| Consider the competitive advantages of an online | | | | service manager on the Help page as well as on |
| retailer. Customer serviceis usually not the first thing | | | | every order confirmation email. In addition, below the |
| that comes to mind, right?. Many eCommercewebsites, | | | | picture is the manager's direct contact info. Something |
| even the large well-known store, are infamous for | | | | like this can go a long way to instill trust in your |
| impersonal, mediocrecustomer service practices. And | | | | company. |
| yet, the few internet retailers thatdifferentiate | | | | 13. Detailed Product Pages: Answer questions before |
| themselves on service become well-known case | | | | they are asked by always having thoroughly detailed |
| studies in clientcare. In this article, I'll share some of the | | | | product pages. Include all the relevant info a customer |
| best-practices I've seen over theyears that serve to | | | | would want to know about your products. For more |
| differentiate companies on customer service. | | | | ideas on this topic, checkout my previous post on 25 |
| | | | ways to improve your product page. |
| 1. Upgrade Your CRM Tools: Proper technology can | | | | 14. Automatic Price Protection: Always honor sale |
| go a long way to improving customer care. At the | | | | prices of items that were previously purchased by |
| very least, ensure that your staff has the ability to | | | | customers. They need to be able to shop with this |
| view the history of previous interactions with a | | | | confidence. Better yet, automatically notify customers |
| customer. It's very frustrating when you have to | | | | when items they have purchased in the past go on |
| repeatedly explain the situation to a representative. | | | | sale. Offer to apply the price difference toward a |
| 2. Hand-written thank you on Packing Slip: Most | | | | future purchase or just refund the amount. Sound |
| packing slips are dull, impersonal, and useful only if you | | | | crazy? Maybe, but it's small cost that can win a |
| need to return the merchandise. On rare occasions, | | | | customer for life. |
| I've received orders where the packing list featured a | | | | 15. Lenient Return Policy: Make sure your return policy |
| hand-written, personalized thank you from a staff | | | | is not unnecessarily complicated or rigid. How many |
| member. While this may not be practical for every | | | | times have you shopped at a certain retailer because |
| order, it is a great way to impress select customers. | | | | their lenient return policy gave you the confidence you |
| Another idea might be to include the business card | | | | needed to buy? (Think Costco vs. Walmart!) |
| with contact info for a manager. | | | | 16. Thank You Calls: Call select customers and thank |
| 3. Assign Personal Customer Service Reps: Along with | | | | them for ordering. This personalized gesture will blow |
| the order confirmation receipt that you send to your | | | | them away. |
| customers, also automatically assign each customer a | | | | 17. Thank You Emails: Email certain customers and |
| personal representative that will field their questions. | | | | thank them for their business. Be sure to include |
| Send the email from this representative's name, and | | | | something personalized in the email that will convince |
| include their contact info. Customers will be impressed | | | | them it's not just something generic sent to everyone. |
| that they have a "personal" representative assign | | | | 18. Do More than Fix Your Mistakes: When your |
| specifically to them. | | | | business makes a mistake, be sure that you exceed |
| 4. Call Customers Who Abandon Orders: When a | | | | your customer's expectations when fixing it. If an item |
| customer starts an order but doesn't finish it, follow up | | | | was mistakenly left out of a shipment, don't just a |
| with a phone call to find out if there were any | | | | apologize, offer that item for free. Many businesses |
| problems. Customers appreciate the gesture, and you | | | | find their most loyal customers result from a highly |
| will likely save many sales in the process. | | | | satisfying resolution to a problem. |
| 5. Follow Up Surveys: Consider sending a survey email | | | | 19. Fix Other's Mistakes: If a shipment is delayed or lost |
| out with every order confirmation. While not every | | | | due to the fault of the shipping carrier, don't just blame |
| customer will complete it, your customers will know | | | | UPS, offer a solution. Offer to promptly re-ship the |
| you care enough to ask their opinion. | | | | item, or at the very least, offer to take care of the |
