Service delivery requirements of mail order/e-commerce customers : an important consumer insight

• Traditionally, mail order and e-commerce organisations view the consumers as one entity, meaning there is no differentiation of service. Research has shown that return levels depend on both age and lead-time, and consequently end user requirements are of great interest. This study investigates expected lead-time service requirements of one organisations mail order/e-commerce customers and measures the gap between the expected and the specified service. A case study was performed with one of the leading Swedish mail order/e-commerce organisations. The descriptive study combined qualitative and quantitative data answering questions regarding the consumer’s requirements and how they vary depending on age. This research is based on primary data from a customer survey with answers from more than 6 000 respondents. The proposition that the gap between specified and expected customer service requirements varies with age and lead-time was supported, thus indicating that mail order and e-commerce organisations should work closer with their customers. They should likely segment their customers and differentiate their service delivery. The presented research results describe what service requirements regarding lead-time are, and how they vary with age for customers of one organisation. There is a gap between the customers’ service requirements and the service specified/delivered by the case organisation and the gap varies with age as proposed. The only normative statement is that close cooperation between the case organisation and its customers is vital. How customers should be categorized and how to differentiate the service delivery will be topics of further research.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Ekonomi och näringsliv -- Företagsekonomi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Economics and Business -- Business Administration (hsv//eng)

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Maskinteknik -- Produktionsteknik, arbetsvetenskap och ergonomi (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Mechanical Engineering -- Production Engineering, Human Work Science and Ergonomics (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Returns management

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

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