October 23, 2025
4 minute read
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While customer usage of online order pickup options differ across U.S. grocers, with some retailers seeing more frequency over time and others seeing rates remain flat, NPS Prism data shows that it is a promoter-creating episode, meaning it has the potential to earn brand advocacy if you elevate the experience.
While common perception is that wait times are most critical to driving CX, data from the last four quarters show that other drivers matter more to the overall pickup experience. According to NPS Prism findings, strategic improvements to these areas may make the biggest impact with customers.
Customers are most upset when communication and processes are unclear, or when orders are packed poorly
Online order pickup NPS was most impacted by clarity of order notifications, ease of contacting the right person and finding the right place to pick up an order, and how well the order was packed.
When these factors were not executed properly, journey-level NPS dropped by over 70 points suggesting that these drivers, including timely notifications, easy pickup processes, and well-packed orders, can mean the difference between customers walking away from the interaction as a brand promoter or detractor.
Wait-time has a smaller NPS penalty than other drivers of the online order pickup experience
Wait times for online order pickups also impact journey-level NPS, specifically when customers must wait over 10 minutes for their order. A 30-point NPS penalty is incurred after this threshold.
However, a sizeable gap exists between this penalty and those incurred for other aspects of the pickup experience. Lack of timely notifications has a penalty 54-points greater than wait times, reinforcing the idea that how well wait times are communicated matters more than the wait itself.
While attention should still be paid to the 10-minute wait-time threshold, higher priority should be placed on keeping customers updated on their order status, as well as driving clear, easy processes for pickup and training staff in packing orders properly.
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