The current pandemic situation has accelerated the eCommerce growth!
And, despite the global uncertainty, the forecast shows no sign of the tide slowing down. It has gained a significant share in the retail market with the shift in customer preferences towards online shopping.
Now, combine this with the holiday season, and you are looking at the best and busiest time of the year.
Winning Customer Loyalty in this Holiday Season
Based on a survey this year, the customer pattern’s disruption has led to a shocking shift in customer loyalty.
Around 40% of the customers switched stores and brands, and they choose to keep this new habit.
That means your customers are now open to new products based on availability, price, and convenience.
Price and availability are the two factors in attracting customers to your business. But, retaining them is about making the experience as convenient as possible.
Moreover, Stats proves 56% of customers chose to shop during the last year’s holiday season based on previous years’ experience.
So, it’s the right time to build a positive customer experience that will be remembered for the years to come.
Building the team with Valued Skills in Customer Support to Enhance your Customer Experience
Preparing for the holiday surge needs work and alignment across the organization. But, a good place to start is your customer support service team. It is essential to create a team with people who genuinely care about your customers. Your team must have the needed skills in customer support to enhance customer experience, attract new, and retain your most valuable customers.
To make this process easy, we have listed ten customer support skills that every professional should hone as part of being in a customer support service team. And every eCommerce leader should seek when hiring a new employee for your growing team.
Empathy
Sincere empathy can go a long way when solving customer problems. Even when you can’t provide a solution to their concern, a dose of care and understanding will assure them that they are being valued.
In fact, 70% of buying experiences are based on how the customers feel they’re being treated.
An eCommerce customer support expert’s ability to empathize with your customer and craft a message that steers better outcomes can make all the difference.
Adaptability
Did you know, 60% of customers change how they contact your business depending on where they are and what they are doing?
That means your eCommerce customer support team needs strong adaptability skills in customer support to face various situations on different platforms. They should have the ability to think out-of-the-box solutions to your customer concerns.
While we expect every customer interaction to be effortless, solving new and unfamiliar issues can be challenging. That’s why it’s good to hire the right people with the right skills in customer support who can think on their feet. Even better, the one who will create guidelines for everyone to use in the situations moving forward.
Attentiveness
The ability to listen to your customers and make them feel they matter is essential to practical customer experience. Placing quality over quantity gives your customers the reason they need to stay loyal to your business.
Online Fashion retailer Zappos has taken it to another level with the most extended customer support call lasting upto 11 hours. Beyond the obsession with making sure the customer is perfectly happy, they have reaped the rewards of a lifelong customer.
The eCommerce customer support expert should be mindful and attentive to pick up on customer concerns even without detailed explanations.
Patience
One of the hallmark traits of an eCommerce customer service professional is patience. After all, customers who approach the support team are often confused and frustrated. Handling your customers with patience can go a long way in positive customer experience. And, assure them that they are being listened to.
It is not just enough to close the customer communication as quickly as possible. Your support rep should remain calm and tolerant while dealing with the situation. They should also keep a level head. All while finding the right solution for the customer concern.
Powerful Positive Language
Effective eCommerce customer service means having minor changes in your conversational pattern. It is about using positive language to shed some light on the situation. Your professionals can steer the conversation in the right direction using a positive language.
For instance, if you find a product out-of-stock, instead of saying, “I am sorry we don’t have that in stock. You can convey the message in a positive tone, with words like –
“The product will be available in two weeks. I can place the order for you now, and you will receive it approximately the first week of November.”
Can you notice the difference?
Using positive language, your customer support service professionals can overcome a customer’s problems before they even knew they had one.
Clear Communication is Key for Customer Support Agents
33% of clients say that efficiently answering questions is the skill they would expect from an eCommerce customer support agent.
It is essential to be clear and concise when communicating with your customers. A service rep will have the ability to explain the potential solution to the customer without requiring further clarification. They will avoid jargon and provide immediate alternative explanations if what they conveyed earlier was not clear.
After all, a second interaction to clear up the miscommunication will not only cost you the money but leave the customer unsatisfied and frustrated.
Customer Support Team Must Have In-depth Product Knowledge
The best eCommerce customer service professionals have an in-depth knowledge of how their products and services work. To help customers, your eCommerce customer service representatives should provide accurate and up-to-date information about the product or services.
At Vserve, the eCommerce customer service team is well trained on the client’s core products and service offerings. We make it a critical component of our employee onboarding process. And, train them before giving them the responsibility to handle customer interactions.
Time Management and Prioritization
83% of online shoppers will abandon the cart and step away to your competitors if they aren’t helped within the first five minutes of purchase.
Quick response time is the top priority. Missing a few minutes might cost your business your customer and their loyalty. And, As much as patience and spending that extra time with your customer’s matters. There is always a limit to the time dedicated to each customer. Your customer support service professional needs to focus on addressing customer needs efficiently within a quick response time.
The best skills are quick to know when they can’t help the customer, so they will get the customer to someone who can help them better.
Tenacity and Resilience
Let’s face it – customer support service is challenging. Your eCommerce customer service representative deals with customer frustrations day in and out. Excellent work ethics and the willingness to do what needs to be done is the critical skill to provide the service your customer talks about.
At times, your customer might need the time to get through the basics of the issue. That’s when your team needs the determination not to stop until the problem is solved.
Going the Extra Mile!
58% of customers are willing to spend more on companies that provide excellent eCommerce customer service.
In today’s competitive environment, customers are pursued aggressively, and your business should not take customer loyalty for granted. Instead, your team should go above and beyond to make your customers happy.
For instance, when the call needs to be transferred, giving your customers another number might frustrate them. Instead, by adding music to listen to, you can do a warm call transfer. Another great example of going the extra mile is thanking your customer for their patience.
Finding it a Challenge to Manage your eCommerce Customer Support Team?
It doesn’t matter how great your products are, if your customer support service is poor, people will complain about it, and you’ll lose your customers.
Though it is not impossible to turn things for the better, it needs commitment and meaningful changes across the organization. A part of it involves creating a rockstar eCommerce customer support team.
Poor Customer Support Loses Out
Managing in-house employees can be a rewarding process. However, it takes tremendous time and effort to build a strong team. Though it doesn’t directly affect your core business, it is best to shift the responsibility to reliable hands.
Get Expert Support!
By outsourcing eCommerce customer support, you still have control over the team you hire. But you don’t have to take care of the problems involved in hiring and training employees.
And, Outsourcing your need to a reliable eCommerce customer support company like Vserve, you can rest assured your shoppers get the assistance they need when they need it. Working to encourage customer loyalty with friendly and 24/7 coverage, our team can help turn your prospects into satisfied repeat buyers!
More interesting posts to read:
Why Your eCommerce Business Needs Multi-Platform Customer Support?
Benefits of Outsourcing & Cost-Saving Secrets in Pandemic Era
