Halfords launches online ratings and reviews

Car and travel specialist Halfords has launched customer ratings and reviews on its website; improving the consumer shopping experience and driving sales online and across its 435 stores.

Social commerce company Bazaarvoice has implemented Ratings and Reviews and its 'customer to customer help desk' product Ask and Answer.

Bazaarvoice Ask and Answer allows customers to pose questions about a product publicly on the site and get answers from actual users or Halfords' product specialists; complementing Ratings and Reviews to provide shoppers with all the information they need to make a purchase decision.

Halfords is using its customers' voices to encourage brand loyalty and to help it more deeply engage with its customer base.

"We've had a very positive response so far from our customers - almost 800 questions have been submitted and this is all organic activity," said Jon Asbury, Channel Development Manager at Halfords.

"We're about to launch a post-purchase email and onsite adverts promoting the launch, which we know will drive customer review volume massively.

"The views of other customers are increasingly valuable in forming buying decisions and will improve the quality and relevance of information available on Halfords' site; in turn having a positive impact on sales".

Bazaarvoice's advanced word-of-mouth analytics tools will allow Halfords to listen to its customers' opinions in order to align marketing and merchandising strategies with customer tastes and preferences.

"Research has proven that reviews and recommendations from peers are the most helpful sources for gathering product quality and performance information," said Sam Decker, Chief Marketing Officer of Bazaarvoice.

"Halfords is taking an important step toward building customer engagement, loyalty and buying confidence by adding these new capabilities to its business.

"It will also give Halfords the opportunity to build an online customer community".

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