Lots of people think – erroneously – that the one part of the shopping experience that could never be replicated by an eCommerce site is the personal, customer service that many stores have prided themselves on for decades. That simply isn’t the case, however, and online customer service is one of the most important considerations for any thriving ecommerce store – both before and after a customer’s purchase.
Good customer service has long been quoted as a primary reason for people choosing their favourite bricks-and-mortar stores, and its no different online. Often people have outdated preconceptions about what’s possible with online customer service, and the image of customers stuck on hold with anonymous centres is not one which we want to recreate. With modern approaches to online customer service, users can have their issues resolved quickly, accurately and reliably.
Guide Your Users Around Your Site
In-store assistants are always on hand to point out flagship products, or help users to exactly what they’re looking for. With well-divided pages and products, even the most technophobic users should be able to find their way to their desired items. If it’s relevant to your products, providing sizing guides as well as both measurements and “sizes” of items in easily and often accessible places is a great way to replicate the human experience online.
Dealing With Returns
This is one problem that people think can’t possibly be done online. The image of the angry customer looking to return products and asking to speak to management is one which people think cannot be addressed by a website.
The first thing to remember about online customer service is that customers are very rarely this angry – what’s more, customers online haven’t been inconvenienced nearly as much by their return as someone who has had to travel to your store and return an item in person. Moreover, with an understanding of the most likely issues somebody might face with your business, you can guide users to the correct departments or actions via user flows and FAQs.
Many businesses also allow their customers to return items for free by providing postage equipment, such as postage labels and packaging. This has a dual benefit of making life easier for the customer and ensuring that items are posted back to you correctly, ensuring no loss of product in transit.
Use Live Chat
Of course, you don’t need to take a prescriptive approach and there will always be problems which you haven’t been able to predict. By using live chat features, online customer service can also include human-to-human interaction. Many users are reassured by speaking with someone about their specific issues and having a human interaction can make them feel listened to by your company.
Online customer service can be quicker, easier and more efficient, especially at a time when the people are facing another lockdown. Speak to one of our expert team today to best prepare your business for the times ahead.
