A recent report has unveiled troubling deficiencies in the delivery performance and customer service of major UK retailers, revealing that nearly 40% fail to meet promised delivery times and a significant number are ‘sluggish’ in responding to customer inquiries.
The study, titled “The UK’s top 100 retailers’ post-purchase secrets report 2024,” was conducted by parcelLab, a post-purchase customer experience provider, in collaboration with e-commerce customer care and fulfilment specialist Salesupply. The findings underscore critical areas where retailers must improve to boost customer satisfaction and retention.
The report found that 50% of retailers do not provide clear delivery time information on their product pages, which significantly impacts consumer purchasing decisions and overall satisfaction.
Tobi Buxhoidt, CEO at parcelLab, said: “Nearly 40% of retailers fail to meet their advertised delivery times, indicating a gap between customer expectations and actual service delivery. Reliable delivery is a critical factor in customer satisfaction and retention, and the report reveals that a significant number of retailers are not achieving this.”
The report also highlights a mixed approach to tracking transparency. While 55% of retailers link their tracking directly to the carrier, enhancing trust with customers, nearly half miss out on improving customer experience through better tracking visibility. Furthermore, 20% of retailers consistently charge for delivery, potentially affecting their competitiveness and perceived value. In contrast, over 80% offer express delivery, averaging £6.93, with industries such as health, cosmetics and jewellery imposing the lowest surcharges.
In terms of customer service, half of the online retailers take more than five minutes to respond to customer calls, with an average response time of 8:23 minutes. Only 14% of retailers have call centres available during evenings and weekends, missing critical opportunities for customer engagement. Automated customer service is on the rise, with 66% of retailers utilising chatbots to handle customer queries, reflecting a shift towards efficiency but also highlighting the need for balance with personalised service.
The report suggests communication through various channels also shows room for improvement. On average, WhatsApp queries are answered in 15 minutes, emails in 12 minutes and social media responses take about 10 minutes. Jonathan Huggett, senior business developer at Salesupply, emphasised: “These findings should serve as a call to action for UK retailers to critically assess and improve their customer service to deliver the exceptional service that today’s customers expect and deserve.”
