Retailers and manufacturers could stand to improve the post-purchase experience, according to a study from The CMO Council and LiveTechnology. In fact, just 1 in 6 consumers surveyed reported receiving excellent post-purchase service, and the lack of such support emerged as shoppers’ top frustration.
Improving the Ownership Experience
The survey was conducted among 2,000 US homeowners, virtually all of whom had purchased in the previous 12 months a major household or personal lifestyle product such as electronics or appliances. All respondents were classified as middle- or high-income, while a majority are aged 25-44, with females (59%) most heavily represented on a gender basis.
The most satisfying elements of a post-purchase ownership experience revolve around the product and its delivery: a well-designed and easy-to-use product; painless installation and set up; and efficient delivery and tracking.
But when it comes to improving the experience, technical help was easily the top-rated factor, perhaps due to difficulties with installation and set up.
Likewise, repair and/or maintenance, along with 24/7 accessibility and response are key considerations in the post-purchase experience.
Most Keep Their Documentation; 1 in 3 Don’t Return Warranty Info
It’s worth noting that warranty claims processing was the second-most cited way for retailers and manufacturers to improve the post-purchase experience.
The majority of respondents said that they returned registration or warranty card information either via email (11%), by mailing back a warranty card (31%), or by completing an online warranty registration (26%). But that leaves about one-third who admitted not returning any form of registry or warranty information.
As for documentation, three-quarters of shoppers reported keeping sales such files including sales receipts and the owner’s manual. Purchase records were the information that shoppers most wanted to be readily accessible to them as owners and users.
About the Data: The report is based on a survey of 2,000 US homeowners, two-thirds of whom are aged 25-44. Some 59% are female, while 29% classified as high-income and 71% as middle-income.
