The relationship between customer satisfaction and delivery time is more sophisticated then it may seem at first. A common assumption is that the less a customer has to wait for a parcel, the more satisfied they will be. However, the results of the survey targeting Amazon clients showcase a positive correlation between the two phenomena. Psychology of anticipation and the nature of delivery explain the reasons why customer satisfaction may actually increase with the length of the delivery period.
The first conclusion that can be drawn from the results of the analysis is that a substantial number of people are content to wait for the arrival of their parcels. Many customers are environmentally conscious and prefer eco-friendly delivery methods, which take more time (Ghoumrassi and Țigu, 2017, p. 299). Furthermore, longer but more transparent delivery increase clients’ anticipation, thus leading to greater satisfaction (Ma, 2017). Subsequently, the longer waiting does make people more content.
The second conclusion is that the correlation is not significant enough to apply this observation to the entire Amazon audience. Sadq, Sabir, and Saeed (2018, p. 68) note that the majority of Amazon clients are its long-time customers who are used to Amazon’s services and content with the delivery time. Meanwhile, the rest are not as acquainted with this company, thus evaluating its performance solely on delivery time (Chen, Hsu, and Lee, 2019, p. 15). Therefore, the positive correlation is not universal for all customers.
In conclusion, I agree with the supposition that longer delivery sometimes leads to deeper satisfaction. Many customers pay substantial attention to how the parcel is delivered. Combined with the feeling of anticipation, the quality of delivery makes them more satisfied. However, this conclusion cannot be extrapolated to all customers who order parcels. If the customer is not acquainted with the company, is not interested in the process of delivery, than the most effective way to achieve satisfaction is to decrease delivery time.
Reference List
Chen, M.C., Hsu, C.L. and Lee, L.H. (2019) ‘Service quality and customer satisfaction in pharmaceutical logistics: an analysis based on Kano model and importance-satisfaction model’, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(21), pp. 1-23.
Ghoumrassi, A. and Țigu, G. (2017) ‘The impact of the logistics management in customer satisfaction’, Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Business Excellence. City University of New York, New York, USA.
Sadq, Z.M., Sabir, H.N. and Saeed, V.S.H. (2018) ‘Analyzing the Amazon success strategies’, Journal of Process Management and New Technologies, 6(4), pp. 65-70.
Ma, S. (2017) ‘Fast or free shipping options in online and Omni-channel retail? The mediating role of uncertainty on satisfaction and purchase intentions’, The International Journal of Logistics Management, 28(4), pp. 1099-1122.