Your customers are your biggest asset. Happy customers mean repeat business which eventually leads to more sales and conversions. While customer dissatisfaction is something no business owner wants to talk about, everyone faces it at some point in their ecommerce journey.
Because of the rising competition in the ecommerce space, customers have become a lot more demanding than ever before. They know they can always turn to your competitor's site if they fail to get the desired attention from your store.
Also, they all have different standards to measure satisfaction. Some prefer consistent support at every stage of the conversion funnel, while others prefer to shop in peace.
So there is no one-size-fits-all approach applicable when we talk about providing excellent customer service to your ecommerce clients.
It's also critical to understand that providing top-notch customer service is no more about having a standard process. Even if you have installed the best customer service tools and bots to connect with your buyers, there is no guarantee that you can make them happy in real-time.
Customer service experience these days is more about identifying the unique needs of your customers and proposing tailored solutions that fit their needs and desires.
Providing impeccable customer service is essential for your business's growth and long-term success. It not only changes the way people think about your business but also builds credibility and turns your loyal customers into brand advocates
If you want to take your customer service experience to the next level, you have come to the right place. In this article, we're going to talk about some of our tried-and-tested customer service tips that will improve customer satisfaction and keep them coming back for more.
What Is A Good Customer Service Experience?
We don't think there is any specific definition that describes good customer service.
Your customer service is good when you exceed your buyer's expectations and are always there for them when they need you.
Customers also love brands that offer them 24/7 assistance and are more transparent in terms of their dealings.
Customer Service Statistics You Need To Know
According to 95% of customers, customer service is essential for brand loyalty.
More than 75% of customers prefer to interact with a live support agent than a chatbot or any automated software.
92% of consumers say they won't purchase from a store if they have had a bad experience with them in the past.
For more than 33% of consumers, good customer service is the one that doesn't require repetitive interaction to get their issues resolved.
Last but not least, 62% of buyers say they share their bad experiences with the brand with their peers, friends, and family.
So you see, customer service is important, and it matters a lot if you want to take your online business to the next level.
Important Qualities Of Customer Service
At this point, you must have a clear understanding of what customer service is and why it is critical for your success.
Here are a few customer service qualities every online business should possess to excel in the world of ecommerce.
Friendliness
As an online business, it is your goal to understand the needs and wants of your target audience.
Modern customers admire brands that do not hesitate to go the extra mile to identify their needs and propose a tailored solution.
Apart from that, you must train your support agents to provide courteous and friendly customer service that your buyers will remember for years to come.
Empathy
Empathy is another quality that every business should adopt to improve customer service. Customers expect their favorite brands to understand their circumstances and individual needs.
Try to gather as much customer data as possible, review previous purchase history, and offer a solution that addresses your buyer’s pain points.
Transparency
As they say, honesty is the best policy. That's what exactly your customers expect from your brand. Whether it's about product prices, shipping, or returns and refunds, you should train your team to maintain transparency.
Choices
Who doesn't like choices? Of course, we all do.
Present your customers with different choices as they already know there are plenty of alternatives out there to satisfy their needs.
Information
Customers have many questions, and they need your support team to answer them right away. Make sure you're always there at each step of your conversion funnel to help your customers get through the process.
Your support team should have enough information to answer your customer's queries regarding product prices and specifications.
Promptness
Time is money. Nobody's going to wait forever to get their queries answered. Train your team to provide timely assistance to your customers so they won't find any reason to leave your site.
Before we reveal our secrets to converting a mediocre customer service experience into a five-star journey, it's critical to highlight the most common customer service mistakes every seller makes during their selling journey.
Customer Service Mistakes To Avoid
Not Providing Training To Your Support Team
Sometimes customer support agents ask customers to go through a manual to find answers to their questions. But doing so can literally ruin your business reputation. If they're reaching out to your support team, that means they expect them to clear their doubts and offer the best possible solution to their problems.
You can overcome this issue by providing your support agents with customer service training. Arrange training for your employees on an ongoing basis to help them identify their weaknesses and improve.
Failing To Follow Up With Your Customers
Conversions are the most exciting part of your sales funnel. But the process doesn't end here. Your support agents should follow up with those customers who have successfully completed a checkout process on your website. Businesses that don't follow this strategy fail to get repeat sales over time.
