Consumers purchasing online expect as much help as they do in a store according to an international survey that has looked at trends in online attitudes and behaviours in six countries.
“This reflects the fact that the Internet has changed from being ‘self service’ and information-seeking to somewhere where you can connect with other individuals, asking questions, seeking recommendations,” says Erin Kang of LivePerson, the New York company behind the survey.
The report revealed that 83% of consumers state that they need some form of support during their online journey but 51% abandon their purchase if they can’t get help.
“In other words, they want the experience to be effortless, quick and efficient,” said Ms Kang.
More than 5,700 online consumers from Australia, the USA, UK, France, Germany and Italy were surveyed to identify changes in consumer behaviour and how these changes have impacted online preferences and customer expectations. More than 1,000 Australians were included in the survey.
According to the survey, 40% of consumers are now spending as much online as they do in store, and 71% of online consumers expect to be able to access help when purchasing online within five minutes.
If they don’t receive assistance within this timeframe, 51% will give up immediately or after just one attempt to seek help before an online purchase is abandoned. Of these, 48% say they would go elsewhere or abandon the purchase altogether if help wasn’t available within the expected time. Those who are quickest to ‘jump ship’ are in the UK, while the Italians are the most patient.
Across the six countries, 83% of online consumers say they need some form of support when shopping online, and 59% said they’d like to have more direct experience with specific brands, through measures such as live chat and click-to-call. More tha half said they would be more likely to buy from a particular website if they know they can get help online instantaneously.
When asked what makes a great customer service experience, the top three factors were:
- Getting an issue resolved quickly – 82%
- Getting an issue resolved in one single interaction – 56%
- Having a friendly customer service representative – 45%.
"With consumers becoming more adept and familiar with digital channels, they have come to expect the same levels of help and customer service as they would in a physical store,” says Ms Kang.
“Regardless of the size of your business, this means ‘listening’ to consumers so you can improve the online experience and make investment decisions that will help businesses meet or even exceed expectations.”
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