True e-commerce excellence is always worth applauding, after all, it's not easy. Some companies have become so good at it that we tend to take them for granted. Amazon wowed us with one-click ordering years ago, and it remains the standard for speed and simplicity at checkout. I buy online all the time, and I must admit that it's rare that I have an experience that is so seamless and well executed across channels that I feel compelled to tell the story. Don't get me wrong, I have good online shopping experiences all the time - but they have become so commonplace that it takes something out of the ordinary to get me to the keyboard. In this case, it's the human touch at just the right moments that makes the difference.
Some time ago, Land's End decided to own the women's swimwear category. A somewhat risky move, given that Land's End does not have physical stores for customers to try on product, and the return rate for the swimwear category can run in excess of 50%.
A swimsuit is a product that most women don't like to buy - there's nowhere to hide, and photos of flawless models only exacerbate the situation. Most retailers in the swimwear business barely put their toe in the water (or shall I say the pool?) in this category, concerned about the tough economics and inevitable customer dissatisfaction.
Land's End decided to be the comprehensive resource in the category, and a woman's best friend to boot. Lucky me.
For the record, I should confess that I don't swim (not much opportunity in Seattle anyway) and I don't have a bathing suit body. But later this summer I'm going to Iceland on vacation (yes, I know, an odd choice) and I am intrigued by the number of thermal pools I'll have the opportunity to experience. So, I need a bathing suit. Land's End to the rescue.
I was prompted to start with Land's End from their catalog. The page investment they've made in the swimwear category is truly impressive, and the product assortment drives way down into the long tail of offering: petite, tall, plus size, mastectomy, and more. I doubt that there are many women that Land's End couldn't serve in this category. Once I saw a few attractive styles in the catalog, I went online to finish my selection. Here again, I was greeted by a broad assortment, easy navigation, and plenty of rich product information to help me find the right style and fit. I meandered between two styles a number of times, and a pop-up window appeared, offering me live help. I declined, but was impressed by the timing...just at the decision point. In the end, I added both styles to my cart assuming I would return one of them (remember that 50% return rate?). My suits arrived a few days later, with easy return instructions in the box. Thanks to Land's End's great tips and product information, both suits fit and actually looked good. Given that swimwear shopping is a rare occurrence for me, I decided to keep them both. Begone, high return rate!
But here's the clincher. Two days after my suits arrived I had a voice mail on my home phone from Land's End. The friendly phone rep said she called to find out how the suits fit, and offered to answer any questions or help me with an alternative style or size. Wow. I never called back, I didn't have the need, but what a phenomenal service. They know this is a tough category, and instead of leaving the customer in the lurch to figure it out, they were with me every step of the way, owning it, being the experts, being my friend, even providing in-home service. Bravo.
Sometimes, e-commerce excellence that truly differentiates is achieved by the human touch.
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