Customer expectations of metaverse commerce are…

When it comes to shopping in the metaverse, consumers know what kind of experience they want.

According to a recent survey of 5,500 U.S. consumers from customer experience solutions provider Telus International, compared to in-person interactions with retailers, respondents expect metaverse retailer interactions to be:

• More engaging (53%).
• Better customized to their interests (49%).
• Helpful in discovering new/other products and services (47%).

The survey also asked respondents what excites them about metaverse shopping. Top answers included:

• Connecting with brands in new ways (35%).
• Experiencing faster (16%) and better (15%) customer service.
• Having more personalized interactions with retailers and brands (15%).

Other notable findings regarding the metaverse customer experience include:

• 68% of respondents would feel comfortable interacting with customer service in the metaverse.
• Two-thirds (67%) of respondents think the brand reputation impact of failing to provide a safe virtual space is worse in the metaverse than on e-commerce sites, online communities or social platforms.
• Only 45% of respondents think retailers are ready to moderate content in the metaverse to keep users safe.

User reviews matter

The survey also asked respondents for their opinions about the importance of online user reviews. The vast majority of respondents said online user reviews have an impact on their purchase decisions, regardless of whether they are positive (88%) or negative (84%).

In addition, 86% of respondents consult online reviews before purchasing a product. About six in 10 (59%) check reviews on Google, followed by YouTube (43%) and Facebook (36%).

Top customer service complaints

When asked to name their customer service pet peeves, respondents cited:

• Long wait time or non-responsiveness (32%).
• Not being able to talk to a real person (25%).
• Getting passed along to multiple individuals to resolve their issue (25%).

Almost two-thirds (64%) of respondents said they would choose personalized customer service over generic customer service that takes less time. Almost half (49%) would rather talk to a live human on the phone.

Talkdesk – Metaverse shoppers want good service

A recent consumer survey from Talkdesk backs up many of the findings from the Telus survey. Nearly half of respondents (47%) who utilize the metaverse are buying virtual items or finding inspiration for purchasing a physical product. However, slightly more than half (51%) of respondents expect customer service to be better in the metaverse.Nearly one in three respondents (32%) believe these immersive environments will provide less frustration and anxiety than calling and talking to a contact center agent.

In addition, 27% of respondents both envision the metaverse as making it easier to access product or brand information and say that it will be more effective and interactive to seek assistance from an omnichannel agent’s metaverse avatar than to engage with a chatbot online (27%).