| 6. Extensive FAQ Knowledge Base: Surprisingly, one | | | | problem with the carrier so the customer doesn't have |
| of the easiest ways to improve your customer | | | | to. |
| satisfaction may be to prevent needless customer | | | | 20. Guaranteed Email Response Time: Most |
| interactions in the first place. No matter how friendly | | | | customers expect an email inquiry to be answered |
| your call center representative, no customer will be | | | | within at most 24 hours. If you can, guarantee a |
| pleased if they have to call you in order to answer a | | | | response time faster than this. Also, acknowledge the |
| simple question like "how do I return a product?" | | | | receipt of an email inquiry by employing an auto |
| Prevent situations like this by maintaining a searchable | | | | responder. |
| FAQ knowledge base that answers every reasonable | | | | 21. Secret Shopping: Used extensively by |
| question. | | | | brick-and-mortar retailers, secret shopping is a great |
| 7. Live Chat: Many customers dislike the thought of | | | | way to identify problems and keep your customer |
| sitting on hold for even a few minutes. Offering a live | | | | service staff on their toes. |
| chat option can be an inexpensive way of answering | | | | 22. Customer Centric Slogan: Show your dedication to |
| questions for your visitors, and reducing the call volume | | | | customer care by prominently featuring a customer |
| for your call center. | | | | centered slogan that summarizes your company's |
| 8. Improve After Hour Call Center: If your business | | | | practices. A great example of this would be Zappos' |
| employs a 3rd party after hour call center that is | | | | famous slogan on their home page: "We are a service |
| off-site, make sure you frequently monitor the quality | | | | company that happens to sell shoes." |
| of care they are rendering. Make sure they are | | | | 23. Free Return Shipping: One of the greatest |
| empowered to serve your customers as effectively | | | | stumbling blocks to online ordering is the thought of |
| as possible. If your primary call center is 3rd party, | | | | having to return the product. Consider sending |
| seriously consider bringing it in house. While this is not | | | | customers a pre-paid return shipping label in the case |
| always the most affordable option, it's necessary if | | | | of a product needing to be returned. Because this is |
| you desire to give your clients your absolute best. | | | | rarely done by e-commerce stores, you will certainly |
| 9. Free Upgraded Shipping: Surprise select customers | | | | set yourself apart in the mind of your customer. |
| by upgrading their shipping to 1 or 2 express. If you do | | | | 24. Personalize Everything: Always great customers |
| this, be sure to send them an email letting them know | | | | by name on the home page, and offer them |
| they have been upgraded. This strategy was | | | | personalized product recommendations based on |
| pioneered by Zappos. | | | | previous orders. |
| 10. Same Day Shipping: Most websites have a policy | | | | 25. Increase Number of Service Reps: It goes without |
| of shipping orders 1 or 2 business days after they are | | | | saying that if you have a higher representative to |
| placed. If possible, selectively ship some orders the | | | | customer ratio, you will have the time to better serve |
| same day. The speedy delivery will be appreciated, | | | | your clients. While not every business can afford this, if |
| though not expected by your customers. | | | | you want to differentiate yourself with outstanding |
| 11. Prominent Customer Testimonials: Place customer | | | | customer service, it's a must. |
| testimonials on more than just the "testimonial" page. | | | | I once heard it said that "the enemy of good is not bad, |
| Zappos features them right on their main customer | | | | it's mediocre." Toomany online retailers struggle with |
| service page. A word of caution applies here though. If | | | | mediocre customer service. Many businessesfail to |
| you're going to "brag" so to speak about your service, | | | | realize their customer base is also powerful marketing |
| make sure you follow through! | | | | machine. Iftreated right, they can become to most |
| 12. Human Touch: Many online shoppers struggle with | | | | effective viral marketing campaignimaginable. Treated |
| trusting an online merchant due to the lack of face to | | | | poorly, and they can become a PR disaster. |
| face interaction. Mitigate this weakness by showing | | | | If you enjoyed this article, please view my other article |
| pictures of your customer service staff. Christian | | | | onimproving your shopping cart andimproving your |
| retailer C28 shows the picture of their customer | | | | checkout. |