We all know the problems that Black Friday brought last year when some retailers simply couldn’t cope with the increased demand and delivery services and promises crumbled under the strain.
This year however all we are hearing is the work that retailers and delivery partners have put into preparing for peak – and the different strategies they are putting in place to cope such as extending offers and better managing delivery expectations.
But with much of the activity likely to be online, a good experience is more vital than ever. New research from Trustpilot today says that one in five (21%) of customers have had a bad experience when shopping on Black Friday or Cyber Monday, with customer service falling below expectations for a quarter of respondents.
The study also showed that the amount of negative reviews doubled on Black Friday last year, compared to the day before with negative reviews accounting for more than one in ten reviews on Trustpilot in 2015.
The study shows that customers are spending longer than ever researching a retailer’s reliability and service rather than just grabbing the first bargain they see. Of this the delivery experience is a key part.
The study showed that more than half (52%) of shoppers plan to do more research around items than in previous years to avoid unreliable retailers. It shows shoppers spend an average of 21 minutes spent researching an item up to £50 in value and 59 minutes for one between £101 and £250. The amount of time spent researching increases further as an item’s value rises.
So, will retailers deliver the experience customers are looking for over this peak period? We’ll see as the results of Black Friday come through in the next few days but this study shows it’s definitely higher on the priority list than ever and that customers are no longer simply happy with just a bargain but with a retailer that delivers the full experience.
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