Online holiday sales wrought with glitches

[December 20th 2000]

Frustrating glitches are causing many e-commerce sites to end up on shoppers' naughty lists this holiday season, according to preliminary findings released by resource.

Technological bumps, bugs, and other rough spots are throwing shoppers off course -- and on to competitors' sites -- before virtual registers have a chance to ring. The online shopping experience has improved overall since last year's catastrophes, says Kelly Mooney, resource's chief experience officer. Mooney, who appeared last week on the CBS Early Show, noted that e-retailers that fail to smooth shoppers' way -- all the way to the checkout -- will lose money this season.

"This holiday sites are faster, selections are wider, and more deliveries are arriving on time. Many companies are also offering 24 hour customer service," Mooney says. "But despite these improvements, 25 percent of sites have technical glitches that prevented us from completing orders. If consumers simply can't place their orders, companies can't make sales."

Since 1997, Mooney has led a team of undercover online shoppers. Posing as real online shoppers, resource's Internet analysts buy merchandise from more than 50 leading sites. Their shopping experiences are evaluated from log-on, to package delivery, to return.

The team spends in excess of 25 hours evaluating each site on more than 700 consumer-based measures. After 250-plus purchases, visits to brick and mortar stores, and questions for customer service staffs via e-mail and telephone, the study's findings are published semiannually as Resource E-commerce Watch (REW). REW identifies consumer experience standards for the industry including bright spots -- pleasing experiences for customers -- and blind spots -- serious disappointments that turn customers away. Recognized as one of the industry's most rigorous online shopping analyses from the consumer's point of view, REW, uncovers the flaws of even the sharpest online retailers.

Findings to date include:

Bright Spots:

• NORDSTROM.com places a cardboard protector around bows to keep their shape and beauty in tact during shipping. A great extra step in protecting gift-wrapped items.

• VictoriasSecret.com offers six pre-wrapped items for the holidays with free gift-wrap. A definite plus for confused, or embarrassed husbands and boyfriends.

• Ashford.com guarantees Christmas delivery on orders placed up to December 24 and it's FREE.

• Gap provides credit adjustments within 14 days for items purchased online which have been marked down in the store. Now that's a deal!

• eToys.com provides a 10 percent discount to shoppers who purchase gifts off their wish lists. A great way to help relatives select a gift from your child's list of favorites.

• BlueLight.com makes it easy for shoppers to know whether the item they wish to buy will arrive before Christmas. Guaranteed holiday information is visible on each product page.

• Ashford.com does not include return information or their customer service number on packing slips.

• lucy.com sells gift certificates online which can only be redeemed in orders placed over the telephone -- the site is not able to process them any other way.

• Hallmark.com provides free gift cards with products purchased however for gift certificates customers must pay an additional $2.95 for a card.

• A random check of BlueLight specials found 17 of 20 out of stock, as well as every gift basket offered.

• ICE.com and Blue Nile.com, both jewelry sites, do not offer gift-wrap or gift cards. Hey, it's the holidays!

• Crate and Barrel still thinks its branded shipping boxes suffice for wrapping paper, no matter how banged up they may become during shipping.

• ICE.com boasts its gift reminder service in its FAQ's but the function is nowhere to be found on the site. A customer service representative solved the puzzle by informing us that the feature was not yet working.

• adidas includes prices on the packing slip they send with gift-wrapped gifts. Whoops!

• A barnesandnoble.com customer service representative, who was trying to be helpful, only increased our concerns as she warned that items listed as shipping in 1-2 weeks often take more than one month to ship. One of several problems with the company's site that "bothered" her.

• ZanyBrainy.com offers gift wrapping and we paid for it on two separate orders. But when both gifts arrived, neither was wrapped.

Links
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