This week Shutl completed development of our first integration modules for open source e-Commerce platforms!

Our Magento and osCommerce modules have been specifically developed to offer easy “out-of-the-box” integration for retailers running either of these two mainstream platforms – and there will be more to come in due course! Our strategic objective is to make it as easy as possible for retailers to offer Shutl delivery to their customers and these two modules are a great start to overcoming the time and development associated with any deployment.

Both modules will be going into production with Shutl clients within the next few weeks. If there are any other London-based retailers out there who are running either Magento or osCommerce and are eager to try out the Shutl delivery service – get in touch! We’d love to get your feedback and comments. Just e-mail us on info@shutl.co.uk if you’d like to find out more.

Happy selling!

What is Good Customer Service?
• Nearly two-thirds (60.9%) of respondents said that a personal response to their issue was most important, while 44.3% cited speed of response as an important factor.
• The majority of respondents (57.6%) felt that the best customer service is delivered in face to face situations, while 56.9% said that they receive the worst customer service over the phone.

What drives you to make a complaint?
• Nearly a third (31.7%) of respondents answered ‘rude staff’.

So is delivering great customer service worth the hassle?
• When asked whether a good customer service experience would increase their loyalty to a brand 98.4% of respondents said ‘yes’.
• 97.7% of respondents said that experiencing bad customer service would compel them to take their business elsewhere.

Can the internet deliver innovations in customer service?
• Consumers surveyed remain split down the middle when it comes to the levels of customer service offered online. 49% of respondents have seen an improvement in customer service since the introduction of the internet whilst 51% have experienced a decline.
• Yet surprisingly, nearly a third (31.5%) voted online customer service as being the best, twice as many as those who cited over the phone offerings (15.5%).
• When asked to give an example of excellent customer service online brands Amazon and Ebay were frequently referenced, with John Lewis and Marks & Spencer regularly cited as popular high-street retail brands.

So – my key takeaways are as follows:

1. Does customer good customer service matter? A resounding yes. It’s an integral part of your brand value and is critical in building customer loyalty. If your customers do not feel valued, then they are clearly prepared to vote with their feet – and, more importantly, they will tell other people to do the same. There’s no news like bad news!

2. Problem resolution has to be personal and friendly. For those of us operating in the online world, there is little opportunity to meet with your customer face-to-face, however that does not mean that online businesses are unable to provide the best levels of customer service (despite what the 57.6% of people surveyed say above!). It simply means that your customer needs to be at the very heart of everything do. Just see the references to Amazon and eBay as excellent customer service brands. Shutl is taking notes…

Despite these crazy numbers, the online shopping experience still has some way to go. In contrast, IMRG’s Consumer Delivery Report 2010 reveals that there is an increase in concern amongst consumers about the risk of delivery failure. Despite overall satisfaction with delivery services growing by 13% – predominantly due to the increase in more convenient delivery options – 75% of consumers have experienced a complete or ‘1st time’ delivery failure.  An alarmingly high number – and a problem that we at Shutl intend to solve!

The report goes on to state that 17 out of 100 deliveries are still not completed in line with the consumer’s ideal expectations.

Just how much more will we spend once the pains around delivery are overcome?

And hats off to Mr. Jobs – the iPad does look like a stunning piece of kit. The sleek design of the iPhone combined with a tablet screen and iTunes/App Store integration makes for a pretty compelling product that nicely bridges the gap between iPhone and MacBook. Whether it will sink or swim is yet to be decided…

Of note, however, is what the launch of this device means for retailers. The supposedly “best browsing experience you’ll ever have” (Steve Jobs) offered by the iPad means this could be the new terminal through which people will be interacting with online stores to do their shopping. Everything about the iPad heralds a new wave of feature-rich retailer apps that will no longer have to limit their functionality and fight for available space on the small screen of a smartphone. It offers huge potential for an entirely new level of engagement with your consumer.

The question is who will be the first to exploit it?

1. The rise of click ‘n’ collect: Many of the multichannel pioneers (Argos, Halfords, DSGi etc.) have seen fantastic adoption of their click ‘n’ collect initiatives over the last year, contributing in no small part to the great results reported by the high street over the last few days. We can only presume that where some have gone, more will follow. Why? Today’s tech-savvy consumers want to compare and review products online before they seek the satisfaction of going to pick them up immediately from their local store. Due to the increasing cost of visiting the high street in terms of parking, petrol, time and the occasional Penalty Charge Notice (thank you Westminster Council), shoppers want to ensure that their journey is a successful one. Having found what you want online, clicking and reserving is still by far the fastest way of getting hold of your purchases. And the benefits extend to retailers too. Further integration of their online and offline channels allows for a truer understanding of consumer shopping habits and a more unified service offering, resulting in a more loyal customer base. The high street is making a come back…

2. Mobile apps.: The proliferation of smart phones and our seemingly unquenchable thirst for apps (according to Steve Jobs over 3 billion have been downloaded from Apple’s App Store to date) means only one thing…  After eBay and Ocado both successfully launched smart phone apps last year, others will surely be following suit. Although pureplay e-tailers are clearly in a better position to deliver mobile apps in the shorter term, the larger multichannel players will be eying this space closely and working out what they need to do make it happen (and with what degree of functionality). Maintaining a permanent presence in the palm of your customer’s hand is an opportunity that’s simply too good to miss…

3. Increased IT spend: Despite the volatile economic climate, the first two predictions simply can’t happen without the supporting systems in place. A recent white paper by the Royal Mail claimed that UK retailers invest on average only 1% of turnover in technology. In banking it is 2-3%. Despite becoming a similarly information-led sector, IT spend simply isn’t on the increase and retailers are running a serious risk of being left behind. 2010 is set to be a year of change as the multichannel initiatives being put into place by retailers of all sizes reach the stage where investment is required to bring their operations up to date. We reckon this year IT spend is set to double. Software companies and systems integrators everywhere are rubbing their greasy palms…

Happy 2010 everyone!

Across the pond, our East coast American cousins reacted to the recent snowstorms by flocking online. A Coremetrics report shows that last weekend online sales shot up 22% on 2008 as people desperately sought to buy their last remaining presents. On Monday, packages were being delivered at the astonishing rate of 250 per second as carriers struggle to get people their gifts in time for Xmas (though not within 90 minutes!).

And as if we haven’t had our fill of consumerism in the run up to Christmas, Kelkoo predicts that 25^th December will actually be one of the busiest online retailing days of the year! British shoppers will be hoping to bag an early bargain in the sales before the VAT increase kicks in on January 1^st 2010.

Online retailing undoubtedly seems to be one of the major beneficiaries of the current cold snap, however delivery timeframes must be being called into question with the ensuing disruption. It looks like there’s going to be a lot of waiting… and at Shutl we hate waiting! Although gutted that we can’t service Londoners throughout this period and provide you with the fantastic service that you expect come rain, hail or snow, we’re very exited that that’s going to change early in 2010. In the meantime, we hope you’ll be patient.

Merry Xmas and we look forward to shutling your purchases to you in the New Year!