7 ways to provide great online customer service for your e-commerce
Do you have an online eCommerce business? If so, you’re one of the thousands of online retailers who have discovered the joy of owning your own business online. Creating a passive income and enjoying the rewards of entrepreneurship online is one of the best ways to create wealth and success for your brand.
Customer loyalty is one of the key ingredients to success for your business. But how do you build online stores’ customer loyalty? The answer is by great online customer service. Customer loyalty is not as prevalent as it used to be decades ago when people chose a brand and stuck with it, no matter what.
Now, there are so many brands to choose from, that it is harder to stand out from the crowd. You have to find a way to create loyalty to your brand. One of the most important factors that you have in your control is improving your online customer service to create and increase your customer loyalty.
Did you know that excellent customer service is considered the number one reason that people are loyal to a brand?
That’s right! In the end it’s more about the relationships you establish than the transactions you handle. It’s more about the personal element than the online sale. While you want your ecommerce site to be an automated process, it is essential to remember that it is the human factor that creates loyal customers. No amount of technology or automation can replace the living, breathing, human connection.
So, how do you put everything in place to provide great UX, (user experience) through online customer service?
7 Tips for Creating Successful Online Customer Service
There are some things that you can do to build a positive online customer service experience for your clients. What we are talking about is positive UX. The following tips should help you to achieve this positive experience for your customers.
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Start with well-trained, courteous staff
When you are trying to establish a well-oiled customer service machine, start by throwing out the machine! In other words, focus on good recruiting and training and find the friendliest customer service team that you can afford. This is very important.
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Respond to customer requests quickly
When a customer has a question that needs attention, try to answer the request as soon as possible. The longer you make customers wait, the more likely they are to go to your competitors to get their problem solved.
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Offer multiple methods of communication
You can increase the response time of your customer service by offering multiple lines such as phone, social media, and chat to answer customer questions.
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Address your fellow customers by their names
This way you will appear to be closer to them and more friendly, but they will also feel like you really know who they are. Online customers won’t feel neglected and will more easily accept the issue that they are facing.
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Display a complete FAQ page
If you display a FAQ page on your site, you may be able to solve many potential customer service issues before they become a problem. Look at previous customer service questions and inquiries to determine what the FAQs should be. You can always change these as you see the need.
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Make the customer leave happy
The most important thing about customer service is that you make the customer leave happy. Even if they do not make a purchase or you have to offer a refund. If you solve their problem, they may be back another day.
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Solve problems quickly
Having well-trained staff and resources that help you solve problems quickly for customers will help increase your customer loyalty. People value their time even more than their money many times. So help them save time and you’ll see the results.
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Avoid additional fees
The most important aspect of customer service is that you make the customer leave happy, so offer the best customer service for free. For example, implement a free return policy so that your online customers will be able to try your product with no hesitation. And even if they do not eventually make a purchase or you have to offer a refund, if you solve their problem, they may be back another day.
Creating a Positive Online Customer Service Experience
The key to successfully providing online customer service that will improve your customer loyalty is to give your customer what they want. Whether it’s a refund, inquiry, or concern, the way you handle your customer service with your ecommerce business may determine its success as well as your ability to create brand loyalty.
People remember how they were treated much longer than they remember a product and what it does for them because they have an emotional aspect that has to do with personal pride and respect.
If you show that you truly care about their needs and create a positive online customer service experience, they will see this and it will make you stand out from your competition.
So, when it comes to customer relations, forget the automation and put a real person in charge. You’ll be glad you did!