Not Being Able To Available For The Customers When They Need You
Customers do not like long waiting times. When they do not get a timely response from your website, they immediately start exploring other websites. So if you want to have an edge over your competitors, you should quickly respond to your customer's queries.
Making False Promises
Your customer service experience depends on how well you're able to keep your promises. Do not commit to anything you can't deliver. Also, train your support agents to be transparent about company policies.
Eight Ways To Turn Mediocre Customer Service Into A Five-Star Experience
1. Assess And Find The Voids
The first and most critical customer service tip to improve customer satisfaction is analyzing where you currently stand.
Track customer satisfaction metrics to determine whether or not your buyers are happy with your support services. Conducting a competitor SWOT analysis is also a good idea as it will enable you to identify the strengths and weaknesses of your support team.
Try to identify whether your support team is being compliant with your company's customer support policies.
With this information at hand, it will be easier for your business to devise strategies to reduce the void between your customer expectations and your services.
2. Provide Omni-Channel Customer Support
Every customer is different. While some of them prefer to address your brand publicly, others prefer to maintain an offline conversation.
Also, they have different preferences regarding the choice of channels. Some are comfortable tweeting their complaints, while others will reach out through Facebook to discuss their concerns.
According to research, brands that offer omnichannel support resolve their tickets 3-times quicker than those who do not.
To improve your customer satisfaction, you should connect with your customers on the channel they're most comfortable with.
3. Ask For Feedback
Asking your customers for feedback can do wonders for your brand. Whether it's in the form of reviews or ratings, collecting feedback will portray the professional image of your business in front of your customers.
That goes without saying that collecting feedback will also help your business improve. Also, it builds a connection between you and your customers that grows strong with time.
4. Accept Your Mistakes
No matter how hard you try, mistakes are part of the process. Even the most established brands experience issues while dealing with customers.
Also, certain things are beyond your control. For instance, you cannot ship every order you receive on time.
Sure, you should work hard to exceed your customer's expectations, but you must also prepare to admit your mistakes if something unexpected happens.
Especially when your brand has lost the trust of a regular customer, you should apologize to them right away to regain their trust.
5. Personalize The Experience
According to Zendesk's report, more than 67% of customers are willing to pay a premium price in exchange for a personalized buying journey.
If you want to make your business stand out in the crowd, you must treat every customer uniquely.
Remember, you can't create a generic customer service strategy and implement it for all your users.
Invest your time and resources in knowing more about your customers and offer personalized solutions according to their needs and circumstances.
6. Get Back To Them At Your Earliest
There is already so much going around in your customers' lives that waiting for your agent to answer their questions is the last thing they would want to do.
Customers already know that they have plenty of other options to choose from. That's why you should make every possible effort to get back to them at your earliest when they reach out to you for their problems.
7. Use Analytics
Customer data is crucial. It removes the guesswork from the process and helps you identify the loopholes in your customer service strategy.
Luckily, there are many tools available in the market you can use to track data.
You can even assess customer satisfaction by sending out survey forms or displaying a 'Rate Your Experience' CTA at the end of every conversation your team had with the buyers.
8. Equip the Support Team With Customer Service Tools To Improve Results
To keep up with new customer demands, it is critical to equip your support team with all the necessary tools they need to provide impeccable service to your customers.
The tool you should select for your brand depends on different factors, including usability, effectiveness, and above all, your budget.
Some of our favorite customer service tools include:
- Hubspot Service Hub
Hubspot Service Hub is a popular help desk software that facilitates 1:1 communication with buyers. For maximum functionality, you must use this software with other Hubspot tools. The best bit? This tool is absolutely free to use.
- JIRA
JIRA is another proven customer service software designed to report bugs and feature requests. What differentiates this tool from other alternatives is it allows developers and support agents to comment on each report and fetch updates. This tool is available at reasonable price of $10/mo.
- Hootsuite
Hootsuite is a well-known social media management tool that allows your agents to maintain a seamless line of communication with customers. This software lands with a customizable dashboard you can use according to your needs.
You can also filter out keywords/hashtags with this software to know what exactly is trending in the social media space.
- Olark
Gone are the days when setting up an automated response was enough to convince your customers to make a decision. Today, customers prefer live chat to find answers to their questions.
Olark is one of our favorite live chat tools that help you take charge of your customer services. It comes with real-time chat metrics and easy access to chat transcripts.
