providing outstanding customer service - website design | small

Providing outstanding

Customer Service in an eCommerce environment

Web.com's eCommerce AgencyRegister.com’s eCommerce Agency

Register.com • 1.855.897.1724 © 2013 Register.com. All rights reserved.

2 keep your customer satisfaction high, and you’ll always improve your business.

It’s important to know customer service isn’t performed solely through face to face interaction. Whether you operate an eCommerce or brick and mortar store (or both), customers are still going to call to check if an item is in stock, they’re going to email questions after hours, and most importantly, they’re going to expect someone to be there when they need assistance. If not, they are very likely to seek service elsewhere.

Providing exceptional customer service involves answering calls, not letting them go to voicemail. It means promptly responding to email inquiries, not allowing days or weeks to go by before looking at and responding to them. It means resolving customer complaints and other issues with patience and compassion. It means providing your

customers with satisfactory shopping experiences that will turn them into regulars.

Five consistent factors critical to a satisfying service experience from a consumer point of view:n The ability to resolve an issue by speaking to a single

service representative rather than being forwarded to multiple representatives (named by 43%)

n Fast resolution of problems (28%)n High-quality response (27%)n Customer service agent’s manner and approach (23%)n Speed of response (22%) —Courtesy of Accenture

As an eCommerce store owner you may wonder, how are you supposed to provide top notch customer service when you’ll

never even see your customers?

When you are shopping at your favorite store, you know there are employees available to inform you of sales, perform a price check or answer any general questions. Online shopping is a little different;

there is no physical store, no employees, no price gun, etc.

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providing outstanding customer service in an ecommerce environment 3

No one ever said customer service was easy. Dealing with hot headed “complainers” or highly indecisive “browsers” can be stressful, unpleasant and time consuming interactions for store owners. Knowing how to handle various types of customers and the situations they present is imperative to providing excellent customer service. The better you are able to handle these situations, the stronger your business will be and the happier your customers will remain.

l 56%-70% of the customers who complain will do business with you again if you resolve their problem. If they feel you acted quickly and to their satisfaction, up to 96% will do business with you again, and they will probably refer other people to you.

—WhiteHouseOfficeofConsumerAffairs

a rainbow of customers

No two people are the same. Keep this in mind when handling the array of phone calls you receive from your customers. Some people are going to naturally be more difficult to handle than others. Certain customers are going to need things explained to them in more detail than others. Learning to handle the many personalities you’re going to encounter will help keep your customer satisfaction high, which is always going to improve your business.

Type 1: The Perfect CustomerThe perfect customer knows what they want. This person calls for a specific reason, after doing their own research on your website and products. They are more focused because they already have a specific product in mind. This customer is

pleasant to deal with in terms of saving time and patience, but they are also harder to upsell or cross sell. Because they have already researched what they want, they don’t feel the need to add anything else to their order. If they refuse upsell tactics, remain friendly and continue providing the necessary service for which they’ve called. You don’t want to risk losing the sale altogether because you got too pushy in the end.

Type 2: The BrowserThe browser is exactly that; the person you see walking around a retail store checking out everything because they really don’t know what they want. Since you don’t have a physical location, the eCommerce browser sometimes uses the

phone as their browsing means. Because browsers are so uncertain, they are likely to ask a lot of product questions and take up a lot of your time doing so. Many of the answers to these questions could probably have been found on your store, had they checked. Don’t be rude with a quick “just visit the website” reply. While your time is valuable, rushing someone off the phone isn’t going to help sales. After all, customers are the reason you have a business so time must be spent on them. In this scenario, gently and kindly urge the person to visit the website, perhaps recommending a specific section based on some of their questions, to view the products, and encourage them to call back if they’d prefer ordering over the phone. Make this option seem more appealing by explaining how they can see photos, colors, sizes and other product options on the site. Everyone wants to see what they are getting before they buy. When



reminding them they can call back when they’re ready, you can use a script such as this: “Mr. Customer, if you’re not sure yet which products will work best for you, please review our website at your leisure and call us back. We’re available Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-12 a.m. and Sat/Sun 9 a.m.-9 p.m.”

