BuyerTouch, an e-commerce “secret
shopper” and customer satisfaction analysis company, launched a service that
it said
will enable e-commerce companies to understand their customers’ shopping
experiences.
BuyerTouch said it sends hundreds of secret shoppers to a site and the group
then evaluates the site during and after their visit to determine the level
of satisfaction.
Clients pre-define the demographic group chosen to “shop” the site based on
the criteria most important to them, such as age, sex, location, Internet
access speed and education.
“The secret shoppers concept has been a proven research technique used by
traditional retailers for years,” said Mike Bezona, chief executive officer of BuyerTouch.
“BuyerTouch has taken this method and tailored it for the Internet
environment. We provide our clients with critical information regarding
customer service levels, purchasing decisions, site design effectiveness, and
many other aspects of their customers’ experience.”
Clients can check statistical information at any time by logging on to the
BuyerTouch site after their shoppers begin to “shop.” Customized, qualitative
analysis is then presented to the client within seven days.
Questions are tailored for each site and BuyerTouch collects thousands of
responses. The company then mines the data to provide customized analysis
that shows what customers are doing online and, more importantly, their
motivation for decisions made on the site.
“We have seen every type of customer satisfaction service available on the
Internet and have found that these methods are driven by technology, not
consumers,” said Bezona.
“Most customers who receive poor service or are not
happy for any reason do not complain — they simply don’t come back.”
Pricing for the service was not disclosed.