It goes without saying, customer support is the making or breaking of a brand. When it costs you 5x more to get a new customer than it does to retain your existing customers… you know it’s something worth looking into (at the very LEAST). 

Having an amazing customer service experience can do so much for your business, and often in ways you didn’t even think possible. It’s something worth investing time, money and energy into - and we’re going to show you how and why.‍

Why Bother with Customer Service?‍

Excellent customer support incites customer loyalty - meaning more repeat purchases for your company. By giving your customers the respect and customer service they deserve: you can literally build a tribe of customers FOR LIFE. On the other hand, poor customer service can leave you with negative reviews as well as a damaged overall reputation in your industry… two things you definitely want to avoid when you’re breaking into the world of eCommerce. 

Studies have shown that 60% of customers have stopped buying from a company simply due to poor customer service, or worse: no customer service at all.

Think about it, when you last rang up a company to discuss an issue and you were treated poorly, did you ever buy there again? Now think back to a time where you were listened to, and you had your problem solved… Did you keep patronising that company? 

It’s simple. Your customers are your livelihood. They *need* to be treated with respect.

What is eCommerce Customer Service? ‍

Ecommerce customer service is simply how online businesses assist customers with their purchasing journey; from making online purchase decisions to resolving issues.

Take Amazon for example. Amazon is one company that has genuinely nailed the customer service aspect of their business. 

Amazon is considered one of the most customer-centric companies globally because it maintains high customer-satisfaction since the very beginning. This focus on the customer’s experience and feedback has allowed them to make Jeff Bezos the richest man in the world... Now who doesn’t want a slice of that?!‍

The customer expects even more now. 

In this day and age, the customer expects convenience as well as instant results. It’s your job to deliver on this. It’s a cutthroat world out there in the eCommerce industry, and customer service could be the difference between your ideal customer buying from you - or buying from your competitor. 

The brands and eCommerce stores that offer exceptional customer service always come out on top. Let’s dig into some of the strategies that can help you build up and improve your eCommerce customer service.

Develop a Multichannel Strategy

You should know your customers inside out. You should have the perfect customer avatar ready for your company, so you know exactly where they hang out online, what they appreciate, the kind of content they consume and the purchases they make elsewhere.  By developing a multichannel strategy; you can access your consumers right where they are the most likely to be responsive. Consider email, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest, AND Facebook when building up your reach strategy.

Let your customers know that you are there to help them across all the platforms you choose, and be responsive. The sole purpose of creating these channels is to resolve your customers problems. Responding and resolving issues in a timely manner is key to improving your customer service.  

Customer satisfaction is key; and making sure that your customer feels listened to and valued is key to making sure they come back (and spread the word about your company). ‍

You’re a Pro. Act Like It.  

Tone is everything, especially when it comes to customer service. While writing or talking to your customers, you need to make sure that your customer agents are calm and that they display a positive, helpful attitude while responding to your customers. 

Favor a direct and professional approach while talking to your customer. If you have bad news for them, you don’t have to sugarcoat it, but be sure to offer a solution. 

If a customer has ordered an item that is out of stock, a system-generated email won’t be enough to satisfy them. Let them know when they will be able to purchase the item and suggest an alternative product they may enjoy with a discount for the inconvenience caused. This is the difference between “ok” customer service, and excellent customer service.‍

Put All Your Cards on The Table...‍

Some customers don’t want to directly contact customer support due to previous experiences, so they will try to find the answers by browsing your FAQs. 

To provide accurate and complete information to your customers, ensure that all the required information such as: payment and billing, return policies, and delivery information is available on your website. 

Your FAQs need to be comprehensive, helpful and they need to actually *solve* your customers question, so that they don’t need to contact support. Make sure that your FAQs are clear, concise, and up to date.

Quality FAQs will reduce the number of customer inquiries you receive.‍

Statistics are your BFF... ‍

As more businesses transition to the online world, they tend to ignore the importance of a fast response to a customer query. Typically, your customer will expect a resolution within 24 hours. If other companies out there can do it: so you can. 

Your first response time should be less than 8 hours, and your resolution time should be 48 hours. If you're using software for customer service, it's simple to track this metric to make sure you’re keeping your customers informed of the resolution process. 

The happier your customer, the happier your business.‍

Offer Live Chat Support

If you enable the Live Chat option on your website, not only will it help your existing customers but it will attract more sales for your company. Research shows that if a prospective customer gets an instant reply to their query, there is a 60% chance that this customer will go on to place an order with your company. 

Consider investing in a customer support agent. Such agents are able to handle multiple customer queries simultaneously via chat support, and it’s a less expensive option than phone support.  

Keep in mind that you must be prompt with responses if you decide to offer live chat support. With live chat, people expect a response within just moments, it’s live after all. 

And there you have it! You already knew that the customer is King (or Queen), but this short blog should be able to help you to truly understand the reason behind why customer service is so important, and why it’s so worth investing in - even in the early stages of your business. We hope these tips helped you to create and build your customer service strategy. Be sure to comment on any questions or feedback on how you’ve improved your customer service!