Mikaela Zavasky Crist

As I approach my ninth holiday season working with brands and retailers, I can attest that it’s the busiest and most exciting time of the year. However, it also comes with its unique challenges and stressors. Retailers and direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands invest a tremendous amount of effort and resources preparing for this season. They curate the perfect assortment of products, ensure their supply chain is ready, improve the UI on site, prepare for Black Friday and Cyber Monday promotions, and create impactful marketing campaigns to acquire new customers. All of these preparations are undeniably crucial for a successful holiday season. Nevertheless, it’s important to remember that the customer experience is ultimately the most critical component. 

This holiday season may be the first impression you make on many new customers. What is your customer experience like once the customer places their order, and will they want to return to shop with you again? Over the past decade, ecommerce has witnessed an increased emphasis on the importance of the customer experience. If brands invest heavily in pre-sale preparations but neglect post-purchase procedures, they risk losing customers and facing a surge in customer service tickets, which are already at an all-time high during the peak season.

Citing a McKinsey study, improving the customer experience can significantly impact a company’s performance. It can lead to increased sales revenues by 2 to 7 percent, profitability by 1 to 2 percent, and an overall shareholder return increase of 7 to 10 percent. This emphasizes the importance of focusing on the post-purchase experience.

Measuring Post-Purchase Experience Goals

The measurable goals of post-purchase experience are often identical to those of the broader customer experience:

• Customer Churn Rate

• Net Promoter Score

• Customer Satisfaction

• Average Resolution Time

• Customer Acquisition Rate

• Conversion Rate

• Cart Abandonment Rate

Ecommerce leaders should incorporate post-purchase data points into their customer journey flow data analyses and proactively seek opportunities to enhance these metrics. 

Even well-established post-purchase activities, like package tracking, have a substantial influence on customer contentment.

The Customer Experience Doesn’t End at Checkout

The customer experience should extend well beyond the checkout. 

• What communication is sent after a sale is made? 

• How does a customer track their package? 

• Where will the customer go for WISMO questions? 

• What happens if something goes wrong? 

• How easy is it for a customer to get in contact with you and resolve their issue?

These are all opportunities for the customer experience team to optimize the post-purchase experience, build trust, and solidify customer loyalty.

Differentiate with CX through Post-Purchase Experience

Great CEOs have adopted the idea of differentiating their business through exceptional customer experience.

Companies like Chewy and Zappos have set remarkable examples. Evolving customer expectations provide ample opportunities for these businesses to differentiate themselves even further by delivering innovative solutions in post-purchase technology. 

This isn’t just a quick win; it’s a strategic move that can set you apart in a crowded marketplace.

Route: Improving Your Post-Purchase Experience

At Route, we’ve become industry leaders in issue resolution, partnering with brands of all sizes to enhance their customer experience by reclaiming it from carriers, porch pirates, and a host of other challenges that can arise between when the package leaves the warehouse and arrives safely in the customer’s hands.”. Our automation speeds up claims processing, ensuring quicker resolutions and happier customers year-round. Furthermore, our ongoing fraud detection mechanisms keep your business secure. Handling the surge in claims can be a tough challenge for your customer service team and a costly burden for your business.

Having a robust customer retention strategy in place for the holiday season can help convert those one-time holiday shoppers into repeat customers, extending their lifetime value for your brand.

We’d love to discuss how Route can help streamline your claims management during the holidays and beyond, ultimately improving your post-purchase customer experience. Reach out to us to explore how we can partner with your brand to optimize the post-purchase journey and make this holiday season a lasting success.