What is post-purchase experience ?

E-commerce business continues to grow over the years. The more it develops, the more brands seek to constantly improve the way they sell their products on the internet. Providing a good customer experience has become essential to stand out from competitors and increase sales.

💡 What is post-purchase experience ?

Post-purchase experience is the precise moment when brands and their customers stop interacting with each other. It starts right after the sale is made. Indeed, after the customer has paid and provided personal information, he will have no more actions to do. He only has to wait several days to finally receive his purchase. On the other hand, the seller will proceed the order and rely on the carriers to ensure delivery (unless he has internalized this part).

The post-purchase experience is divided into 3 main stages :

1 - Order Confirmation

The bare minimum is to send an order confirmation email. This email becomes a proof for the buyer, particularly in the event of a possible dispute. It must be sent directly after payment. If your buyer does not receive it, he may worry and call your customer service. Those contacts related to WISMO (Where is my order) can be expensive for you.

2 - Waiting for delivery

Here, defines the time lapse between the order validation email and the receipt of the order. Most of the time, brands hand over the tracking communication to carriers. This might not the best option, as you miss the opportunity to both: connect with your customers and keep control of your responsiveness. 

Indeed during this waiting phase, it is important that you provide transit details. Real-time visual tracking gives your customers a smoother overview of their parcel's journey. In addition, it allows you to detail the steps until delivery. In order to ensure this follow-up, it is wise to set up a tracking page. This page is a good way to keep your customers in your brand universe. These communications help you to establish a direct relationship with the consumer. In order to extend the customer experience, you can take those communications as a perfect time for sending advices or recommendations regarding the product your customer has just purchased.

3 - After delivery, customer satisfaction

Once your customer has received his parcel and enjoyed his order, that will be the right time to collect the opinions by sending satisfaction surveys. This step is conducive to consolidating the relationship you have with your customers.

Buyers have increasingly high expectations of brands. They seek for a fast and smooth delivery, and reliable information from the seller until they have the parcel in their hands. They expect full transparency from the seller regarding the handling of their parcels and want to be proactively informed and reassured. How returns are handled is also very important. Flexibility, reliability and speed are the key words in order to provide a quality experience and build customer loyalty.

Loyalty is increasingly difficult to win and even more difficult to maintain. Mastering the post-purchase experience allows you to establish a proactive relationship with your customers.