Retailers across all channels are committed to improving the customer service experience. But which online retailers are doing the best job of pleasing shoppers?
In a recent study of customer service speed and quality, JCrew.com, LLBean.com and Net-A-Porter.com headed a Top 10 list of eTailers rated strongest in all four benchmarked areas: phone, email, shipping and returns. Data scored was based on approximately 20,000 secret shopper interactions with online retailers during July 2013.
Nordstrom.com, SaksFifthAvenue.com, Sephora.com, Shop.lululemon.com, Store.Apple.com, Wayfair.com and Zappos.com also made the Top 10 list of best online customer service providers across all four benchmarks.
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The independent, covert e-shopping research was conducted by STELLAService, a provider of customer service ratings for online retailers. Dozens of STELLAService employees nationwide test eTailers’ customer service practices every day by calling and emailing with questions, and buying and returning products. Data is evaluated based on speed and quality of information; product delivery and presentation; refund and account credit process; and more.
Benchmark ratings are evaluated within 11 specific categories, including Apparel/Accessories, Sportswear, Department Stores, Beauty/Health, Home Furnishings, Electronics, Sporting Goods, Mass Merchant, Hardware, Office Supplies and Auto Parts. The comprehensive customer service department ratings are totaled by the month and revealed with details and analyses. The STELLAService methodology is audited by KPMG.
For the data collected during July 2013, STELLAService noted the following:
Phone: LLBean.com was the fastest among all retailers at connecting customers to a live agent, but JCrew.com edged the retailer with stronger scores for issue resolution and professionalism. Still, LLBean.com improved to second after missing the top five in the previous month.
Email: LLBean.com definitely makes speed of reply a priority. The retailer was best-in-class across all retail verticals for response time to emails, averaging 10 minutes faster than its nearest competitor in the metric.
Shipping: Zappos.com bested the field in both total days to delivery and package quality, helping the retailer take the top spot in shipping.
Returns: Net-A-Porter.com processed refunds more than a day faster than its closest competitor in the vertical.
“When you think of customer service, it boils down to speed and/or quality, which is why we concentrate on these specific metrics,” Kevon Hills, Director of Research for STELLAService, said in an interview with Retail TouchPoints. “On the inbound, call center side, if customer questions aren’t answered quickly, fully and professionally, retailers are missing a big opportunity.” On the outbound side, STELLAService measures speed of shipments, returns and credits, as well as quality: “Was there a right-sized box; attractive bow; thank you note; and prepackaged return/exchange label? Does the customer get a ‘wow’ experience every time?”
Retailers consistently earning high rankings across key metrics are awarded the STELLAService Seal of Approval which they can post on home, product and customer service pages, and at checkout. The seal, explained Hills, “lets the world know that the retailer is an Elite-level provider of customer service.”
Great Customer Service Is A Moving Target
Even Elite-level providers discover new ways to innovate and improve service to their digital customer base, stated Ty McMahan, Director of Content for the retail customer service performance provider. “Great customer service is a moving target. There’s never a finish line because someone else is always innovating. Retailers consistently earning a top position on our monthly ranking lists are never complacent; they are constantly pushing the envelope to get better each month.”
STELLAService launched the monthly benchmark reports in November 2012. In February 2013, the company released STELLA Metrics, a data solution that enables retailers to monitor how their efforts stack up against the competition on an ongoing basis.
Retailers seeking more comprehensive details about their customer service performance can buy the STELLAService data compiled for their online operation.
Results for the online interactions that took place during August 2013 will be available after September 18. Click here for the update.
