Customer Service Will Make Or Break Your Store
Setting up an online store isn’t as simple as adding products to a website and simply processing orders. Just like a retail store, the customer experience is very important. Although the forms of communication are different, the customer still needs to feel like they were treated well in the end. If you want to compete and succeed in the e-commerce market, customer service will make or break you.
A broad view of customer service for an online store means paying attention to all of the ways a customer might interact with your business. The first and most obvious, of course, is your website. It needs to look up to date, convey professionalism, and be fully functioning. An outdated or dysfunctional website communicates more about your business than you realize.
If you have a great website selling competitive products, you can assume you will receive phone calls and emails from customers with questions. How the phones are answered, the helpfulness of your customer service reps, and even the tone of their voice all play a major role in satisfying your online customers. These same points hold true for email communication as well. If your customers are stuck on hold for ten minutes, or receive auto-generated email responses to their questions, you can bet they won’t be happy. Never underestimate the power of individual attention.
Customer service doesn’t end once the sale is complete. Customers need receipts for their orders and tracking information when the product ships. Backorders, returns, credit card processing, and other follow-ups need to be handled with professionalism and attention to detail.
At StrataShops, they send a hand-written thank you note for every single order. The customer feels special, even if they only bought a $50 item. StrataShops makes it very clear to each and every customer that they are valuable. It is considerably cheaper to sell to a previous customer than it is to get a new one. Customers who receive a personal touch from your company, whether it is a phone call, personalized email, or thank you note, will feel like you care about them. And they will become your best marketing tool.
Finally, does your customer receive their new item properly and professionally packaged? Did their product arrive when they expected it? Even better, were they given a follow-up phone call or email to ensure that the item not only arrived, but met their expectations?
As you can see, providing a great customer service experience for an online store can be quite a process. Such attention to detail can be costly, and many merchants cut corners in this area. However, since the web makes differentiation by price difficult for many smaller merchants, providing great customer service should be a no-brainer.
Curious about how to start selling online? Want some advice on how to manage the customer service experience for your online store? Give us a call at Ad Stream. Our experience in developing and managing e-commerce could be the edge that pushes your business to the next level!
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September 4th, 2010 - 18:09
Thats one thing that is underestimated by a lot of ecommerce starters.