“Customer Is King”: Which E-Commerce Site Proves This Best?

One of the most popular sayings in business is “the customer is always right!”. At PCQuest, we wanted to put this to test for India's own e-commerce websites. Hence, we took 5 major shopping websites---Flipkart, Tradus, Myntra, Yebhi, Futurebazaar---and put them to the test by ordering a single item from each and analyzing the end-to-end customer experience.

E-Shopping Experience: Flipkart has a clean and organized layout, with a good contrast of colors which are easy on the eye. We purchased a gamepad from the site, and it took us only 2-3 clicks to get to what we wanted. Also, the availability of reviews really helps in making an informed decision. What impressed us was that their “30-day replacement policy” and “EMI options” were clearly shown on the product pages, unlike other sites, where one has to drill deeper into the help section. What's unique with Flipkart is that you have an option to gift-wrap your item, and also pay by debit/credit card on delivery! Once we ordered the gamepad, we started tracking it!

Shipping & tracking: We had to pay an additional Rs.30 for shipping, as our item was priced below Rs.300. Within 10 seconds of placing the order, we received an SMS confirming the purchase; an email arrived shortly after. Ordered on October 3rd, the shipment was expected by October 8th. There were daily updates to the order status, clearly showing us where the package was. The shipment was received on October 5th, but there was no SMS/email sent to notify its impending arrival! What if no one was at home?

Reception of package: It took 2 business days for the shipment to arrive. Flipkart's packaging was solid, a cardboard box filled with bubble wrap. It definitely felt sturdy, especially compared to other packages.

Customer Service: We talked to Flipkart representatives to find out the expected delivery date. They were very polite and responsive to our queries.

E-Shopping Experience: Tradus offers an easy browsing experience due to its standard design, but was lacking in useful customer reviews for products. A cool feature is that the user can rollover the mouse on a product to zoom in , and this helps the user in making a choice. Also, Tradus gives some “Xtrabucks”, which are loyalty points for each purchase made. A pain point for us was that cash-on-delivery was not offered for the item we were buying, as the seller did not support that option for that particular item. This can be frustrating, as other sites offer cash-on-delivery for all items.

Shipping & Tracking: Since you purchase directly from a dealer on Tradus, shipping charges are always applied depending on the location of the seller. We placed the order on October 3rd, and it was expected to be shipped by October 8th. This was a fairly long time period, considering other sites ship it within 2 days. When we called on October 5th, the seller had still not accepted the sale, so we cancelled the order.

Reception Of Package: Does not apply

Customer Service: We called up Tradus customer service to cancel the order, as the seller was not accepting the offer. The representative was not friendly, and did not explain the situation properly to us, instead telling us to wait a few more days for the seller to accept the offer.

E-Shopping Experience: Myntra's interface has a glut of images, making it visually appealing. The “quick look” feature is also useful, allowing the user to preview a product while staying on the same page. We felt it's also useful that Myntra puts all of its selling points at the top of the site, including its “24 hour dispatch”, which ensures your order will be processed and shipped within 24 hours. Myntra also provides several loyalty programs, including coupon codes for new customers and a referral program, that credits your Myntra account with Rs.500 if you refer a friend successfully to Myntra.

Shipping & Tracking: We ordered a Bulchee wallet on October 3rd, and received it by the afternoon on October 5th. By far, Myntra's was delivered the fastest amongst all of our orders. We also received the traditional email and SMS confirmations after our order. It was also pleasing that they sent a confirmation of delivery mail immediately after they delivered the item.

Reception of Package: It took 2 business days for the order to arrive.While the item was in fresh condition, Myntra's packaging leaves much to be desired. The wallet came in a flimsy, crumpled Myntra bag that was not reassuring at all. Considering that items on Myntra are fairly pricey (most are above Rs.500), we expected better packaging.

Customer Service: We had doubts whether we could opt to refund our cash in case of a return, instead of Myntra crediting it to our cashback account. So, we gave them a call, and they clarified the situation for us, saying that we can request them to credit our accounts and they would follow suit. They were very helpful and patient in their service.

E-Shopping Experience: One of the cool features with Futurebazaar is that it incrementally loads items on the site as you scroll, so you don't have to keep switching between pages. Also, a live chat feature allows the user to chat with a representative to clear their doubts. However, the site is quite dull compared to the other sites we used, and doesn't have the same range of categories or items that the other sites had. Moreover, I was not able to pay using cash-on-delivery for the item because it was less than Rs.500. Why isn't this supported here, but available on other sites? One wonders.

Shipping & Tracking: The item was ordered on October 4th, and delivery was estimated by October 9th. While we received an SMS quickly to confirm the order, no email correspondence occurred. On October 5th, we received another SMS to confirm the shipping of the item. Since the weekend fell in between, shipping took a while longer than expected.

Reception of Package: It took 3 business days for delivery of the package. The packaging was small, but this is acceptable as the thumb drive was extremely small.

Customer Service: When we contacted Futurebazaar regarding the extra time it took for delivery, they were very helpful and explained that the delivery was delayed due to the weekend in between.

E-Shopping Experience: We felt that Yebhi's interface is one of the best for its excellent optimization of screen real estate, as well as an uncluttered tile-based design. On the other sites, there were too many panels, which was a big distraction to the shopping experience. Also, Yebhi has a feature called “Wassup!”, which dynamically shows the items other users are viewing at the moment. Another unique offering at Yebhi is the “try and buy service”, which allows buyers to try out an item when they receive it and immediately return it if not fully satisfied. Yebhi also offers a “100-day return” policy, however many customers don't realize there is a catch in the clause, which states that the item should be in unused condition and accompanying packets should not have been opened.

Shipping & Tracking: We placed our order on October 4th, and the item was dispatched on the same day itself. We received an email confirmation about half an hour after the order was placed, and the SMS confirmation took an hour, quite long compared to the other services. The tracking system was very detailed compared to other sites, enabling us to know the package status daily. On October 8th, we received an SMS that the package was being delivered by an executive, but we were not at home. Customer service informed us that the delivery personnel would call us once they reached, but they clearly failed to do so.

Reception Of Package: It took 3 business days for the package to finally arrive. The package was successfully received on October 9th, but no official intimation was received by us through mail or SMS to confirm delivery of the package. Yebhi's packaging was a plastic bag, very similar to Myntra, which may be standard for clothing items.

Customer Service: While the representatives were helpful, they did not take the effort to reschedule the delivery of the item as necessary. Instead, they informed us that the delivery executive would give us a buzz once he reached, but they did not do so. Hence, delivery was frustrating as they re-tried for delivery several times without coordinating with the customer.

And The Winner Is...

While it was a close race between Myntra and Flipkart, we have to rule in favor of Flipkart for providing the best customer experience. In terms of the front-end shopping experience, quickness of delivery and quality of the package received, Flipkart was the best. However, it seems that Myntra and Yebhi will soon be giving Flipkart a run for their money with their customer-friendly policies and excellent tracking communications. With such heavy competition in the e-commerce space, the Indian customer has a glut of options to enjoy a fruitful online shopping experience.