Greetings! Google Researchers are not allowed to reveal their
identities to a customer, and your offer seems to indicate that one
would need to give a name in order to obtain a gift certificate. For
a researcher, this would violate the Terms of Service to which we
agreed when we became researchers.
However, I went to your main site and went through the process because
I am answering the question. In response to your questions:
1. Did you have any feelings of mistrust?
None at all - and you have very nice product presentation.
2. Did you get frustrated at any point? If so, with what?
Yes, when the shipping part came up, I did not like the drop-down
shipping menu. I would have preferred to see all the options with
boxes to check as opposed to having to deal with the drop-down menu.
The following was a time-consuming and confusing read for me:
"Use the drop down menu below if:"
"Your order is being sent to California or Massachusetts. This will
add the appropriate state sales tax to your order.*
You wish to use UPS 2nd Day Air service (adds $20 surcharge to
standard shipping)."
"After making your selection, then proceed to Step 3."
"* Please note that failure to choose the appropriate 'ship to' option
will result in an automatic billing of sales tax to your account."
"If neither of the two conditions above apply, click below to proceed
to Step 3."
The above was way too detailed for me. I prefer to see a simple
"Choose shipping method:" with a box to check then after I have
checked the box, a button that says "Proceed to Checkout" or something
like that.
3. Was it hard to find the answers to your question?
If you mean in the shipping area, yes - it was too confusing. Also,
on the next page, the
"Before you submit your order, please review the following for
accuracy:"
"1. The items in your shopping cart"
"2. Delivery and credit card information"
I prefer the type of program that shows me the actual invoice that I
have made -in an invoice form- as opposed to my having to review all
the boxes. Most people with common sense review the boxes anyway. At
east, I do. You may have offered that on the next page but I wasn't
purchasing so I didn't see an invoice to print out at home.
4. If you're getting ready to 'bail out', why?
Had I been purchasing instead of researching your shopping cart
method, I would probably not have bailed out. Also, I would have
chosen the check payment option, not the credit card, and I liked
having that choice.
However, you had a statement on the bottom of the pay page which read
"Please click the "Submit Order Now" button only once. Our systems
have safeguards against an order "accidentally" getting placed twice."
Were I you, I would put in very large letters under the submit button
"Click Only Once" and just get rid of the excess words. Your layout
is pleasing to look at, but there is too much information in tiny
letters to suit my tastes.
For instance, the shipping address box reads "Enter Shipping Address
(only if different from above)" but the part in parentheses is tiny.
I would feel more comfortable with "Shipping Address, If Different"
Most Internet readers are "scan" readers and I think it helps to have
everything clear and concise to speed a purchase.
I believe your checkout process is fine and, if I wanted to purchase a
product you had, I would purchase it. I also believe your additional
information could be more condensed and easier for the eye to follow
down the page. And, for we glasses wearers, larger letters are more
comforting.
My personal opinion about shopping carts in general is that by the
time the shopping is done, most shoppers have forgotten how much they
put into them. I say this because I have gone to Amazon.com more than
once and found books I wanted, and have placed them in my cart. When
I go to check out, I think "Wow, I didn't realize I had that much
there...do I really need all those books?" but I really want them all
so I wind up leaving the cart and meaning to go back. Right now, I
have five books sitting in a cart at Amazon. I'd like to own them all
but I'm choosing frugality at the moment. In all honesty, I wish
someone could invent a program that shows little miniature product
icon on every page I visit on the site, as I put them in my cart. And
the product icon bar follows me on every page, growing more as I shop.
Or a tally of some kind. That way I would always know when my wallet
dictates I should stop and check out.
I think the amount of choices in an Internet store are overwhelming
for some people and they forget all they have put in the cart by the
time they get to check-out. It becomes "I don't want to delete
anything but..." and maybe they just surf out because they can't
afford it at the time.
Should you need further clarification, please ask. This has been a
most interesting question to research!
SITE VISITED:
http://www.respree.com/posters/posters.html |
Request for Answer Clarification by
respree-ga
on
12 Sep 2002 19:15 PDT
Thank you for a prompt and thorough response. I do have a couple of
quick clarifying questions and would also like to clarify our offer.
I apologize for not making this clear, but the gift certificate was
intended for non Google Researchers, basically anyone who was
interested in contributing, so I don't feel there a conflict with the
TOS.
