Your web site ranks well, attracts lots of traffic and is achieving record sales – so you’re making money while you sleep! – right? If that’s the case well congratulations but don’t forget about customer service.
We’ve all heard the saying “bad news travels fast”. Offline an unhappy customer will tell on average between 8-16 people about the bad service they have received. The reality is that news of dissatisfaction spreads fast through forums, social networking sites, blogs and a growing number of sites like Get Satisfaction, TripAdvisor and Word Of Mouth On the Web .
To provide good customer service you need to make the whole experience pleasant and exceed shoppers’ expectations. Because you aren’t dealing with people face to face, it is even harder to make a connection, earn trust and build a relationship.
Your aim should be that at the very least a customer would return to your site to make another purchase but ideally be so thrilled with the site and your service that they will tell everyone they know!
What constitutes good service?
- Easy navigation: Once arriving on your site it should be easy to find what you’re looking for fast.
- Great product information: Because people can’t physically see your product they want detail to help them make their buying decision. So good quality photos, a detailed description including all necessary information like size, colour, uses etc … and possibly comments from others who have recently purchased this item.
- Easy to order: Whether you sell one product or have a catalogue of thousands the process of ordering or placing in a shopping cart and checking out should be as easy as pie, no matter what a shopper’s computer skills, and not require any guess work. Providing clear instructions each step of the way and in the minimum number of clicks, is preferable.
- Fast communication: Soon after the order has been placed, the customer should receive an email that is a receipt or tax invoice and confirms what they have ordered, when they can expect delivery and even how than can track their delivery, if necessary. Contact details are also important in the event that something does go wrong, like there being an error with their order or the package doesn’t arrive or arrives damaged.
- Fast delivery: The sooner goods arrive the happier customers will be so be as quick as you can with processing, packaging and delivery. Even offer express delivery options for those in a hurry and prepared to pay a little extra.
- Great quality: It goes without saying that customers expect great quality products that arrive and work as described.
- Extra little touches: Receiving a hand written note, a free gift or a discount coupon all help to win a happy repeat customer who you hope is a raving fan.
My most recent online purchase was from Belles Familles, it was for a pram liner and some party goods for my one year old’s birthday. I shopped around extensively, especially for the pram liner, wanting one suitable for summer and winter that fitted my pram, had holes for the safety belt and wasn’t too expensive. Belles Familles caught my attention as they has some really different products, several to choose from, good prices and they allowed me to order exact quantities of the party goods instead of having to buy complete packs. So after several hours online, I made my buying decision after 5pm on a Friday afternoon, paid extra for express delivery and waited to see what happened. I received an instant response that my order was confirmed and then one not long after that it had been processed and was on its way to me. The goods arrived speedily on the following Monday, with a handwritten address and a business card. I was very impressed, would order from them again and have been telling lots of people, including you!
Managing your brand, reputation and any complaints
If you type “unhappy customer” into Google you will start to see the sheer number of people posting about their dissatisfaction with various companies, products and services.
So if you make a mistake or receive a complaint from a dissatisfied customer I urge you to respond quickly to resolve the situation.
It is also wise to keep tabs on who is talking about your site online on other public forums or social networking sites – so that you can respond and control any potential situations before they get out of hand.
For example: anyone running a hotel, guest house or bed and breakfast would be wise to check whether they are included on TripAdvisor and what past customers are saying. You do have the option to respond to any positive or negative comments and explain your side of the story to put potential customers at ease.
So make sure you exceed expectations and keep learning – both from happy and not-so-happy customers!
About the Author. Internet consultant and author, Melissa Norfolk, speaks to business, school and community groups about online marketing, email newsletters, search engine optimisation and effective use of the internet. Her new book Starting an Online Business for Dummies is due for release in February 2009.
People expect immediacy on the web. They want things NOW, not tomorrow, not in a week’s time. That’s why it’s absolutely imperative that you get back to prospective customers as fast as you possibly can.
What do your customers think of your services? It’s one of those critical questions in business. On the web, it’s difficult to glean this information because transactions are not conducted face-to-face. An online survey is a good way to obtain information – good and bad – about your website and business.