Type 3: The Indecisive: Similar to the browser, the indecisive also eats up time. This type of customer doesn’t want to make the buying decision themselves; they want you to do it for them. Think about the times you may go

shopping and bring along a friend. “Should I get this?” or “What do you think of this?” often comes up. Since shopping online is often a personal experience, the indecisive shopper can find solace in that toll-free number in the header – and the promise of a personal shopping assistant who will answer. Unlike the browser, the indecisive customers will at least have an idea of what products they are interested in but want a little help deciding on item specifics, such as what color to get, how many to order or which product to choose if they are stuck between a few. When dealing with someone like this, quickly explain a few key points about each of the products, highlight a few differences between them or make a personal recommendation if you are familiar with the items. If they still aren’t willing to make up their mind, use the same strategy you did for the browser. Ask them to review the website again, and then ask them to call back once they’ve made up their mind. If the customer seems to be leaning toward one item, it doesn’t hurt to ask for the sale. This captures the sale and will provide quality service because the customer will feel taken care of. They will have a sense of resolution when they hang up the phone – and a new package to expect in the mail.

Type 4: The ComplainerNobody wants to answer the phone to find a difficult caller on the line. When you do encounter a complainer, you need to know how to handle them with finesse and turn the call around.

Situations presented by a complainer are delicate and so your frustration needs to be kept in check. The old adage “never let them see you sweat” comes to mind. Keep in mind the customer may not be mad at you specifically or even your company. But they are upset and their feelings should be recognized. First, allow the customer to vent and get whatever they are upset about out in the open. Let them speak their mind without interruption. No matter how much

you want to, try not to correct them until the venting is complete. On the other hand, complete silence may make the customer feel as if no one is listening so offer the occasional, “I see”, “really”, and “OK” when you see fit. This shows you are paying attention. Second, acknowledge the customers’ feelings. Empathize with them so they know that you’re on their side. For example, “Mr. Customer, I can understand why you’re upset. I wouldn’t be happy either if my daughter’s birthday present was lost in the mail.”Finally, resolve the issue at hand, whatever it may be. Make sure they are satisfied with this resolution that way both parties hang up on a good note. When it comes to resolving complaints, each company has different policies and each situation is unique. If you are a business owner handling calls, you have the liberty of calling shots on the fly. However, if employees or a third party handles calls, be sure to outline with reps what limitations and leeway they have when it comes to complaints, refunds, etc. Also, have a clear escalation process in place. Some problems cannot be solved in one call and, if that is the case, set clear expectations to the customer about the next step.

l 70% of complaining customers will do business with you again if you resolve the complaint in their favor.

—Lee Resource Inc.

l 95% of complaining customers will do business with you again if you resolve the complaint instantly.

—Lee Resource Inc.

Type 5: The BullyThe bully is similar to the complainer, but a little more extreme in character. Bullies may tell you how to place an order, demand a refund or accuse you of something. They are exceedingly

demanding customers that are used to barking orders and expecting people to jump in return. Dealing with this type of customer requires you to stand your ground. If you have policies in place, don’t bend the rules because you’re feeling pressured and just want to get off the phone. Let the customer think they are right and in control, while keeping up your standard ordering or

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providing outstanding customer service in an ecommerce environment 5

which are created and stored on a chat system. People often feel that no one is really listening when a canned message pops up so try to give these messages a personal feel. Keep use to a minimum so customers aren’t made to feel like they are talking to a computer. Typical chat or text lingo such as “lol” or “brb” should never be used here and conversation should be geared toward the customer. If a customer uses technical jargon, you can continue to do so. But if they are using simplistic phrases and asking elementary questions, do not use technical language because they most likely won’t understand what you’re saying. For example, “go ahead with your query” is not as friendly as “what questions do you have for me today?”You should be as courteous as possible. Thank them for contacting you and ask them how you can help. Tell them you are greatly appreciative of their business, for visiting your site and/or notifying you of a problem. You should remain professional throughout the chat, whether the customer is or not. If the customer is looking to place an order through chat, you may have to prompt them to the phone depending on the security of your chat so that sensitive information is safe.

l 58% surveyed said that if a website offered live chat, that fact alone would positively influence their decision to make a purchase.

