• by Ray Schultz , Columnist, December 5, 2022

Consumers want to shop more online. But many are frustrated by parts of the process. 

Only 11% will now tolerate inefficient customer service, according to The State of Customer Experience, a study by the Northridge Group.  

At the same time, 26% have higher expectation for online self-serve options.  

Overall, 79% of consumers say they will continue to shop online at the same level or higher, versus 68% who said so in 2020. Only 14% to reduce their online shopping, down from 24% two years ago. 

It’s not clear why some individuals will cut their spend: Is due to a poor customer experience, or fears of a recession?

Either way, consumers prefer live chat with agent when dealing with issues:

Chat with Agent — 61% 

Phone Call — 58% 

Email — 51% 

Mobile App — 51%

Web Self-Service—50% 

Text Message — 42% 

Chatbot — 31% 

Social Media — 28%

Live Video Chat — 23% 

Email’s role is more complicated than it looks here. Brands must send instant email confirmations and updates throughout the entire buyer journey and delivery process regardless of the complaint mechanism.  

Only 8% of consumers say email provides the fastest issue resolution, compared to 27% in 2015. In contrast, 54% say phone calls are the speediest method, and 38% cite digital channels, including social media, online chat, text, mobile app, web self-service and live video chat. 

Still, systems must be holistic so that email updates can be provided whatever the channel of resolution, perhaps inviting customers to take a survey or consider another product.

Of the shoppers polled, 35% expect issues to be resolved in a few minutes, up from 22% in 2019, and 34% in a day, down from 41%. What this means is that people will wait only a few minutes to make a second contact. 

“This is troublesome because it increases the chances that a customer will tie up two associate- assisted channels with the same inquiry which is inefficient and costly,” the study states. Moreover, it is likely to drive consumer frustration

The Northridge Group surveyed 1,000 U.S. consumers and 250 business leaders in July 2022.