What will you read in this article on improving customer experience?

• Why invest in a better customer experience?
• How to improve customer experience before purchase?
• How to improve customer experience after purchase?
• Improving customer experience: centralize your customer, not technology
• Optimizing your customer experience: back to basics

What’s this article on customer experience based on?

For our Customer Experience Barometer 2020 we asked people about their customer experience at webshops. We asked about their experience before as well as after the purchase.

Why invest in a better customer experience?

I would think it’s because you, as a company, care about your customers 

But even I know that companies like to see some more serious numbers.

So here’s some numbers about the importance of an optimal customer experience: 

• 32% abandons a brand after a single bad experience
• 59% has turned their back on a brand they love after having several bad experiences.
• 82% has stopped being a loyal customer after a bad customer experience.
• 86% of customers don’t mind paying a little more if the customer experience is great.
• Happy customers spend 140% more.
• Companies that receive top scores on customer experience grow up to 5 times faster than their competitors.

How to improve customer experience before purchase

Let’s start with the 4 factors that make the biggest difference before purchase. Improving your customer experience should start with these 4 things.

1. A customer-centric website with clear productinfo

Brands with a website that receives raving reviews from customers, score up to 50% higher in customer satisfaction that stores who received bad comments about their website.

Customers primarily care about:

• Clear, good product information that answers their question
• Simple check-out, preferably without obligatory registration
• Navigation and search function, so that they can easily find what they’re looking for 

This is in line with what we see ourselves during usertests.

“Good webshop, simple check-out process, customer information stored in the internal memory.“

“Ordering was easy, and it was nice to be able to move the delivery date and time. “

“You need to register using a round-a-bout system. Then products turn out not to be in stock.“

“You start your order. Only at the end does it become apparent that you have to order 27 or 28 pieces. No! That type of info should be at the top – so you don’t start ordering it if you only need 3 pieces!“

2. Good customer service over the phone, chat or e-mail really does make a difference

Shops which customers consider to have an easy-to-reach and helpful customer service, score about 40% higher than brands who underwhelm in that area.

If you want to be successful online, then you have to be easy to reach. Through chat, e-mail, phone and social. Hiding behind a bad chatbot is never a good idea. Human contact remains incredibly important.

And of course you actually have to help those people properly and in a friendly manner. That sounds obvious, but many companies fail in that regard. And diminish the customer experience in the process.

“If the website ever doesn’t work, you give them a ring and immediately you’re helped along by an incredibly efficient and friendly customer service over the phone.“

“Customer service is a dumb bot, so 0.0 helpful. I order 10 times less often than I used to, because it’s been like this for like a half year.“

“You have to dig through the terms and conditions to find the customer service e-mail address.“

3. People want to know how they’ll be treated as your customer

This is a frequently underestimated element of the pre-sales customer experience. People know you’ll promise them heaven on earth before they become your customer.

But they also want to know how you’ll treat them when they actually are your customers. That’s why correct and clear communication about things like your stock, delivery times, and return policy is so important. That ensures an increase in customer satisfaction of 25%. 

“Beforehand I could easily read the return policy. In the end returning turned out to be very easy (…) Communication on it was clear and I received my money back quickly. Beforehand I was saved from worrying by the clear information and (…) clear communication.“

“A 6 week wait for an order? And you’re only informed about this the moment you’ve paid. That’s ridiculous.“

“Unclear info on available stock, and even that info was only given at the end of the process. Frustrating.“

4. A large stock

Webshops that sport a large range and stock of products perform, on average, 25% better when it comes to customer satisfaction than websites with a small range and supply.

That isn’t to say that everyone should sell everything. It does mean that even as a niche player, you should offer some choice.

5. And what about price?

Of course there’s people who’ll buy purely based on price. But the impact of price on customer satisfaction is pretty small. Cheap stores only score 8% better than stores which people consider on the expensive side.

That’s partially because people have fewer expectations of cheap webshops. 

“A lot of faith that everything will work out: delivery, service after sales… The price corresponds, of course. “

“Not an extremely fast delivery. But that’s not necessary, because when I buy with them, I just want to buy cheap.“

How to improve the customer experience after purchase?

The real customer experience only starts at the moment of purchase. For the company, that’s a new start. Back to square one. In the customer monopoly game, this is the “Back to start” card.

Lower customer satisfaction after purchase

The numbers make that apparent. Every brand performs worse on customer satisfaction in the time after purchase than in the time leading up to purchase.

People also have a lot more feedback about the process after purchase than about the process leading up to purchase. Both in a positive and a negative sense.

Don’t just focus on optimizing the customer experience before sales. Pamper your customer after the sale too. 

These factors have the biggest impact on the customer experience after purchase

In our study we’ve found that these 5 factors have the biggest impact on the customer experience after purchase. So start improving your customer experience by tackling these things.

1. Customer service plays a crucial role

An easy to reach, friendly and helpful customer service is incredibly important. When customers are positive about a brand’s customer service, that brand scores about 50% higher on customer satisfaction than brands who have poor customer service.

Remarkably, for the top 5 a third of all positive remarks is about their customer service.

“Took a little while to find out how it worked, but the intermediary was super helpful over the phone and text.“

“Ordering the ‘day deal’ at a 30% discount wasn’t possible in Belgium, but the customer service didn’t make a big deal about this and ensured a proper delivery.“

“I was gonna get a free product with my purchase, but it wasn’t included. I sent them an e-mail, and within 10 minutes I had an apology-mail and a promise they’d send it. The next day I got the article in the mail.“

“Contact details are pretty hard to find. Them when you’re finally speaking to someone, I got the impression even they didn’t know how their webshop works.“

2. Quick delivery and easy returning

Who’d have ever thought that this would have a big impact on the customer experience? ?

