Online Retailers Fail in Customer Service

United Kingdom -- In a mystery shopper exercise conducted by customer interaction management specialist by Talisma, almost half (45 per cent) of UK web retailers failed to even reply to customer emails.

In a market predicted to be worth £60 billion in the next five years, Just 47 per cent of those who did respond to email queries provided accurate and complete information, and only 37 per cent of responses were personalised.

The study contacted more than 60 leading UK online retailers and asked them: What are your shipment charges? What credit/debit cards can I use to make a payment? A score out of 100 was then awarded to each retailer depending on their responses and the experience of the mystery shopper.

When called by phone, 94 per cent of enquiries were answered, but just two per cent were handled in a personalised way. A meagre two per cent of retailers offered online chat services, while 71 per cent provided a frequently answered questions (FAQ) section.

Health and beauty firms came out on top in terms of customer service, with all their emails and calls being dealt with promptly and accurately. Supermarket chains and toy retailers were next best but clothing and accessories retailers performed the worst. Of those in that sector that responded to email, just 31 per cent provided accurate information..