Temkin Group Research Assesses the Gift Card Buying Experience at 12 Retailer Websites

Waban, MA, January 27, 2011 --(PR.com)-- In a new research report called “Online Experiences For Buying Gift Cards Need Work,” Temkin Group analyzes the experiences at 12 retailer Websites. Using its SLICE-B experience review methodology, Temkin Group graded how effectively the Websites enabled consumers to buy gift cards.

"Gift cards are a great money-maker for retailers; it’s a shame that many of the Websites made it so difficult for consumers to purchase them,” stated Bruce Temkin, Customer Experience Transformist and Managing Partner of Temkin Group.

The research assesses the Websites of three grocers (Kroger, Publix, and Safeway), three electronics retailers (Apple, Best Buy, and Radio Shack), three department stores (J.C. Penney, Kohl’s, and Macy’s), and three restaurant chains (Applebee’s, Chili’s, and Outback Steakhouse). Outback Steakhouse and Radio Shack are the only firms that received “excellent” ratings while four companies received “mediocre” ratings: Safeway, Chili’s, Kroger, and Best Buy. Many of the sites lacked some of the basic functionality like shipping a gift card at a later date and sending more than one gift card in a single transaction.

According to Temkin: “If companies want customers to do more things online, they need to become obsessed with improving usability.”

This report can be accessed from the Temkin Group website at http://www.temkingroup.com or from the blog, Customer Experience Matters, at http://experiencematters.wordpress.com.

For more information about Temkin Group, visit http://www.temkingroup.com.

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