Ignore social media at your peril
The ever increasing amount of choices available to customers in today’s market, means that customer service is now more important than even just a couple of years ago. A special focus needs to be placed on increasing customer satisfaction and thus customer loyalty.
By Andreas Kopatz, senior expert business development, Intershop
In this article I will:
- Point out what customers hate
- Describe the role of social media in this area
- Explain how to deal with customer feedback
The customer is king – but how does that translate in e-commerce? Firstly, look at the quality of your customer service. Here is a list of things that can really irritate shoppers:
• Having to wait. Customers generally hate any kind of delay.
• Having to repeat the same information.
• Getting lost in your store. Your customer service contact details should be easily accessible from any page on your website.
• Receiving unhelpful responses. This can result in items being returned when they don’t have to be. Make sure your customer service representatives have had adequate training.
• Not being treated courteously. Every complaint should be taken seriously and criticism should be taken on board.
• Paying something for nothing. It’s never wise to (over) charge for customer service, especially if the quality of your hotline is bad.
• Waiting for ordered items. Lengthy delivery times are a source of irritation. It’s also annoying if the delivery schedule is not adhered to, and it’s not possible to get an accurate ETA from customer service.
Remember, consistent communication with the customer is a must. Use all touch points, but make sure customer service channels are integrated and synchronised.
Deal with feedback – positive and negative
It goes without saying that unhappy customers are not great news. As technology develops, people have more and more ways of communicating their feelings – to you as well as to others.
If a customer has a bad experience, you can be sure they’ll tell their friends. Customers are increasingly using Facebook and Twitter, as well as blogs to air their grievances online. It is crucial to have company-controlled and well-thought-out risk management in place. Otherwise such negative press can quickly damage your company’s image.
Another possibility is that customers will leave negative ratings or reviews on your website. Since new customers often rely on other shoppers’ opinions, this is something you want to avoid.
Always respond to customer complaints, assure them that all necessary action is being taken, and offer discounts or other goodwill gestures to help rebuild confidence and minimise any negative feedback.
Customers will also use mail and e-mail to complain about any issues they have. Make sure you send a proper and prompt reply.
On the plus side, good customer reviews can do wonders for your website. Word of mouth has withstood the test of time as the best way to attract customers, and online reviews are today’s equivalent.
Here are a few options for collecting positive customer feedback:
Testimonials – Although a bit outdated, these contribute to the positive image of an online business. A good experience from a number of your customers that is posted on your website will build trust among new visitors. But, keep it fresh.
With the right planning and tools, you can also manage your own customer feedback system. It is important to think about how you will collect the feedback. Make it easy! Customers do not want to receive a four-page review link or take more than a minute or two to share their experience. Once you have collected your feedback, broadcast it across all channels possible.
Finally, using an independent third party to collect reviews is a great way to go if you have the budget for it. There are a lot of options out there so be sure you find the company that suits your needs best. If you have a Google Adwords campaign, look for a service that can integrate the reviews into your Adwords for the seller ratings and yellow stars.
In the end, no matter how you do it, it is vital for your business to collect feedback from your customers. The advantage is that you are more in control and aware of what is being said about your business. Consumers know that no business is completely perfect. A five out of five rating can be suspicious and a few negative reviews are forgivable, especially if you clearly took steps to resolve the problem.
For more information visit: www.intershop.com
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