New Survey of British Consumers reveals nearly 9 out of 10 Online Buyers Experience Transaction Problems
Released on: November 5, 2007, 2:08 am
Press Release Author: Danny Whatmough
Industry: Retail
Press Release Summary: Despite the increasing maturity of the ecommerce sector a new study published today reveals that nearly 9 out of 10 (86%) British consumers who have conducted transactions online in the past year have experienced problems completing transactions.
Press Release Body:
Customer Experience issues impact the business directly, with two waves of abandonment: . 37% of visitors who have experienced problems conducting online transactions would abandon the transaction after experiencing problems; . 40% would cease doing business with the company after receiving poor customer service from a company's call centre when calling about website problems
London, UK - November 5th, 2007 - Despite the increasing maturity of the ecommerce sector a new study published today reveals that nearly 9 out of 10 (86%) British consumers who have conducted transactions online in the past year have experienced problems completing transactions. The survey, conducted by Harris Interactive®, and commissioned by Tealeaf®, the leading Customer Experience Management software provider, highlighted an unforgiving attitude towards online stores, with 37% of those who have experienced problems when conducting an online transaction in the last 12 months saying they would abandon their transaction entirely if they experienced a problem.
According to the survey, consumer intolerance of an online experience is exacerbated by poor customer support from contact centres when people seek to rectify the problems they encounter. 43% of adults who experience transaction problems contact customer service centres and yet, worryingly, only 47% of these felt that this resolved their issue. Ultimately, 40% of British consumers who experienced bad customer service from a company\'s contact centre following an online issue stopped doing business with the company altogether.
"After a decade of ecommerce, British consumers have very high expectations of their online experiences, yet many companies doing business online are still failing to deliver an acceptable level of customer experience and service to internet customers. Online businesses must pay attention to their customers\' experiences and help them to succeed, or risk losing them and their business entirely," said Rebecca Ward, CEO, Tealeaf. "The only way to understand and pinpoint problems, improve conversion rates and better serve customers is to have visibility into everything that happens on your online channel."
\"The lack of face-to-face contact is an obvious disadvantage online, but customers must feel as though they are valued and that their issues are understood, processed and, ultimately, solved. Businesses need to pay the same consideration to the experience of each and every online customer, just as they would in a physical shop or via a call centre, and to achieve this they require a clear picture of where their websites work and where they fall short. Only then will they be able to take steps to improve the service they deliver to their online customers,\" said Ward.
Other key findings of the survey include:
1. Online v. Offline - 88% of adults were not willing to accept lower levels of customer service online than they would receive in person. 2. Functionality - 20% of those conducting online transactions felt that the ease of completing a transaction was the most important factor in a positive customer experience. Yet 31% of those who had problems conducting online transactions felt that the website was too difficult to navigate and another 29% were unable to complete their action due to an "endless loop", for example. 3. Security - Privacy is a primary concern of those conducting online transaction; in fact 32% felt that website security was the most critical factor of a positive customer experience. However, 40% of those who experience problems when conducting an online transaction reported that, when they have transaction issues, they are likely or very likely to question a company's ability to keep their private information secure. 4. Successful transactions are more important than loyalty programs for travel consumers - For example, 92% of British consumers who have booked travel online reported that the ability to complete a transaction without encountering a problem was important or very important to them, whereas only 24% reported that the travel provider's loyalty or rewards program was important or very important.
Survey Methodology Harris Interactive® fielded the online survey on behalf of TeaLeaf Technology, Inc. between August 13 and August 21, 2007 among nationwide cross-sections of 2,118 adults aged 16+ in Great Britain. The data was weighted to be representative of the total adult population on the basis of region, age, sex, education, and income. The data was also weighted to be representative of the population of online adults. In theory, with probability samples of this size, one can say with 95 percent certainty that the results have a sampling error of plus or minus 2 percentage points. Sampling error for data based on sub-samples may be higher and would vary. This online sample is not a probability sample and therefore no theoretical sampling error can be calculated.
About Harris Interactive Harris Interactive is the 13th largest and one of the fastest-growing market research firms in the world. The company provides innovative research, insights and strategic advice to help its clients make more confident decisions which lead to measurable and enduring improvements in performance. Harris Interactive is widely known for The Harris Poll, one of the longest running, independent opinion polls and for pioneering online market research methods. The company has built what it believes to be the world's largest panel of survey respondents, the Harris Poll Online. Harris Interactive serves clients worldwide through its North American, European and Asian offices, and through a global network of independent market research firms. More information about Harris Interactive may be obtained at www.harrisinteractive.com.
To become a member of the Harris Poll Online and be invited to participate in online surveys, register at www.harrispollonline.com.
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