[24]7 research reveals online retailers are lacking in customer support

LONDON, UK: Online retailers are failing to provide shoppers with the required customer support, according to research findings launched today by intuitive customer experience company <24>7.

This was one of the main issues identified when people bought online, with 22 per cent saying a lack of customer support was most frustrating. A lack of product information was the biggest issue, with more than half, 53 per cent, saying this was most frustrating.

The survey of 2,000 UK consumers by Leadership Factor also revealed that 24 per cent were frustrated by online retailers who were not getting simple things right, such as not supplying obvious customer service contact details and more importantly, not offering support at the right time. 16 per cent were frustrated by their issue simply taking too long to be resolved.

With previous <24>7 research in another industry, showing one in two consumers begin their customer service interactions with a phone call, a failure to provide customer service contact details could be costly for online retailers. More so, customers expect companies to know their history and their intent, meaning leading edge retailers should predict when and why a customer needs support.