eCommerce customer service is often underestimated but holds the power to make or break a business. While factors like product quality, a skilled team, market timing, and sufficient funding are undoubtedly important, a brand may need a strong focus on customer service to gain traction and succeed. Customer service can transform a business’s trajectory, turning it into a billion-dollar brand or leaving it to languish in obscurity.
What are Customers Expecting from Their Brand?
Understanding and meeting four main expectations is crucial to building an amazing brand.
- Customers desire an excellent delivery time, where their orders are delivered promptly and efficiently.
- They seek incredible product quality that meets their expectations and provides a seamless experience.
- Fast and reliable communication ensures that customers receive prompt responses to their queries and concerns.
- Customers want the best possible price, where they feel they are getting value for their money.
By excelling in these four pillars of eCommerce customer service, a brand can establish itself as genuinely remarkable in the eyes of its customers.
Delivery time
Delivery time is a critical factor that can significantly impact a brand’s conversion rate and customer satisfaction. With its remarkable reputation for reliability, Amazon sets a high standard in eCommerce customer service. The conversion rate of Amazon product pages stands at an impressive 15%, while Shopify pages typically convert at a lower range of 1% to 5%. Comprehending and competing with these heightened consumer expectations around delivery time becomes crucial.
Price
Price is a sensitive aspect of the customer experience, as it directly influences purchasing decisions. When addressing customer expectations regarding price, transparency and effective communication play a crucial role. Clearly articulating the unique value proposition of your product is essential in justifying its price point. By highlighting the benefits, features, and advantages that set your product apart, you can help customers understand why it is worth the investment.
Quality
One of the critical factors that customers value highly is product quality. It goes beyond the item’s durability; customers expect it to deliver on its promised functionality as advertised. It is essential in online businesses, where customers rely heavily on the information provided on websites and social media ads.
Drop shippers, in particular, face a common challenge in maintaining consistent product quality. While the product may work initially, some suppliers may gradually reduce the rate over time, compromising the item’s intended purpose. By delivering products that perform as expected and meet customer needs, brands can establish trust, foster positive word-of-mouth, and build a loyal customer base.
eCommerce Customer Service
In today’s fast-paced world, customers expect fast and reliable communication and a personalized response that addresses their specific needs. Aim for a 24 to 48 hours response time, even on weekends, demonstrating your commitment to customer satisfaction. Customers expect a high-quality and effective solution to their issues along with a quick response.
According to a Forbes survey, 96% of customers would switch brands if they had a negative customer experience. It highlights the significance of timely and satisfactory resolutions to customer queries or concerns.
eCommerce Customer Service Creates Retention
Customer service can influence customer retention. Retention is the ability to consistently bring back customers to make repeat purchases, either of the same product or different offerings. A critical factor that drives customers to return is excellent customer service and a superior product.
When customers have a positive experience with your brand, supported by exceptional eCommerce customer service, they are more likely to develop a sense of loyalty and trust. By consistently delivering excellent service and products, businesses can create a strong foundation for customer retention and ensure a sustainable future for their brand.
eCommerce Customer Service Hacks That Deliver
Automation
Automation can significantly streamline customer service operations while reducing costs and minimizing the need for many agents. However, effectively implementing automation requires a robust platform to handle the task efficiently. Automation helps to tag tickets, set up customized views, and apply automation rules accordingly.
If a customer frequently asks about the status of their order, a filter and view can be created to compile all such inquiries into a single view. It allows the customer service agent to verify the information and provide a quality response with just a few clicks, dramatically speeding up the process. Finding the right automation platform can significantly enhance your customer service efficiency and effectiveness.
Incorporating Your eCommerce Customer Service Into Your Marketing
Incorporating eCommerce customer service into your marketing strategy can be a game-changer for your business. By showcasing exceptional customer service as part of your marketing efforts, you attract potential customers and build trust and loyalty with your existing ones. One effective way to do this is by leveraging customer testimonials and positive reviews, highlighting your team’s excellent support and assistance.
