In web-space can you hear your customers scream?

Online retailers need to adapt to changes in consumer behaviour or risk being abandoned for more service-savvy competitors

Reading on 30 January 2013

71% of online consumers expect to be able to access help within five minutes, and 48% will take their business elsewhere unless this help is forthcoming within the expected timeframe, state findings of the Connecting with Customers Report, commissioned by LivePerson.

The Connecting with Customers Report surveyed over 5,700 online consumers from the UK, USA, Australia, France, Germany and Italy to identify how a change in consumer behaviour is leading to a gap between the expectation of online service levels and the reality of what organisations are able to deliver.

The research reveals that, when it comes to online shopping, there are three distinct levels of users – beginners (28%) actively requiring additional help, intermediates (56%) who are largely self-sufficient, and experts (16%) who view themselves as advisers. Online users in Germany and the USA were the most proficient, whilst Italy and Australia had a lower perceived level of expertise. These differing levels of expertise demonstrate the need for businesses to identify the behaviour of customers online and offer the appropriate help and support.

Whilst more consumers are happier seeking out help in-store than online, 83% admit that they need some form of support during their online journey. Without a physical service operative to recognise and respond to this need, how many online consumers have been left to scream at their computer, smartphone or tablet before giving up in frustration? Well, the findings show that 51% will give up immediately or after just one attempt to seek help before an online purchase is abandoned. German (57%), UK (55%) and Australian (54%) consumers were the most likely to give up whilst the Italians (36%) and French (49%) showed the most perseverance.

Immediate and real-time access to information everywhere and anywhere is fuelling a change in how customers make purchases, with nearly 40% now spending as much online as they do in-store. Germany (53%) and the UK (47%) display the most online spend and Italy (27%) and France (31%) the least.

Key findings from the Connecting with Customers Report include:

• Speed of abandonment: 71% expect to be able to access help when purchasing online within five minutes, whilst 31% expect this help to be immediate. Speed of information was less important to German and Australian users than UK, USA, Italian or French. If this support wasn’t forthcoming within their expected time frame, 48% would go elsewhere or abandon the purchase altogether – with the highest figures in the UK (58%) and lowest in Italy (39%). • Customer service expectations: When asked what makes a great customer service experience 82% believe that getting their issue resolved quickly is most important, with German users (90%) placing the most emphasis on this. 56% believe that resolving the issue in a single interaction makes for great service, with the highest percentage in the USA (66%).

• Help seeking behaviours: Globally 83% of online users admit that they need some form of support during their online journey. The UK was the least likely to seek out help (13%), whilst Italy was the most likely (43%).

• Chat on demand: 59% of global users would like to have more choice in how they contact online brands with 93% seeing real time help being of use in at least one online shopping scenario. 51% stated that they were more likely to purchase from a website if they could get answers via Live Chat, with particular demand in Italy (60%), the USA (56%) and Australia (52%).

Tony Heyworth, International Marketing Director of LivePerson, comments: “There seems to be a perception among consumers and businesses that the web is a self-service environment. But the reality is that online consumers expect and need to find the same levels of help and customer service as they would in a physical store. The research shows that they will simply abandon a purchase and hop to another website if they don’t receive the help they require, in the timeframe they expect. To retain customers and really impact customer loyalty, online businesses need to be able to identify the levels and type of help that consumers require, based on their behaviours, and respond accordingly.”

To download a copy of the report visit: www.liveperson.com/connectingwithcustomers

Methodology

The Connecting with Customers Report was commissioned by LivePerson and created by independent research consultants, Loudhouse. The survey was comprised of more than 5,710 online shoppers who had either researched or bought products, or accessed customer services, from a range of different websites. Consumers were surveyed from 6 different countries: USA (2012), UK (1126), Australia (1002), France (538), Italy (530) and Germany (502).

About LivePerson

LivePerson, Inc. (Nasdaq: LPSN) offers a cloud-based platform that enables businesses to proactively connect in real-time with their customers via chat, voice, and content delivery at the right time, through the right channel, including websites, social media, and mobile devices. This “intelligent engagement” is driven by real-time behavioural analytics, producing connections based on a true understanding of business objectives and customer needs. For more information, please visit www.liveperson.com. To view other press releases about LivePerson, please visit pr.liveperson.com.

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