Online businesses face an unprecedented amount of competition and stress. Not only do online stores have to compete with countless other brands on the web, but also with existing brick and mortar establishments. As such, even the smallest of problems can leave the wrong taste in a potential consumer’s mouth and convince them to shop elsewhere. One of the biggest needs for success in the world of e-commerce is return business: without it, a reliable base of customers cannot be guaranteed. Today, we’ll review some classic problems that are guaranteed to make your customers unhappy and likely to shop elsewhere in the future.

Slow Shipping Times

Perhaps one of the easiest ways to induce customer complaints is the speed at which items are shipped and delivered. While shipping times cannot necessarily be controlled once they have left your facility, there is still a natural impulse for customers to complain about such issues. Where you can make a difference is in handling times. By shipping items quickly and pinging URLs to shipping status via email, you can keep customers happy and show that you kept your end of the bargain in rapid fashion. Otherwise, expect many customers to begin complaining when several days have elapsed and their product hasn’t yet left your facility (even if you explicitly state this is the usual protocol).

Bad Customer Service

Hilariously enough, an initial problem, question or concern can lead to the biggest reason why customers will begin griping about your brand. Customer service quality matters in the world of online business. Many people who may have a question or concern about a product – before or after purchasing it – reach out to brands, only for the brand to leave a negative impression. Whether it is a snotty reply or a complete lack of one, this can lead to negative repercussions in terms of complaining customers. It probably also goes without saying that an unsatisfied customer will echo his or her concerns around the web as well, leading to more bad impressions for you and your brand.

Terrible Quality

Do you produce your own products or do you resell products made by others? At the end of the day and when it comes to product quality, it doesn’t really matter. In either case, customers will hold you accountable for the quality of the product received. If you sell them something that is shoddy in terms of design, functionality or otherwise differs from what was promised, expect your inbox or phone to begin blowing up with complaints. It is unfortunate that quality has become such a huge concern in recent years – in large part due to mass production of goods – but many brands shoot themselves in the foot due to a lack of true quality control. Even if it is a bargain for customers and you explicitly state the reality of the product, they will still complain if the quality is less than great.

What other customer complaints have you encountered? Let us know below by sharing your story!