E-tailing Group finds 11 exemplary e-tailers

The e-tailing Group has announced their latest list of top-ranked online merchants based on their ability to meet set customer service criteria.

by Helen Leggatt

One hundred online merchants were targeted for The e-tailing Group’s 10th Annual Mystery Shopping Survey. Each merchant was ranked using a set of 12 “must have” criteria prioritised as follows:-

1. Toll-free or 0800 telephone number visible on the home page
2. Prominent keyword search
3. Accurately answer email query within 25 hours; providing a specific answer
4. Four or fewer days to receive goods
5. Six or fewer clicks to checkout
6. Real time inventory in shopping cart or product page
7. Online shipping status
8. Order confirmation in shopping cart
9. Email order confirmation sent with order number provided
10. Recommended products/features during shopping process
11. Display customer service hours
12. Holiday shipping deadline stated

Eleven online merchants scored top marks, fulfilling all of the criteria, and four(*) managed to fulfill all but one – placing a toll-free number on the homepage.

Blue Nile
Container Store
Crutchfield
Discovery Channel Store
Fossil
Golfsmith
Lands’ End
Polo
Pottery Barn
REI
Zappos
*Armani Exchange
*Bluefly
*Home Depot
*Nine West

"As the online channel matures it is essential for merchants to prioritize exemplary service or growth rates will continue to decline and flatten out," said Lauren Freedman, President, the e-tailing group.

"Throughout this year’s study we clearly saw a divide between merchants that just provide baseline service and those that truly have a customer service culture. Great service leads to loyalty and those merchants who make it the differentiator will profit from their investments," she added.