How Do Customers Judge Quality in an E-Tailer Case Solution And Analysis, HBR Case Study Solution & Analysis of Harvard Case Studies

Early studies in the field of e-commerce estimates that e-commerce will grow into an endless war of prices. But recent research has shown that customers are likely to pay higher prices in the online stores of high quality, that they trust. But how customers rate the quality of e-commerce? What are the specific aspects of online transactions that customers value and use to distinguish one from another site? We investigated these questions by surveying customers who have recently engaged in online retail transactions, to determine how they rate the quality of their experience with online stores. The results showed that the perception of quality and customer satisfaction with online shopping depends on three things: the interaction with the website, product delivery, and how retailers are prepared to deal with problems when they arise. Of the three product delivery has a strong influence on customer satisfaction and future purchase intention. The authors further break down each of the three aspects of quality, to create a complete picture of what it takes to build trust with customers in e-commerce environment. "Hide
by Joel E. Collier, Carol C. Bienstock Source: MIT Sloan Management Review 8 pages. Publication Date: 01 Oct 2006. Prod. #: SMR222-PDF-ENG