We talk a lot on the eCommerce Cache about the importance of going above and beyond in customer service, but more often then not, these words of wisdom usually follow an example of truly terrible customer service that demonstrates what NOT to do. However, there’s a reason we keep reiterating that point over and over again; according to a recent survey by customer analytics company TeaLeaf, 42% of customers who have a bad customer experience in an eCommerce transaction abandon the sale or make the purchase with a competitor, while 52% who experience terrible service from a call center following a problem online will never shop with the company again. Of the customers who did try again after a bad experience, almost half of them didn’t have their issue resolved. Rebecca Ward, Tealeaf’s CEO, cautions,

“We’re in a ‘perfect storm’ as users’ dependency on eCommerce grows and their patience for bad online experiences wears thin. More than a decade into eCommerce, we’re increasingly savvy online consumers, and we’re no longer willing to put up with experiences that do not live up to our expectations. Companies doing business online must pay attention to their customers’ experiences and help them to succeed, or risk losing them entirely.”

Addressing customer service issues should be the first priority for eCommerce retailers right now, especially for small-to-midsize companies that don’t have the upper hand on low-price giants like Amazon. With the holiday season rapidly approaching, it’s the perfect time to evaluate your own company’s customer service and see where you can make some improvements. Hire more people for your call center, iron out issues that have been a problem in the past, and streamline your shipping, return and order inquiry processes to ensure that you’re gaining customers, not losing them.