1.6 POST PURCHASE & PRODUCT RETURN
Literature suggests, that from the moment a customer decides to buy a product online, his / her post purchase experience starts. Therefore post purchase experience includes, browsing for more products after a purchase decision, check out, payment, product tracking and subsequent delivery. Product return experience starts when, the customer is not happy with the product and decides to return the product. It includes the decision, the process of returning and subsequent refund / replacement.
2.0 PRIMARY RESEARCH
As mentioned before, a primary research was conducted to enhance customers ' post purchase and product return policy. The survey had 102 valid respondents of which 75.25 % were male and 24.75 % were female. The age distribution is shown in Exhibit 4. The age group of the target audiences is appropriate for research since they are the largest internet users, and in turn online buyers, in the country. Moreover, these age groups are poised to grow in the future as shown in Figure – 3. The family income distribution of the respondents is shown in Exhibit 5.
Exhibit 4 Age distribution of the respondents(%)
100 80 60 40 20 0
78.22
21.78
20-25 26-30
Source: Comscore
Figure 3 – Age distribution of internet users in India
Of the total respondents, 91.15 % had made online purchases. Therefore they were asked about certain factors and their importance in enhancing their post purchase experience.
2.1 FACTORS IMPORTANT TO CUSTOMERS DURING POST PURCHASE
Multiple factors that influence the level of satisfaction of customers purchasing fashion products online were tested and a comparative study was conducted. The factors obtained were vetted later by discussions with respondents via focus group discussions and in depth interviews. The factors in their perceived degree of importance to the respondents are as mentioned in Exhibit 6.
Exhibit 6 Post purchase factors important to customers
18 %
14 %
22 %
24 %
22 %
Ability to track the order online
Clear return policy mentioned explicitly on the website
Ease of making returns and exchanges
Flexibility to choose delivery dates
Flexibility to re-route packages to another destination
Exhibit 5 Family income distribution of the respondents(%)
|
40
30
|
35.64 |
30.69 |
20 10 0 |
18.81 |
14.85 |
< 3 lpa |
3-5 lpa |
5-10 lpa |
> 10 lpa |
Thus, respondents rated the given factors in their perceived degree of importance:
! 24 % of the respondents felt that being able to track their orders online was the most important factor after they had ordered for a product
! 22 % felt that a clear returns policy and ease of the returns and exchange process was next in the order of importance
! Flexibility to choose delivery dates was then rated next in the order of importance by 18 % of the respondents
! 14 % felt that if items were allowed to be re-routed to another destination, this would be very convenient
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