As an online seller, the term "customer hit and run" is often used in this business. It refers to customers who have previously confirmed a purchase but end up not making the payment. Of course, customers like this can be quite frustrating for sellers, right?
Since this type of customer is common in every online business, sellers usually impose sanctions by blacklisting hit and run customers, especially if they repeat this behavior multiple times.
Actually, there are many factors that drive customers to do hit and run, whether personal reasons or bad habits they often do. However, as sellers, it’s impossible to track down each reason behind their actions.
Read: Beware of Scams! Understand These Tips for Safe Online Transactions
What is Hit and Run?
Here is the meaning of hit and run and some reasons why customers do it:
Seller Offers Too Many Products
One important thing sellers must pay attention to is understanding customer needs and target audience. If sellers offer too many products, even those not really needed by customers, it can trigger transaction cancellations or customers running away.
Pressure on Customers
As enthusiastic sellers, people sometimes get too aggressive or pushy in promoting their products. However, this can make customers feel pressured and reluctant to complete their purchase. It’s important to promote and share product info clearly and attractively, without any coercion.
Read: Note! Here’s How to Target Your Business Promotions Effectively
Customer Negligence
Like anyone else, customers can make mistakes or simply forget about their orders. Sometimes, they forget that they have actually placed an order for certain goods or services.
This can lead sellers to assume the customer is doing a hit and run, even though the customer didn’t intend to do so. That’s why polite and clear follow-up confirmations about transactions and payment deadlines are necessary.
Offering Special Deals
Giving special offers to customers is a marketing strategy that can help prevent them from running away. Attractive deals are usually preferred because they seem more beneficial.
Sellers can provide limited-time promos or discounts on minimum purchases. Creative innovations can also be made as offers that keep customers engaged and motivated to complete the transaction.
Read: Don’t Overdo It! The Negative Effects of Giving Too Many Discounts on Your Business
Miscommunication
Communication errors between sellers and customers can also cause customers to run away. This often happens due to misunderstandings from either side, where sellers misunderstand customers or vice versa.
Therefore, sellers need to be proactive in communication and create a transparent communication system. Confirm details like the ordered products, prices, payment deadlines, and delivery times. Sellers should also actively follow up on order progress until the final decision is made.
Similar Products with Lower Prices
This is a common factor, especially in marketplaces that combine many stores on one platform. Ethically, it’s not ideal as it can disappoint one party. However, wise sellers accept different customer types and improve store policies and systems accordingly.
Other Customer Factors
Besides the reasons above, there are other unknown factors behind customers’ actions. For example, customers who just want to inquire or learn about products without any real intention to buy, even if they previously said they would order. The only way to handle such cases is through store policies.
From the explanation above, it can be concluded that hit and run customers are those who place orders but disappear without making payments, even though the seller has been waiting for confirmation.
Many factors underlie customer hit and run, and often sellers cannot predict them. Therefore, online businesses need strategies such as setting clear store policies and offering special deals to anticipate such behavior.
This is a review of what hit and run means and why customers do it. Hopefully, this info becomes a useful lesson and knowledge for sellers to handle it and achieve successful transactions.
With so many factors influencing customer behavior, online sellers need effective solutions to tackle the hit and run problem. One helpful solution to build customer trust and reduce hit and run risk is using Opaper.
Opaper is a platform that provides secure, trusted, and easy-to-use payment solutions. With Opaper, sellers can offer various payment methods suited to customers’ preferences, reducing barriers to completing purchases.
Additionally, Opaper offers order management features that help sellers track and manage transactions easily. Using Opaper, sellers can create a better online shopping experience, minimizing the risk of customers doing hit and run.
So, if you want to optimize your online business and increase conversion rates, start using Opaper today!