Online traction: Speed and responsiveness are critical to Motorcycle Superstore’s success, says Kevin Murry, vice president of operations.
- Motorcycle Superstore, an online retailer of items for motorcycles, dirt bikes, ATVs and scooters, was seeking a competitive edge through superior customer service.
- When the company switched to UPS last year, account manager John Hanson suggested customer-friendly, UPS-provided services to enhance the customer experience.
- In its first year with UPS, Motorcycle Superstore improved its BizRate customer satisfaction rating several percentage points. It projects its 2009 sales will increase 67 percent over last year.
Although motorcycling enthusiasts are passionate, the industry as a whole is steady but not expanding. Yet
Motorcycle Superstore, an Internet-based retailer of everything from gas caps to the latest Bluetooth-equipped helmets, is beating the odds, grabbing market share and setting new company sales records almost every month. Kevin Murry, vice president of operations, says the secret to its growth is no secret at all: obsessive attention to customer service.
Since the company's customers can't actually touch and feel the products, as they would in a conventional store, Motorcycle Superstore seeks to continually improve the customer's experience in every other way – from product quality to detailed product information to a personalized account for each customer.
Fast, reliable shipping is essential to that process. "As the web has evolved, customers want things faster than they've ever wanted them before," Murry says. "In our business, most of our customers are looking forward to a weekend ride, so it's really important for us to deliver not just quality products, but on a very time-sensitive schedule."
A change for the better
Last year Motorcycle Superstore switched its shipping partner to UPS, both for inbound shipments (merchandise the retailer receives from manufacturers) and for the up to 2,500 packages the store sends each day from its Medford, Ore., headquarters to customers around the world.
"When we looked at UPS, they were able to bring to the table creative ideas for improved service that we could deliver to our customers," Murry says. "And since we've started working with them, that hasn't changed. They're always working with us to find improvements."
Two creative ideas
Since switching to UPS, Motorcycle Superstore has seen its rating with
BizRate (an online measure of customer satisfaction) leap from the high 80s to upward of 95 percent. The company projects that its 2009 sales will reach $70 million, a 67 percent improvement over 2008 sales. Here are two of the UPS solutions that helped get it there:
Landed Cost Calculator: Part of the company's strategy is attracting overseas business, and no customer wants to be surprised by unanticipated fees. The Landed Cost Calculator automatically figures shipping, tax and duty charges. So now, Motorcycle Superstore can bill those charges when an order is placed.
Quantum View® Data: With
Quantum View Data, comprehensive tracking information can be seamlessly integrated into a company's in-house applications. Now, instead of calling to check on their orders, Motorcycle Superstore’s customers can log into their accounts on the company website for real-time shipping status.
John Hanson, a UPS account manager, works with Murry and other Motorcycle Superstore executives to identify where they can create a better experience for online customers. Finding savings that can be passed along to customers is important, but that’s only part of the story, Hanson says. "They have a complex operation. We've worked hard to understand their product mix, their goals and their customers. Basically, we are working with each department within their company to help them achieve their individual goals."
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