an important distinction here. An emphasis on experience-driven commerce has not diminished the importance of factors like convenience, selection, search and price to shoppers.
However, marketplace sellers would find that “search” feature is out of their control to improve. This means that sellers should look to trade on marketplaces that provide the essential user experience which they can use to build a great customer service on.
Otherwise, merchants would find themselves accountable for something that’s beyond their reach. Yet, sellers must master other customer service capabilities to earn shoppers’ consideration, and then go beyond them to differentiate from competitors. Consumers go where they can receive the most seamless, memorable experience, not just the best price or delivery options.
Two-day shipping beats same-day delivery
With the news of Amazon moving to one-day delivery promise to deliver extra convenience, the reality is that the larger share of the global audience still expects two-day shipping.
The reports say that 31% of shoppers expect two-day delivery over same-day shipping (26%). It’s interesting to see that consumers’ delivery speed expectation remains realistic. This is good news for sellers who offer their customers a two-day delivery promise.
This findings highlight that sellers have a responsibility to combat shoppers’ buying indecision. The consumer behaviour is changeable. Merchants need to stay on top of the developing consumerism to be able to forecast future changes so that they can align their strategies with their shoppers’ demands.
3 Responses
I have to admit I’ve switched more to buying from Amazon this year, simply because I can get next day delivery with Amazon Prime, instead of the bewildering range of delivery times on Ebay.
That said, Ebay still has the wider range of interesting items and we still sell through them, gritting our teeth through the regular downswings for no apparent reason.
As far as “free” delivery is concerned, it must be understood that this does not exist. It is simply built in somewhere. What matters is being able to get things when you want them. I ordered a tool from Amazon today (Sunday) and I will get it tomorrow.
Can you do that, Ebay? Not at the moment.
People fall for the whole FREE shipping spin, nothing is free at all. However there are those out their who actually think it is, especially gen z.
I have asked numerous people and the main response is “shipping”, years of poor eBay experience and Fail Mail, end result Amazon get their own logistics and scoop up the lions share of business ( all a long term plan and losses to do it)..
Now likes eBay and Fail Mail are in terminal decline, both are run by those who live quarter by quarter.
Everyone I know now buys on Amazon and maybe trays to flog a few things on eBay ( but no longer buys on the site)…
I were to change anything on Ebay regarding shipping, I would make sure that the option of next day delivery was much more visible. I have the capability to send out large items next day but most of the time all that shows on the delivery section is , “Fast and Free 2-3 days”.