E-Customer Support System in Nepalese Goods Trading: Emerging Issues, Adoption Barriers, and the DIGEST Concept

Abstract

Purpose: The rapid proliferation of digital commerce has compelled businesses globally to adopt electronic customer support (e-support) systems. The goods trading industry in Nepal is still largely using traditional face-to-face modes, which leads to inefficiencies in the system and dissatisfaction among customers. This study investigates the perception of e-customer support systems of the goods traders of Bagmati Province, Nepal, to identify the key barriers to the adoption of e-support system and proposes the DIGEST concept that is a contextually grounded strategic roadmap towards overcoming the identified barriers.

Methodology: The researcher employed a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design. Quantitative data were collected from 94 respondents, including employees, businesspersons, experts, and other stakeholders, and were analyzed using descriptive statistics in SPSS. In addition, in-depth interviews were conducted until thematic saturation was reached with 14 employees and business participants, as well as 11 domain experts with more than five years of experience in the field. The qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify and derive key themes.

Results & Analysis: The quantitative results indicate moderate positive perceptions of e-support systems, with the highest mean being for the improvement of international client service (M = 4.21, SD = 0.72), and the lowest being for international client satisfaction (M = 3.52, SD = 0.97). Ten major barriers were identified, consisting of: lack of a centralised addressing system, cyber security vulnerabilities, data privacy risks, lack of digital literacy, resistance to change, incomplete legal framework, weak enforcement of consumer protection, lack of a standardised e-support framework, high implementation costs, and fragmented logistics.

Originality / Value: This study introduces the DIGEST (Digital Inclusive Goods E-Support) model, a six-pillar strategic framework comprising Digital Access, Inclusive Platform Design, Geo-logistics Integration, Enforcement Automation, Security-by-Design, and Trust-Building Mechanisms. The model emphasizes coordinated implementation between government and private sector actors.

Type of Paper: Empirical Research Paper