—TheEffectivenessofLiveChatTechnology

Chatting may take longer than a traditional phone call, but the upside here is that you can cover some serious ground in a chat, and send links to products or information pages. For this reason, people asking product questions over live chat tend to convert well. Many of the same rules apply to the use of email in customer service. Templates make sending out emails simple, but again they should be personalized to make the customer feel like they are important. Add a signature line that states how you value them and the business they provide you. Keep in mind that you are emailing a person and your writing should reflect that. Start emails with the customers actual name using merge codes instead of a “To whom it may concern” or “Dear Customer”. Make it extra special by inquiring into the person’s life, as you would a friend. “I hope this email finds you in good spirits” is a great way to start it off. After this, you can get to the point as to why you are emailing them.

returning procedures. Hypothetical situations could be if a customer says,“Why can’t you just place my order now?” Respond with a client appropriate response.... “Sir, I am more than happy to place the order for you; it will just take a moment to process the order” or “Sir, I can understand your need to have the money refunded to your card now, however we do have a process in which refunds are given.”You don’t want to be pushed around, yet you don’t want to lose a sale or customer. Be calm, yet courteous. Be accommodating, yet firm in enforcing your policies. And most importantly, keep your cool because remember, the customer is always right or should at least be made to feel that way. Remind the customer that you cannot help them if they do not let you speak. Listen, but make sure they give you a speaking turn.

Type 6: The TalkerThis type of customer may not even be a customer at all. This person is bored, lonely, or both. Maybe they just called to hear another person’s voice or tell someone about their

grandchildren. They are usually of an older demographic and should be handled delicately. Make sure they are aware they called a business and let them know if they’d like to make a purchase, you’d be more than happy to assist them. You may gain a customer out of someone who had no intention of buying anything by showing them the kindness they were looking for.

Type 7: The Technologically SavvySome people avoid phone calls altogether. They’re the type who is constantly sending and receiving text messages from their acquaintances

because they hate being on the phone. Whether it’s because they want to avoid the awkward, silent moments or because they are shy, these people seek out other means of contact when it comes to customer service. The two main communication methods used by this type of customer are live chat and email. For people who want an answer now and don’t want to pick up the phone, live chat is their answer. The challenge to using live chat is that you can’t tell the tone of the conversation because you can’t hear the person’s voice. Emotion and empathy are harder to get across using only text. You can still show emotions by saying things like, “that’s too funny!” or “I completely understand why you are upset”. Canned messages are often used in live chat. A canned message is an automated response to a common inquiry



you want them to remain a customer. When people are spending their money, no matter what it is on, they want to know they will be taken care of if something goes wrong. Providing superior service demonstrates you not only care about your customer, but also your business and products. A good reputation goes a long way and so does word of mouth. Taking care of every customer, not just the ones you have time for or the ones you want to deal with, will boost your business status and grow your customer base.

l It takes 12 positive service incidents to make up for one negative incident.

—“UnderstandingCustomers”byRubyNewell-Legner

Then and NowCustomer service has certainly evolved over time, but the concept hasn’t changed. Sure, the methods of communication are different and more convenient, but the customer expectations remain the same and in fact, expectations may be higher. Life in general is moving faster because of advances in technology and communication. New York City is no longer the only city that never sleeps; people everywhere are going around the clock. Everything from travel to Internet speed has picked up the pace. It’s this reason that people expect things to move faster, including customer service. Customers want to be made to feel like they matter. They want to know you appreciate their business, that

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