THE IMPORTANCE OF CUSTOMER SERVICE FOR ONLINE STORES
Whether your business is online, brick and mortar or some combination of the two offering good customer service remains one of the best ways to get new customers and to retain customers which have already used you. For many online companies, especially ones where they are not concerned about repeat business or the happiness of the customer, customer service is almost non-existent.
source: thedrum
CUSTOMER SERVICE CAN MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE
Even some large, well run businesses were late to the game when it came to supplying real time, first rate service to customers. In many cases, no phone numbers were supplied, just a ‘contact us’ form or an email. Now, though, most companies have realized the value of making sure that they have a well-run customer service department. It can be the difference between staying in business and growing and slowly going out of business.
The good thing about the internet is the various avenues that it gives business to help people. All good companies are going to have a phone number, and most will offer an 800 number so that the call will not cost the customer anything. More and more companies are also using instant chat, while you are on the website. This is proving to be a very effective tool as many people don’t want to talk on the phone or for some reason cannot carry on a conversation right then.
It is also a great component to dedicate some of your customer service resources to Facebook and Twitter feeds - if someone asks a question or has a problem, you can offer solutions or resolve their problem right there.
This type of service pays off in several important ways. Internet stores are like brick and mortar stores in one very important respect - if a person is happy with the shopping experience, chances are when they need that product again, whether it is art supplies or the toner cartridges and ink cartridges to print pictures of the art, if a person received a good product at a good price they will usually come back.
If you want to talk with us, you can email us or find us in our online chat. We are also on Twitter and Facebook!
TRUE CUSTOMER SERVICE EXTENDS TO ALL ASPECTS OF YOUR ONLINE STORE
With online only stores, that means several other things which fold into customer service but are more infrastructure related than active customer service. This involves the way the website works - is it easy to search for the item that you need, such as the exact type of paintbrush you need, or the correct compatible ink cartridges for your printer? Are there multiple ways to look up the product?
The website should be clear cut and easy to navigate on - many web designers seem to go out of their way to make a website really great looking, but if it is not easy to find the product you need all that is worth nothing.
The next step is the checkout process - it should be a smooth, easy process, with shipping costs easily seen, and there should be multiple ways to take payments. PayPal has begun appearing on sites across the spectrum, and makes paying online extremely easy.
Finally, just about the most important aspect of customer service - making sure the right product is packed and shipped in a timely manner. Many companies supply same day service if you order quickly enough, though of course shipping will take time.
Free shipping on orders of $50 or more!
Customer service is always worth the effort it takes to supply it and more. If you own or run a company, call or try to get a hold of your customer service and see if they are doing the job they should.