Online Shopping Guide for Tennis Enthusiasts

When it comes to buying tennis gear online, who serves up excellent customer service? Does it matter if it’s a specialty store or a “big box” store? Who took an average of just 6 minutes to return customer service emails?

While collared shirts and pleated skirts are no longer required for the tennis court, the equipment still gets more expensive each year. The places in which we spend our money should be complemented with excellent customer service – no doubt about that! Buying a new racket is quite an investment, and knowledgeable customer service representatives can assure you that you choose the right tool for your game (even your game is a little rusty like mine).

Below is the STELLAService Online Shopping Guide for Tennis Enthusiasts, or at least for those who like to look good on the court.

“Big Box” vs. Specialty … Who’s Better?

We found that the “big box” stores and specialty retailers offered similar amounts of product information on their websites and even scored on par with one another when it came to the product knowledge of their customer service agents. However, the specialty retailers responded to customer service emails (on average) in less than half the time as their bigger big box brothers!

Buyer Beware

Once you pick out the perfect item from a website with extensive product descriptions and knowledgeable CSRs, the shipping can be a hassle. Large and heavy items might force you to rack up hefty shipping charges. Generally, returns in the smaller-sized tennis category were not as easy when compared to other categories and large e-commerce companies. Many retailers charge irritating restocking fees, and this isn’t always communicated on the return policy.

To view more reports and research conducted by STELLAService, visit this page.