Sharing real-life stories of how your eCommerce customer service team went above and beyond to solve problems and meet customer needs can create a solid emotional connection with your audience. Integrating eCommerce customer service into your marketing enhances your brand reputation and differentiates you from competitors and makes a positive perception of your business.
Requesting Reviews
When soliciting customer reviews, it’s essential to go beyond the generic templates review platforms provide. Instead, creating a customized email in your preferred automation tool, such as Klaviyo or any other email provider, can yield better results. You can send a well-crafted email around 14 days after the product is shipped, allowing customers enough time to experience the product and form an opinion. Prioritizing platforms that customers trust adds credibility to your reviews.
In your review request email, it’s beneficial to encourage customers who have had a less-than-satisfactory experience to voice their concerns within the email thread. It allows you to address their issues directly and work towards a resolution. Genuine feedback is invaluable for continuous improvement and building long-term customer relationships.
Surveying Cohorts That Didn’t Purchase
To gain insights from non-purchasing cohorts or customers who didn’t make repeat purchases, Klaviyo can be a valuable tool. With Klaviyo, you can create lists of customers who visited your website and subscribed to your email list but didn’t purchase, as well as those who made an initial purchase but didn’t return. By surveying these cohorts, you can gather feedback and understand their motivations, preferences, and barriers to improving your marketing strategies and customer experience, and ultimately converting them into loyal customers.
Should I Use Live Chat or Not?
When the ticket count is manageable, a company can utilize live chat as a customer service channel. The team should place a high priority on maintaining a first response time of 24 to 48 hours. One common mistake to avoid is having a live chat available without sufficient staffing, which leads to delayed responses that defeat the purpose of instant communication. To ensure a positive live chat experience, the company must strive to deliver instant answers to customer queries.
Setting Up Self-Service Within Live Chat
Setting up self-service options within the live chat feature is another valuable capability companies can use. With this eCommerce customer service feature, customers can quickly request a discount code or inquire about their tracking number through the live chat interface. The reply process is automated, reducing reliance on customer service agents. By empowering customers to find the information they need quickly and efficiently, self-service options enhance the overall customer experience while optimizing resource utilization for the business.
Get Into Your Customer Service Portal and Answer Some Tickets Yourself
By immersing in customer service tasks, founders can gain firsthand insights into the frustrations customers experience, identify areas for product and service improvement, and develop a better understanding of how to communicate with their eCommerce customer service team effectively. This hands-on approach allows founders to bridge the gap between their vision and the actual customer experience, fostering a deeper connection with their target audience and driving continued growth and success for their business.
Offering Free Returns
When offering free returns, it’s essential to be transparent and provide value to the customer. Avoid misleading tactics or offering impractical return options. For instance, offering free returns from a different country where the return costs outweigh the product’s value is not a meaningful offer. Communicating the return policy to customers is crucial, ensuring they are fully informed and not misled, ultimately building trust and fostering positive customer experiences.
Using Offshore Agents When Applicable
When considering offshore customer service agents, weighing the potential cost savings against the investment of time and resources required for training and team building is essential. While offshore teams can be cost-effective, they may require additional training to align with your brand’s values and eCommerce customer service standards. It’s crucial to strike a balance and evaluate the long-term benefits and challenges before incorporating offshore agents into your customer service strategy.
Conclusion
eCommerce customer service is important for the success of any business. Businesses can meet and exceed customer expectations by focusing on the key pillars of delivery time, product quality, communication, and price. Automation, personalized responses, and effective marketing strategies can enhance customer satisfaction and retention. Additionally, actively listening to customer feedback, conducting surveys, and periodically immersing oneself in customer service roles can provide valuable insights for improvement.
If you’re seeking reliable eCommerce customer service support, look no further than Vserve. With our expertise, you can ensure that your customers receive the assistance they need, enhancing their satisfaction and loyalty. Contact us today and let us help you deliver outstanding eCommerce customer service experiences.
This blog is inspired by the video “Complete ecommerce customer service guide” by Davie Fogarty.
