So, I’m currently looking at purchasing a new bike, which is a precarious and expensive exercise. I’ve explored many options but one that intrigues me the most is purchasing from Canyon Bikes. Canyon is a German bicycle company that produces bicycles, yet only sells online (no physical stores). How it works is... you order online and get the bike delivered to your door (simple!).
(canyon.com)
(canyon.com)
"However I’m a bit conscious… because the (below) factors don’t increase the reassurance of service after I pay. What (over and above) support do they offer if things go wrong?"
(Canyon.com)
Yes, Canyon is different to a 'traditional' model, which would include a bicycle manufacturer, who then sells to a wholesaler, who then sells to a physical bike store (see below) who then offers the bikes for sale to consumers.
(Togabikes.com)
For Canyon, not operating in this way means they are able to provide products of high quality at much lower prices (well this is what they claim). Reason being, there is no ‘middle person’ taking there cut and driving up the price because Canyon is a direct business to consumer operator.
So why haven’t I bought a bike from Canyon yet? Before I touch on that, I want to showcase the below online customer experience framework:
(Chaffey. D, Ellis-Chadwick, F. 2012, pp 77)
Firstly, I want to emphasise that this bike purchase is an expensive exercise, so for me, having the ability to see, touch, feel and maybe test ride a bike before purchasing has its
benefits. This is my worry when considering Canyon. Canyon must know this, and considering they are only online, I assumed before I visited their website that their communication and customer experience (antecedents) must be exceptional.
Marketing professionals and web designers know the trust issues around shopping on online. Consumers are cautious and I believe that as the purchase value increases, that cautiousness elevates even further! Am I right?
(cartcraze.com)
Upon first glance at their website, yes, the bikes (products) are impressive… they have high quality parts and the price is definitely cheaper. But the level of reassurance for the customer to trust that everything will run smoothly is lacking.
There are a limited amount of customer satisfaction ratings, testimonials or success stories seen on the Canyon website. After considering the above framework (figure 2.13), I would suggest that perhaps including these elements in the website could lower the perceived risk and increase the trust propensity. Information regarding the delivery process, reassurance that my bike won’t get lost, and technical advice all could assist the antecedents phase of Canyon’s online customer experience.
(sovereignpestcontrol.com)
So yes, the Business model of Canyon regarding value for money is there. However, to finish the transaction, the support and reassurance just hasn’t been there for me.
Purchasing a bike doesn’t usually mean repeated purchases by that customer. My view is that it entails one purchase over a long period of time, because the bike could last the consumer for quite some time (anywhere from 1 to 7 years roughly). This showcases that repeated sales may be lower than say a clothing store. It also exemplifies the need for Canyon to provide an exceptional first experience for its customers. If Canyon were to put further reassurance mechanisms on it's website, I believe this would increase customer satisfaction and result with more referrals and positive recommendations to potential customers.
So as of right now, I haven’t bought a bike from them, but I am still thinking about it. Perhaps I’m too cautious? For me, I think Canyon's customer experience just isn’t strong enough yet.
Kris.
References
Canyon, 2018. Canyon Ultimate CF SLX Disc. Viewed 31 August 2018 https://www.canyon.com/en-au/road/ultimate/ultimate-cf-slx-disc-9-0-di2.html
Canyon, 2018. 9 Reasons to Buy from Canyon. Viewed 31 August 2018, https://www.canyon.com/en-au/shop/information/
Chaffey. D, Ellis-Chadwick, F. 2012. Internet Marketing. 6th ed, pp 77
Lewis. L, 11 August 2018. How to build customer trust in your online products. Viewed 31 August 2018, http://cartcraze.com/blog/how-to-build-customer-trust-in-your-online-products
Sovereign Pest Control, 2018. Testimonials. Viewed 31 August 2018, http://www.sovereignpestcontrol.com/customer-service/testimonials/
Toga Bikes, 2018. About us. Viewed 31 August 2018, https://www.togabikes.com/articles/about-us-pg60.htm
I like the style of your writing. Well done