Picture this: You’ve spent the afternoon shopping online, have finally pressed the fateful “Complete my order” button, only to tragically realize that you’ve ordered two of the same item. Who do you turn to for a quick and painless fix?
Customer service, of course.
Customer support is an integral building block for any ecommerce business—so integral, in fact, that90% of consumers globallysay that quality customer service is directly tied to their sense of brand loyalty. The good news, then, is that a solid customer service strategy can help you improve your customer’s experience and the overall success of your online business, too.
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什么是电子商务customer service?
Ecommerce customer service is the support provided to online shoppers, addressing inquiries and resolving issues. It aims to ensure a positive shopping experience, build trust, and foster customer loyalty through timely and helpful responses across various channels.
While different customer service teams may offer different levels of service before, during, and after a consumer makes a purchase, those services can be whittled down to three basic must-haves:
- 为客户解决技术问题s.在生活中有一个常数:事情总在发生。如果there’s a glitch on your site during any part of the customer journey—whether they’re browsing, or trying to check out—make sure you have a customer service representative who can resolve technical issues quickly and efficiently.
- Answering questions.Shopping online is a lot different from shopping in person, and oftentimes online shoppers have questions about the products they’re perusing—whether it’s about sizing, materials, or something else. A good ecommerce customer support team will have a solid knowledge base about the products so that they’re easily able to answer those questions.
- Returns and post-purchase help.Another big part of ecommerce customer service is supporting online shoppers with returns and troubleshooting dissatisfaction post-purchase. The customer service representative acts as the customer’s point person, guiding them through the process of returning or exchanging items, or figuring out a solution for any issues the customer may have with the product they received.
At best, a customer service agent can provide these services quickly and empathetically. Ensuring this happens helps you to boost customer loyalty, receive valuable customer feedback for your ecommerce business, and give you the opportunity to better understand what your customers expect.
Advantages of good ecommerce customer service
Good ecommerce customer support isn’t just good for the consumers who shop online—it’s good for business, too. Here are three ways good customer service is good for your ecommerce business:
- Retains loyal customers.When online shoppers feel appreciated, their sense of customer loyalty deepens. In fact,PwC’s report on customer experiencefound that brands that provide superior customer service attract customers who are more likely to subscribe to newsletters, sign up for promotions, and make repeat purchases. That’s a tangible, financial impact that can boost your bottom line.
- Attracts more customers.Good news spreads fast. The more often your customers have a positive experience, the more likely they are to spread the word about it and refer new customers to your online business—creating added value for you along the way.
- Improves conversion rates.Ecommerce conversion rateis an important metric—and one that can be hard to improve. Good customer service can help get potential buyers over the hump and move the most important conversion metric you have: sales.
6 elements of successful ecommerce customer service
So what does a successful approach to commerce customer service look like? A good strategy will include six major elements:
1. Well-defined communication channels
You can provide customer service through a variety of communication channels. But you have to pick those channels wisely—after all, you can’t be everywhere all at once.
Choose support channels that fit your online store’s strategy and scope. For example, smaller businesses can opt to provide email support only, while a more established business may also include support via social channels.
2. A clear, user-friendly interface
A clear, user-friendly interface makes it easy for consumers to find what they’re looking for. Essentially, you want to make it easy to get in touch with your customer service team. This means building intuitive navigation and on-page user experience on your site.
3. A self-service option
The most successful ecommerce businesses offer online shoppers a way to solve their problems on their own before escalating to a customer service agent. You can easily reduce the number of support questions by building out some sort of resource—afrequently asked questions (FAQ) page, or a help center—that covers both the basics and the most common queries.
4. A personal touch
More often than not, onlineshoppers appreciate personalization. According to PwC’s study on customer experience, 71% of Americans would rather interact with a real-life customer service representative than achatbot.
Every ecommerce business can approach the idea of personalization differently. It can mean providing email or phone support from a person (not a bot!) when things go wrong or online shoppers have questions. It can also extend to specificcustomer service phrasesand post-purchase follow-ups, such as small gestures like including stickers or notes in your packaging or sending personalized emails.
5. Clear expectations—and the ability to meet them
Online shoppers expect brands to meet or exceed their expectations. So much so that in its2020 State of Global Customer Service study, Microsoft found that 58% of customers are willing to sever their relationship with a brand if a brand falls short. This could mean being hard to reach when a customer has a question or taking too long to resolve a return.
The solution is simple: Set clear expectations around your response times. Then, meet or beat those expectations. If your phone support is limited to a specific time frame, be upfront about it. And if response times are longer over the weekend, be clear about that too—or better, make an exception to meet a customer’s needs every now and then.
6. Engagement with customer reviews
Customer reviews are a great way of parsing through customer feedback. And when you engage and respond to them, you get a better understanding of what your customers want from your ecommerce business—because you’re practicing proactive customer service.
Proactive customer servicemeans fulfilling a customer’s needs before they bring that need to you or your customer service team, and it’s a fantastic way to build confidence in your ecommerce business and retain loyal customers. By acknowledging reviews—both the good and the bad—you give your online shoppers the sense that they’re both heard and appreciated.
Takeaways
A solid ecommerce customer service strategy helps you retain loyal customers, acquire new ones, and improve overall conversion rates. In other words, good customer service is integral to the success of your online business.
At its best, a customer service team can help build consumers’ confidence in your brand, by:
- Providing proactive customer serviceand self-service options that help online shoppers resolve issues on their own.
- Resolving technical issuesfor online shoppers that have run into any issues during theircustomer journey.
- Helping guide online shoppersthrough that customer journey, when necessary, with a quick, efficient, and personal approach.
A thoughtful strategy around ecommerce customer support can help to set your online store above and beyond the competition—and encourage your customers to keep coming back for more.
Ecommerce customer service FAQ
What are the 5 A's in customer service?
- Attention
- Availability
- Authenticity
- Appreciation
- Action
What are the 3 E's for customer service?
- Engage: Listen and interact with customers in a friendly and helpful manner. Empathize: Understand the customer’s problem and show genuine concern. Execute: Take action to address the customer’s needs promptly and effectively.
What are some good customer service tips?
- Listen to customers: Pay attention to what customers are saying and empathize with their concerns.
- Be patient: Take the time to understand and address customer issues without rushing them.
- Show appreciation: Acknowledge and thank customers for their business.
- Respond promptly: Make sure you respond to customer inquiries in a timely manner.
- Be proactive: Anticipate customer needs and take proactive steps to address them.
- Follow up: Follow up with customers to ensure their satisfaction.
- Be polite: Always be courteous and respectful when communicating with customers.
- Keep up to date: Stay current on customer service trends and best practices.
- Offer solutions: Provide customers with clear solutions to their problems.
- Stay positive: Remain professional and maintain a positive attitude.
What are the 5 essential customer service elements?
- A Positive Attitude: Having a positive attitude towards customers is essential to providing good customer service. This involves being friendly, welcoming, and patient.
- Active Listening: Active listening is important in order to understand what the customer needs and wants. It also helps build trust and rapport with the customer.
- Empathy: Having empathy towards customers is important in order to show that you care and understand their situation.
- Responsiveness: Being responsive to customers is essential in order to ensure that their needs are addressed in a timely manner.
- Problem-Solving Skills: Having problem-solving skills is essential in order to be able to quickly and effectively address customer issues.