Customer Satisfaction with Online Group-Buying Services

Abstract:Given the essential role of customers to the success of any business, particularly newly-established ones, it is crucial for Hanoi’s online group-buying (OGB) companies to make constant efforts to keep their customers satisfied. This research aims at investigating customer satisfaction in the context of Hanoi’s OGB through both quantitative and qualitative methods including an online customer survey with 150 OGB customers, in-depth interviews with 20 customers, and participant observation of five OGB websites. The research results show that the key factors affecting OGB customer satisfaction include product price, merchandise variety, information quality, product quality, and delivery. Also, despite the high likelihood of customers’ repurchasing and recommending to others, Hanoi’s OGB business has not yet met customer satisfaction, particularly in terms of the information quality, supplier’s reputation, product quality and delivery. The root causes of this situation include the incomplete legal framework and ineffective management at macro-level; the poor quality management and business ethics of OGB companies; and the limited OGB customers’ awareness of their rights and responsibilities.