A guide to E-Commerce customer service

Competition is fierce in the e-commerce world and going up against giants such as amazon and ebay can give you the feeling of being a little fish in a big pond. But there is one thing that 'small time' can beat 'big time' in, and that's Personalised Customer Service.

Whether customer service is your sole responsibility as a business owner or a team of 10, you can perform to a standard that your customers will appreciate, this could set you apart from your competitors.

Why strive for great ecommerce customer service?

Microsoft has found that 58% of customers will sever a relationship with a business due to poor customer service, additionally 55% of consumers globally have higher expectations for customer service than one year ago.

The value of good customer service is rising for the consumer, with a world of options it's more important to keep a customer than try to attract another one.

Understand the value of customer retention

While running a business we can be so focused on gaining new customers that we forget the value of the customers we already have. A 5% increase in your customer retention can equate a profit of 25%. This is because a retained customer is more likely to spend 67% more with your brand. Another underestimated value of repeat customers is that they will refer people. Word of mouth is the most effective and economical way retailers grow. A loyal customer can be the key to your company being introduced to a new shopper.

Make key information available on your site

Some of your customers will get in contact with you regarding unique issues or concerns. But most of the time, a customer may get in contact with the same handful of questions that your customer service team have answered multiple times. Implementing easy to find, clear and concise answers to frequent customer service issues such as; billings and payments, shipping policies, return and refund information policies and easy to understand terms and conditions of your business, could help reduce the amount of queries you get.

Multi-channel eCommerce customer service

Your customers are looking to contact you as easily and conveniently as possible. To them, it's all about a smooth and seamless experience regardless of which platform they use. Some important platforms are:

• Social Media
• Email
• Live chat
• Phone

Consistency is key while providing multi-channel customer service. Having your staff on the same page regardless of which channel they monitor will help create a seamless experience.

If a customer finds it easy to contact you and get assistance in a timely and professional manner, they are likely to feel more confident about purchasing your product. This will increase customer satisfaction and customer retention.

Measure, manage and improve

Your customer service approach has to be fluid. If you are rigid and don't move with the times, you will find some customers leave you behind.

It's important to look at your procedure and find out what's working and fixing what is not. Asking your customers for feedback will give you insight into the level of customer satisfaction. Evaluating this performance will assist you in making future decisions, taking you closer to great customer service.

At Interparcel Australia, we pride ourselves on our customer service. We have made it easy to get in contact with us. We are available to chat Monday - Friday 9am - 5 pm. Feel free to contact us on 1300 006 031.

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