U.S. e-tailers failing in key areas of customer service

According to Talisma’s recent study, online retailers in the U.S. are failing in several key areas of customer service. The consequences, in a market currently valued at just over $31 billion, are loss of revenue and a missed opportunity to save on service costs.

Several key areas in which online retailers are failing were identified:-

Email Response – Despite this communication channel being one of the most favored by Internet users, 34 percent of email queries went unanswered.

Lack of Accuracy – just over half (51 percent) of emails and under three quarters (72 percent) of telephone calls resulted in the provision of accurate information.

Lack of Online Help – Just 3 percent of online retailers provide comprehensive self-help information on their websites to enable users to find out product features, service issues or policies.

“With a $329 billion market at stake, online retailers need to carefully gauge the impact of this report,” said Dan Vetras, president and CEO of Talisma. “Significant opportunities exist for retailers to improve their service while expanding their profits.”

Tags: customer service, online retailers, study