The Customer Service o customer service of an online store is the point of contact for customers who have questions about orders, products or returns. At the same time, this generic term also includes the services of an online retailer or retailer that go beyond the normal level.
Importance of customer service
Even if an online store offers very good product quality and low prices, the Customer Service It is important. Lost packages, goods damaged due to transportation, or technical questions about a product are produced even with the best suppliers. If the Customer Service appropriate, customers react quickly and may get angry. With new customers, many times they don't even make the first order, unless they are immediately helped with the questions that arise. At the same time, the lack of Customer Support it also leads to the loss of regular customers who, unlike the acquisition of new customers, could be retained with relatively simple and profitable measures.
Examples of poor customer service
Bad Customer Service it can manifest itself in very different areas, for example:
- Long waiting times on the phone line.
- Payment inquiries and order hotlines.
- Lack of traceability of contact data on the web portal
- Unprofessional treatment of criticism on public pages (for example, on evaluation portals or on social networks).
- Voicemail.
- Long processing times for inquiries and claims by email.
Measures to boost customer service.
Store operators can take several steps to make shopping easier for customers, for example:
- Assignment of an independent client advisor to each consumer.
- Direct access to contact information.
- Provision of various contact channels (for example, telephone, email, live chat, social networks).
- Good presentation from the customer service team including photos.
- Fast shipping of the products in a few days or preferably the day of the order.
- Option of shipping to a nearby collection point.
- Offer Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), a lexical dictionary or a knowledge database to help clients solve their doubts on their own.
- Live advice by phone or direct chat.
- High availability, if necessary, cooperate with call centers or call centers outside of normal business hours.
- Detailed description of the products including photos, videos, manufacturers and more information.
- Shipping for the return without costs and transparent through return stickers included.
- Promise of a guarantee of response within, for example, six or twelve hours.
Additional benefits of customer service
The business of an online store is based mainly on sending goods for money. However, to maintain their position in the market, many online stores offer additional services designed to convince customers of the added value they have over their competitors.
Examples of this are:
- 24 hours / express delivery.
- Free product samples for every order.
- No callback cost service.
- Offer of several common payment methods.
- Guaranteed shipping on the day of the order.
- Bonus and cashback programs.
- Guaranteed response times for emails.
However, it is essential that the promised additional benefits can be met. The unsatisfied expectations generated by the customer's store have a very negative effect on the image of an online store and, therefore, also on the probability of future sales.
