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New York, NY (PRWEB) September 8, 2010 — STELLAService, the first and only company dedicated to publishing objective, in-depth ratings on the service quality of online businesses, today announced the results of a comprehensive study showing that Domino’s Pizza outperforms both Papa John’s and Pizza Hut in offering the highest quality customer experience when ordering pizza online. In the past year, STELLAService has rated the online customer service of more than 300 retailers. This week’s report is STELLAService’s first foray into the food delivery space. It comes at an especially appropriate time as football fans begin gathering and ordering pizza for the start of the NFL and college football seasons.

Through an exhaustive assessment measuring over 200 metrics, features and services of the online ordering experience for each of the big three pizza chains, STELLAService was able to zero in on the overall online capabilities and performance of each company. The results of the study provide much-needed transparency and guidance for pizza lovers looking for a no-hassle way to order pizza online. The full report was published today at stellaservice.com.

“Of course you can’t ignore taste, but given the rapid growth in online ordering, there are big benefits – especially in highly competitive markets like pizza – that come from providing a top-rate online experience, and with the STELLAService rating, it’s now even easier for consumers to determine which brand to choose,” said Lisa Shapiro of DiningInDC.net. “Five years ago, we’d pick up the phone to order a pizza. But now, it’s more comfortable and convenient to order online. With Domino’s Tracker, you always know where the pizza is in the process from minute to minute, and when it’s out the door and on its way!”

In the STELLAService study, each company was independently evaluated through usability tests, nationwide mystery shopping and live customer support engagements via phone, email and social media platforms Facebook and Twitter. The evaluation was conducted during the week of August 30th 2010, and five online orders were placed from each of the company’s Web sites from five major U.S. cities. Every possible customer touch point was put under a microscope by STELLAService analysts to uncover the true quality of each company’s online service proposition to consumers.

Domino’s, which achieved the highest online service rating (“STELLA Rating”) among its peers at 86 out of 100, launched its online ordering service in 2007 and generated more than $1 billion in revenue from its online platform alone in 2009 (the company offers online ordering for most of its 5,000 locations across the country). From its popular “Pizza Tracker” tool to its speedy email reply times, Domino’s shows that it makes the online customer experience a top priority for those who wish to use the Web to place their pizza orders.

While Domino’s took the top spot, Papa John’s and Pizza Hut battled for the next best with overall ratings of 77 and 81, respectively. Both chains offer some impressive features to enhance the online customer experience. For example, Papa John’s offers a “Papa’s Points” rewards program allowing users to earn points for ordering online and redeem them for free pizza, and Pizza Hut’s “MY HUT” allows users to save their favorite orders for quick and easy re-ordering.

In its first step beyond the traditional online retail category, STELLAService leveraged its established expertise for measuring and benchmarking online service performance and applied it to the online food category. This evaluation methodology bared similarities to STELLAService’s online retail approach but was modified for food ordering based on input from consumer surveys and research from food service experts. The components of the methodology, therefore, were appropriately weighted to give more significance to the aspects of the online experience that have been determined to matter most to consumers who order food online. For example, convenient access to communication channels, order tracking and helpful call support representatives are key attributes, as are the ordering platform in both form and content. After taking into account hundreds of related factors, STELLAService was able to provide clear, comprehensive insight into each company’s online service proposition to hungry consumers.

“As restaurants and quick serve chains continue building out their online platforms, it will be exciting to see the online experience get pushed to new heights,” said Jordy Leiser, Cofounder and CEO of STELLAService. “Food establishments are increasingly going after online consumers because of the enormous opportunities to expand their brands and secure greater customer loyalty – it’s now just a matter of who will lead and who will follow.”

About STELLAService
STELLAService is the first and only company dedicated to publishing objective, in-depth ratings on the customer service performance of online businesses. STELLAService adheres to the highest evaluation standards; it does not inform businesses of the timing of its evaluations and pays for all products purchased from each Web site it evaluates. Businesses cannot influence the ratings in any way other than providing consistently great customer service. The invaluable data obtained by STELLAService is used by consumers to make more informed online purchasing decisions and by companies to obtain crucial business and industry intelligence. Formed in April 2009, the company’s Advisory Council and highly trained analysts represent today’s thought-leaders in the area of online customer service. More information and press materials can be found at: http://www.stellaservice.com. For a complete listing of the STELLA Ratings, please visit: http://stellaservice.com/index.php/stella-ratings/view-ratings.html.

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