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Starting an online store is one of the most accessible forms of business venture. Easy to set up, cost-effective and low on risk. It attracts entrepreneurs and enterprises alike by virtually guaranteeing a certain amount of return on investment.

But while creating an online store is simple, retaining it for long-term success is where things get tricky. Building brand loyalty and a robust customer base has always been a struggle, even for larger companies. Regardless of product quality, customer satisfaction can make or break your ecommerce business.

Here at IdeasUnlimited, we’ve learned the tremendous value of high-quality customer service in the ecommerce industry. Both for those on a tight budget or perhaps not convinced with the value of customer service, we’ll be discussing the role it plays for online stores and how it adds value to a business.

Improving Customer Trust

When it comes to engaging with your customers, there is no better alternative to having a voice to represent your company. 2020 saw the biggest surge in online shopping and roughly 60% of online shoppers ended up returning for more with companies that had good customer service.

By giving your customers a number to call in case they would like to speak to you is a simple but effective way to let them know that you highly prioritize their shopping experience on your website. Customer service has many functions but chief among them is its ability to push customers into the purchase funnel which results in a sale. When speaking with a responsive customer service agent, consumers will have the confidence and assurance to safely make a transaction knowing that there will always be someone to speak to should anything go wrong with their shopping experience.

Enabling 24/7

Brick and mortar stores can’t keep their doors open all day long but websites are live on the internet all the time. In the ecommerce world, 24/7 availability has become something of an obligation and companies that cannot achieve it are at a huge disadvantage. Online customers expect fast and responsive service for their queries. You never know when and from which country and customer might stumble on your website, so you need to be ready. More importantly, your customer service needs to be ready.

Contact centers are the key to serve customers during holidays and after-hours. They act as an ever present front for your business to ensure that your business remains operational non-stop. Customers are most prone to cancelling orders if their complaints or queries are not dealt with promptly so it’s important to be “always-on” and available even outside of your business hours.

Handling Irate Customers

No matter how good your products or services are, sooner or later, all B2C companies have to face unsatisfied customers. Angry customers aren’t necessarily a sign of poor product quality, they just happen to be an inevitability in the world of consumer business. The key is to respond to such customers professionally and to have a solid protocol to handle them in a way that doesn’t hurt your customer retention. Always to try and win back irate customers rather than avoid them.

This is where professional call centers can help tremendously. Most call centers have agents who are coached by experienced managers to smoothly handle calls from unhappy customers. They are trained to remain calm and professional in order to avoid compromising the company brand and it’s reputation. Having trained agents at the ready who don’t give in to emotions when dealing with clients are crucial to maintain a positive outlook for existing and potentially new clients.

Tracking Customer Feedback

Ecommerce is all about iteration and innovation. Offering your customers new and exciting products is imperative in order to keep them coming back for more. Most of the time, it’s about tweaking your existing offerings to match what your consumers desire rather than developing an entirely new product lineup. Getting this right can be challenging.

One thing call centers are extremely good at is building a database. Most contact centers maintain a record of things like what customers disliked the most about a product, how they wished it was different etc. When talking to customers, agents can conduct a scripted line of questions in order to judge what customers liked/disliked in any given product. Information such as this can be extremely valuable for online stores that are trying to brainstorm new product ideas.

CONCLUSION

An effective customer service is an essential part of a successful business and a professional team of call centers agents still prove to this day to be an invaluable asset. Building a responsive customer care function is vital to setup your ecommerce business for success and getting started is becoming easier than ever. IdeasUnlimited has helped over five hundred clients establish robust customer care. Whether you are a beginner or a well established franchise in the ecommerce arena, our support team is ready to help you enhance your services today. Be sure to get in touch with our sales team by heading over to our Contact Page and letting us know a little bit about your business.

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