A Bad Customer Experience Is Worse Than Shipment Delays, Say 76% Of Americans

By PR Newswire Last updated Apr 5, 2022

New Mitto research indicates that a majority (55%) of consumers have canceled a delayed shipment because of a bad customer experience;
91% of respondents said that a good customer experience makes waiting for a product bearable;
93% of Americans are more likely to have patience around delivery delays with a brand they already associate with good customer service

Mitto, a leading provider of global omnichannel communications solutions, announced the results of its survey into the sentiments of 1,000 Americans around how customer experience impacts tolerance for shipment delays. It found that while consumers do not have a lot of patience for delivery delays, they are more empathetic and likely to remain loyal to brands that have an established record of positive customer experience.

In the past year, 80% of respondents said they experienced at least one delivery delay. A majority (55%) of consumers have canceled a delayed shipment because of a bad customer experience. And when asked whether bad CX or a product delay is worse, over three-quarters (76%) of respondents indicated bad CX.

The Value of Good CX Before and During Delays

However, the overwhelming majority of respondents believe good CX can make up for delays: 91% of respondents said that a good CX makes waiting for a product bearable. Further highlighting the value of building good CX during times when brands are facing myriad external factors like supply chain issues, almost all (93%) of respondents said they are more likely to have patience around delivery delays with a brand they already associate with good customer service.

“Our research reveals how important establishing good customer experience is not just during these tumultuous times when supply chain disruptions are causing shipping delays, but every day of the year,” said Andrea Giacomini, CEO at Mitto. “Brands must prioritize ways to communicate effectively with customers during the smooth times to not only gain trust and loyalty, but to proactively set the relationship up for ongoing success when uncontrollable elements arise.”

The State of CX and How Brands Can Improve

Not all brands are currently delivering a positive CX, as 61% of respondents said that for each shipping delay they experience, the customer experience is poor at least 20% of the time. Less than half (44%) of respondents believe brands try to provide better customer service to compensate for their shipment being delayed. In fact, 14% said the CX is worse.

This does not align with the expectations of most American consumers, 79% of whom said they expect to receive more attentive customer experience when there’s a disruption to their order. But the survey provided key opportunities brands should consider to meet American customers’ needs:

Most consumers (60%) say they want a brand to reach out to them personally if their shipment has been delayed for just 1-2 days. Almost all (82%) expect this treatment if the delay is over two weeks.

When sharing communications around a shipment delay, respondents shared they’d like brands to:

- Send follow up texts with regular updates (62%)
- Contact them in a timely manner (57%)
- Send personalized messages from a bot (51%)

Survey Methodology: These findings are based on a Pollfish survey of 1,000 Americans aged 18+. The survey ran on March 9, 2022.