A quick delivery ensures a 40% increase in customer satisfaction compared to leaving your customer waiting. And waiting. And waiting.

Even more important is that your customers can easily return their purchase. And, dear omnichannel players: ordering something online which can only be returned in a physical store does not count as easy. That is easy – but only for you. Not for the customer.

“Delivery was waaaaay too slow for 1 led-light. 27 days from Wilrijk to… you guessed it, Wilrijk.“

“The item was delivered in a different size than what I ordered – but I couldn’t return it. The return policy is ‘take it to a store within one year.” Right.“

3. Clear, proactive e-mail communication

There’s no such thing as over-communication.

That’s something we always say at AGConsult. OK, not always. But often.

Our Customer Experience Barometer confirms this.

Good confirmation e-mails, updates on delivery status, and proactive communication in general ensure that the customer is 40% more satisfied. The customer experience is diminished when confirmation e-mails are lacking and communication on delivery is poor.

It also becomes apparent that when you communicate clearly on a less positive aspect, you can still keep your customers happy. Even if the delivery is delayed. But then you do need to inform your customers, in a timely manner and in the right way.

A lack of communication causes unnecessary stress and anger. 

“No track and trace code, which caused confusion about when I’d receive the package. I almost thought something had gone wrong: unnecessary stress.“

4. Pay attention to the packaging

The packaging is mentioned remarkably often in the comments. So it plays an important role in the customer experience. Shops that deliver their products in nice, sustainable and sturdy packages, receive ratings around 30% higher than average.

Primarily packaging by HEMA and Coolblue receive praise: people cite them to be cheerful and reusable for arts and crafts. Expensive brands which send their products in boring brown boxes can count on little support.

Customers also don’t like it when 1 order is delivered in many different boxes. Or boxes which contain an unreasonable large amount of air.

Improving your customer experience by making your packaging more fun. Sounds, well, fun! Right?

“I really liked the packaging. The kids are happy with the box and mom’s happy with the contents.“

“The stars on the box made me happy; and the directive to do something else with it. Instead of the standard brown box.“

“For 4 products in the same order, I got 4 boxes from 4 different couriers. Don’t think that’s what we should be aiming for.“

5. Make it personal

Nobody will complain if you didn’t include a card or a surprise in the box. But it makes people happy when it does happen.

Customers are about 20% more satisfied with stores who include a personal message or a small surprise with delivery. That can be a handwritten card, but even a personal e-mail can go a long way.

A mail after purchase with a tip, or a thank you, ensures a customer experience that people remember.

This way, you’ll strengthen your bond with your customer and increase your shot at a long-term relationship.

So, real personalization works.

“Super personal card and it was nicely wrapped.“

“Unique box with an car-track drawing for the little one and some small gadgets. A nice experience I haven’t seen anywhere else.“

“They sent me an e-mail to remind me that we should make sure to give the young plants plenty of water! Awesome.“

What is the most important conclusion of this study?

Improving the customer experience: centralize your customer, not technology

In articles on customer experience trends there’s a lot of talk about artificial intelligence, hyper-personalization (yes, because regular personalization isn’t enough), voice search, chat-bots, augmented reality and what not.

Yep, it’s almost always about technology. New things.

Yes, because new technologies, that’s what’s going to make your customers truly happy. That’s what’s going to give your customer experience the boost you’ve been waiting for for so long.

That’s what’s finally going to allow you to dethrone the Coolblue’s of this world.

The fact that you’re doing less well now is definitely not thanks to your unreachable customer service, your silly product info or your unclear communication. Oh no: it’s because your AI and chatbot aren’t all that.

For the poor listener: I said that for a laugh. Have you seen a lot of chatbots, AI and augmented reality at Coolblue or Booking.com?

Digital first. App first. Mobile first. AI first. API first. It’s always some technology or another first.
But where’s the customer and their experience in that story? Time for a customer first approach. All the rest will follow.

When the foundations aren’t right, new technologies won’t save you

I’m not saying those technologies are redundant, but from our Customer Experience Barometer 2020 << ADD LINK we’ve learned that companies have other bones to pick first.

When customers start mentioning these kinds of technologies, it’s because they’re complaining. A chatbot that can’t generate a sensible word or recommendation that don’t make sense.

IKEA uses augmented reality, but is also given the lowest customer satisfaction score. You read that right: when it comes to online shopping, customers are least satisfied about IKEA.

So it’s apparent that new technologies won’t help you get ahead. At least not if your delivery costs, times and online customer service leave something to be desired.

Optimizing your customer experience: go back to basics

When you see which factors make the real difference in customer experience, it becomes clear that they’re really very down-to-earth.

Good product info, clear communication, a good customer service, fast delivery… That’s the stuff that makes a difference. And it ensures that a company like Coolblue is in the lead.

Piece by piece these are factors in which your employees play a central role. And technology plays rather a supporting role.

I realize that “this year we’re going to prioritize making our texts more customer centric” or “we’re going to educate our customer service properly and not judge them based on the number of phone calls they handle in an hour, but rather based on the results” sounds less sexy than “we’re going to funnel all our first-line communications through chatbots” and “this year we’ll make AI the priority in our digital transformation”.

But it is important.

AI, chat bots and hyper-personalization won’t get you anywhere if your customers think your product info is fucking boring, or when they can’t contact anyone.

Technology on its own is not a solution to customer experience problems. 

Your employees are.