Customer service is important for all businesses, not just those that operate online. Customers need to know they can trust a brand, that their problems will be resolved quickly and efficiently, and that the company cares. Poor customer service can massively impact a brand and lead to poor customer reviews. If you run an e-commerce business, negative comments and reviews could cripple you.
Working on your customer service is far more effective than lowering prices or offering more products. If you’re new to e-commerce, here’s how you can improve your customer service and build a better, stronger business.
1. 24/7 Customer Service
Customers expect help to be available 24/7 these days. That might not work for you if your business only operates normal working hours, but you can still offer help in the form of comprehensive FAQs, email assistance for non-urgent inquiries, and a chatbot.
If a customer can get answers to their questions quickly, they are less likely to abandon their shopping cart or leave a negative review. Employ someone to manage your social media accounts too, as many people use social platforms to contact brands these days. The last thing any e-commerce business needs is a load of angry customers posting on its social platforms, which were ignored for weeks at a time.
2. Implement Helpdesk Software
Helpdesk software helps e-commerce businesses track all customer interactions. A customer service representative can access the details of the interaction if a customer has been in touch before. This ensures continuity, so a customer doesn’t have to repeat the same information each time they get in touch about an issue.
3. Ask for Customer Feedback
The best way to check whether your customer service is great is to ask existing customers for their feedback. Send a survey once a customer has placed an order and received it. Ask them a few simple questions, such as how happy they were with the order process and whether you could have improved their experience in any way. Offer an incentive in the form of a discount code if they complete the survey.
Many customers won’t respond but those that do could provide some valuable feedback and draw your attention to areas where improvements could be made.
4. Speedy Delivery Times
Everyone these days expects online orders to be delivered yesterday. All e-commerce businesses are compared to the Mighty Amazon, which delivers the next day, and are often found lacking.
It is unrealistic to offer next-day delivery unless you have a delivery network that can meet targets most of the time, but it is important to work with logistics companies that are fast and reliable. Try to ensure orders are shipped as quickly as possible. This may require a reorganization of your warehouse processes; Supply Velocity has a useful article on supply chain warehousing that covers distribution topics in greater detail.
Offer different shipping options, so customers can choose expedited delivery if they need something in a hurry.
Finally, if you run a seasonal business, make sure you have extra customer service employees during your busiest sales periods, or your customer satisfaction score will go downhill quickly.
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