Brands must pay close attention to unhappy shoppers, Brightpearl

We Brits do enjoy a moan, particularly when we’ve had a bad online shopping experience, a new study from Brightpearl reveals.

It surveyed 2,000 people and found that almost a third have left a negative review online, with nearly seven in ten having done so in the last year. 76% will also share a bad retail experience with someone else they know to warn them off a particular brand.

Derek O’Carroll, CEO at Brightpearl, says: “Brits are famously awkward and averse to confrontation and complaining, but, with the rise of so many avenues for customer feedback, from online forms to social media, those habits appear to be changing. Brands need to start paying closer attention.”

46% of respondents regularly check star ratings for online retailers before buying from them, and two in five consumers have been put off a brand or a retailer they might have shopped with – by a single unfavourable review. 30% look more favourably on retailers who actively respond to negative reviews posted about their services online.

On the flip side, 55% admit they would also be likely to spend more money with an online outlet which had ‘excellent’ reviews or star ratings. Brits believe they would be willing to spend as much as 22% more with a brand or retailer which has received mostly ‘excellent’ reviews than one which has been reviewed less favourably.

Despite all of this, Brightpearl’s research found that just 19% of retailers have invested in technology or solutions to help them address the issues that most commonly cause poor feedback and ratings, such as problems with receiving items on time or overly complicated returns.

O’Carroll concludes: “To help get the most out of online reviews, businesses need to consider solutions which allow them to fulfil the modern expectations of customers - from same-next day delivery options to real-time shipping, hassle-free returns and incredible response times. With a great strategy - and the right technology - in place, firms can focus on generating the positive reviews and ratings which are more likely to capture the attention of today’s online shopper and lead to increased spend and better business.”