
Great E-Customer Service
As players on the world business platform it is becoming imperative that we learn some e-customer service. E-commerce is no longer a distant dream for us in Africa and the sooner we embrace it the faster we will spread our business wings.
The E-customer is as good as the customer visiting your business premises and must be handled with as much care, as if he/ she were sitting in your office. These days, given the tightening market for new customers and the shift to generating more sales from repeat buyers, online retailers are thinking long and hard about improving their customer service levels. Some are equipping their ecommerce sites with interactive self-service tools that enable customers to update profiles, track packages and view past transactions.
Paramount to any customer-oriented business is reduction of customer complaints and improving customer convenience. For online retailing this is no different as you need to empower shoppers to answer their own service-related questions, get real-time access to order information or update their personal information when it’s convenient.
Consistency in service is also key. If a call or e-mail goes unanswered or a service representative can’t help a shopper track a package, customers will vote your service down with their online shopping cards and take their business elsewhere.
Before developing your online customer service plan, it helps to understand the differences between online and offline customer support, the advantages and disadvantages of an online customer service program, the importance of keeping up with customer expectations, and the elements that every online customer service plan should include.
If you’re wondering why customers aren’t coming back to your e-business, maybe you should take a long, hard look at your customer service. A happy customer will tell one or two people; an unhappy one will tell 10! So, it pays to keep your customers happy — especially when doing business online. Online, an angry customer might not just tell 10 people; they might also write a wordy rant on their blog, post comments on other people’s blogs, write a negative review of your site on a shopping website, or criticize you on forums and message boards. Or all of the above.
Once something’s been written about you online, it’s very difficult to get it removed. This means that any prospective customer who decides to do a search on your business name could come across it. Think how much losing even just 10 sales would cost you and compare it to the extra sales you’ll gain from making your customers happy. Strong customer service is a business essential. Providing it isn’t as difficult if you and your employees achieve these 10 basic rules:
Commit to quality service. Everyone in the company needs to be devoted to creating a positive experience for the customer. Always try to go above and beyond customer expectations. Provide assurance of security of personal information transmitted online through your portal.
Know your products. Convey an articulate and in-depth knowledge of products and services to win customer trust and confidence. Know your company’s products, services, and return policies inside and out. Try to anticipate the types of questions that customers will ask. Update and amend your FAQ page frequently.
Know your customers. Try to learn everything you can and treat people with courtesy and respect. Remember that every time you, your employees, and your colleagues make contact with a customer — whether it’s by email, phone, written correspondence, or a face-to face meeting — the interaction leaves an impression with that customer. Use conciliatory phrases — “Sorry to keep you waiting”, “Thanks for your order”, “You’re welcome,” and “It’s been a pleasure helping you” — to demonstrate not only your commitment to customer satisfaction but your dedication to courtesy.
Never argue with a customer. You know very well that the customer isn’t always right. However, it is important that you do not focus on the missteps of a particular situation; instead, concentrate on how to fix it. Research shows that 7 out of 10 customers will do business with a company again if that business resolves a complaint in their favor.
Don’t leave customers in limbo. Repairs, callbacks, and emails need to be handled with a sense of urgency. Customers want immediate resolution, and if you can give it to them, you will probably win their repeat business. Research shows that the instance of repeat business goes up to 95 percent when complaints are resolved on the spot.
Always provide what you promise. Fail to do this and you’ll lose both credibility and customers. If you guarantee a quote within 24 hours, get the quote out in a day or less. If and when you neglect to make good on your promise, apologize to the customer and offer some type of compensation, such as a discount or free delivery. Overall, only make promises that you are confident that you and your business can keep.
Assume that your customers tell the truth. Even though it may appear that customers lie to manipulate a situation to their advantage, it is to your advantage to give them the benefit of the doubt. The majority of customers don’t like to complain; in fact, they’ll go out of their way — perhaps all the way to a competitor — to avoid it. If you hear unhappy rumblings from your customers, take their complaints to heart and do your best to appease their dissatisfaction.
Focus on relationships — not sales. Salespeople, especially those who get paid on commission, sometimes focus on the volume instead of on the quality of the sale. Remember that to keep a customer’s relationship is more important than to close a sale. Research shows that it costs six times more to attract a new customer than it does to keep an existing one. Moreover, happy customers are the best and most effective way to find new customers.
Make it easy to buy. The buying experience in your store, on your website, or through your catalog should be as easy as possible.
Eliminate unnecessary paperwork and forms, help people to find what they need, explain how products work, and do whatever else you can to facilitate transactions.
I am a Transition Researcher and Business Knowledge Consultant based in Africa. I work with corporates and individuals through their transition phases in their chosen careers/ professions and business.
Website: www.wangarimaina.com | www.esteemedonline.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/esteemedroyale | https://twitter.com/wangarimaina
Linked in: https://ke.linkedin.com/in/wangari-maina-40076712
