May 12, 2011
By Aura Talbott, lead blogger, Miva Merchant
For many people, customer service conjures up mental images of standing in line at a store counter, hoping to have your question answered by a knowledgeable expert. Ecommerce merchants know that online customer service is an entirely different thing. When you can’t interact with customers face-to-face or even over the phone, your website has to serve as the stand-in for that knowledgeable expert behind the counter.
When your customers do attempt to contact you, either via email, chat, or by phone, the speed with which their questions are answered, and the interaction that they have with your company needs to be quick and exemplary.
As an emerchant, how can you improve your online customer service and increase and improve customer retention? Read on to learn more.
1. Be Clear
Never assume that your customers are familiar with your shipping, return, or any of your other policies, for that matter. Make these and other policies easily accessible and keep them up-to-date at all times. Many websites have FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) pages set up specifically for this purpose.
Not only is clarity a best-practice tip for courtesy, it is also a best-practice for protecting your site legally in the event that a customer files a complaint against you. If you don’t provide your policies for your customers to view and agree to in a de-facto sense before purchasing products or services from you, you won’t have a legal leg to stand on in the event that someone accuses your company of shady or misleading practices.
2. Be Accessible
When customers need to reach your company, they need to be able to do so quickly and easily. This may seem like an obvious, no-brainer type of tip, but you’d be surprised at how many site owners forget to include this information.
Provide a phone number (preferably toll free), an email contact form, and a physical address. If you have a live chat feature, so much the better, but don’t use this functionality as an excuse to not include basic contact information as well.
3. Be Friendly
No one likes to deal with angry or rude people who yell at them and/or send mean, long-winded emails. No one likes to deal with angry people who won’t listen to reason. Above all, no one likes to deal with angry people who come across as self-serving, don’t appear to really listen to them or value their opinions, and who are rude or abrasive.
In case you’re wondering, this applies both to customers and storeowners and store employees. And human beings in general. When in doubt, be polite. Always.
Remember, the customer service that your ecommerce store provides can make or break your online reputation, and your chances of building a loyal customer base.
About the Author
Aura Talbott is the lead blogger at Miva Merchant, a leading ecommerce software and hosting provider. Over 50,000 merchants use Miva Merchant’s highly customizable, intuitive and scalable ecommerce software. These merchants range from hand-selected boutique product stores to manufacturers directly integrating their manufacturing with distributor access and an online retail presence.
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