You stated that you are sometimes surprised to find so much in your
cart by the time you checkout. Most sites, including ours, has a
"View Cart" prominently placed at the top of the page. I'm wondering,
are you not inclined to click that ("View Cart") link to see how much
you've spent or are you saying you would prefer to just see a running
total of your cart whereever you are on the site.
We find that only about 1% of our customers pay by check. I'm curious
as to why this would be your preferred method of payment when a) this
would ultimately result in a delay in receiving your product and b)
you indicated no mistrust (i.e. security and privacy policy stated,
SSL, encryption) on our part. I want to understand how the check
paying customer thinks and why they are hesitant to do a give out
their credit card number. Security remained a primary concern in
articles I've read about abandoned carts. I'm just wondering what
e-tailers can do to ease the concern when a site goes out of their way
to explain "why you can trust us."
Will post positive feedback after you respond. Thanks very much, once
again.
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Clarification of Answer by
journalist-ga
on
13 Sep 2002 07:25 PDT
Greetings again and thanks for the clarification. To address your
additional questions, let me begin with the reason I prefer check
purchases over credit card. My choice has nothing to do with trust
and everything to do with responsible personal budgeting.
I am an avid listener to a radio program titled "Financial Peace"
hosted by a gentleman named Dave Ramsey. Mr. Ramsey claims to detests
credit card companies because of their alleged bait-and-switch
financing offers, not to mention the high rate of interest a credit
card balance accrues when the balance is not paid in full. While he
does become a bit fanatical at times on that subject, I agree with his
basic belief that credit card debt is a large problem in America
because it's so easy to whip out the card and use it (Ramsey advocates
using debit cards instead of credit cards - however, he advocates
using only cash when reality shopping, not even checks).
I do have two credit cards - I keep one for travel emergencies, car
rental and such, and the other is exclusively for Internet purchases
when no check option is offered. My choice to use your check option
has nothing to do with trust, and the delay in shipping is not a
bother to me.
On the general trust issue, however, many friends have expressed to me
they would never give a credit card over the Internet for fear some
unscrupulous employee or a hacker could get the card information. I
have never heard anyone express a trust issue with a company - it's
that one alleged unscrupulous employee that is mentioned. I explain
to them about secure purchasing programs, encryption and firewalls,
and that they have as much of a chance of card number theft happeneing
at a local store as over the Internet. But shopping on the Internet
they see only words and pictures, not employees.
Many still scoff and tell me I am stupid for using a credit card on
the Internet. This type of irrational fear is usually based on a
single story they've heard about someone getting ripped-off through
the web. I would venture to guess that most of the people fearful of
using a credit card on the net would fall in the "middle-aged and
older" category. Do statictics show it is mostly that group who is the
most hesitant to purchase that way? I'm curious to know.
I think the more educated an individual is, the less fearful is he or
she. Perhaps a link to a page explaining "Why it's safe to shop with
us" or "Our State-of-the-art secure shopping" or something like that
would help if placed sitewide. On the explanation page, perhaps a
special discount at the bottom of the explanation like "We are
delighted you care about our safe shopping techniques and would like
to show our appreciation for your responsible shopping by offering you
a 5% discount sitewide. Simply enter the code XXXX in the code box
when you check out. It's your reward for caring about the safety of
Internet shopping!" or something about your employee screening
process. Or show some pictures of your employees. A human face
appeals to trust.
On the View Cart option, I am well aware it's always there however I
have to take two extra steps to see it - the click to get there and
the click to get back to the page I was on. In a reality shopping
experience, a cart is in view in front of a shopper - it's not as if
they have to go into another part of the store to see what's in their
cart, then return to their previous aisle before shopping again. My
preference would be to have my item tally reminder on each site page
to at least know the number of items I have in the cart or as you
stated, "you would prefer to just see a running total of your cart
where ever you are on the site."
The Internet is so instantaneous with information so perhaps I'm just
spoiled by that! lol But, as a reality shopper, I wouldn't want to
push a closed box on wheels through a store - a box with a small slit
in the top to drop in what I purchased. I like to know what I am
purchasing at all times.
I will be happy to add additional clarifications to your question
because this is a very interesting thing, this abandoned cart problem,
and your queries have made me think more about my own Internet
shopping actions and preferences.
Dave Ramsey web site
http://www.daveramsey.com/
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