Two reports on online customer satisfaction this holiday season show shoppers generally satisfied with their experience this year, though one report shows a slight drop from last year’s satisfaction levels. The reports, from Nielsen Online and from Foresee Results’ Top 40 Online Retailer Satisfaction Index, both ranked Netflix.com ahead of all other online retailers in terms of customer satisfaction.
Nielsen Online, a unit of The Nielsen Company, reported that 82% of online shoppers surveyed were very satisfied or somewhat satisfied with customer support available during their online shopping experience. The data were gathered Dec. 13 – 17 from an online survey of nearly 900 shoppers. But in Foresee Results’ ongoing customer satisfaction index satisfaction with the Top 40 online retailers, as ranked by Internet Retailer on sales volume, scored an aggregate 74 on a 100-point scale, down 1.3 points from last year.
The Nielsen Online survey found that 46% of those surveyed had done the majority of their holiday shopping online. 46% also was the percentage of respondents who said they planned to post, or had already posted, reviews about their online shopping experience. Most, 88%, said that their reviews were or would be positive.
The 10 top-ranked online retailers in Nielsen’s report all earned “very satisfied” ratings from more than 80% of respondents. They are Netflix.com, which garnered “very satisfied” ratings from 90.3% of those surveyed; NexTag.com, 87%; Amazon.com, 86.6%; Shopping.Yahoo.com, 84.3%; Kohls.com, 84.1%; BarnesandNoble.com, 82.8%; HomeDepot.com, 82.5%; CircuitCity.com, 82%; eBay.com, 80.5%; and JCPenney.com, 80.3%.
Foresee Results’ holiday report found that Internet-only retailers had an edge over multi-channel retailers in terms of customer satisfaction, as indicated by the fact that that Internet-only retailers had an average rating of 86 points while other categories of merchants and product manufacturers were at 79 or 80. The top-rated web sites in the survey of some 11,000 consumers, conducted online between Nov. 26 and Dec. 17, included several that were highly rated last year.
Among the 10 top-rated retailers, Netflix at number one scored 86 in customer satisfaction out of a possible 100 points. It was the was the same score it received in Foresee Results’ Holiday 2006 report and the third consecutive year it’s been the top-rated online merchant in the holiday survey. Following Netflix in Foresee’s report was Amazon.com, with a score of 82, which represented a drop of two points from last year. Amazon was followed by QVC.com, with a score of 80 points, same as last year; LLBean.com, with a score of 80, same as last year, and Apple.com, with a score of 79, same as last year.
Next in Foresee’s rankings were Avon.com with a score of 79, representing a 3-point gain from last year; Zappos.com with a score of 78 points and a three-point gain; BarnesandNoble.com with 78 point score representing a one-point gain; TigerDirect.com with a 77 point score and a one-point gain, and Newegg.com, with a 77 point score that dropped one point from last year.
Several of the remaining retailers in Foresee Results’ survey of the Top 40 showed a drop in customer satisfaction from last year’s holiday season; such as 1-800-Flowers.com, with a score of 71 points that was a three-point drop from the previous holiday season, and Sears.com, with a score of 71, down by three points.
Among factors contributing to this season’s findings, “The tough economy and the flurry of discounting throughout the season lead to more price comparison shopping and higher expectations for deals,” says Larry Freed, president of Foresee Results.
Researchers say that holiday customer satisfactions levels online are key not only because they indicate how online retailers will fare in the important fourth quarter, but they also set the stage for the year ahead. “Negative customer experience can hamper growth significantly, especially in this age of consumer-generated media,” says Ken Cassar, vice president , industry solutions analytics, Nielsen Online. “Online retailers should be thrilled that, regardless of whether or not sales meet expectations, this holiday season will provide a solid foundation for 2008 from a customer service perspective.”
Back...
