Yes, a percentage of online business success will come down to your ideas, value, marketing, and so on and so forth. But none of these come close to the most significant factor that’ll determine whether you’re successful or not: that honour rests with your customers, and especially how happy they are with your business. People are willing to overlook minor inconveniences if they love the company, and they’ll only love the business if they feel like they’re receiving love in return. Below, we take a look at a few crucial, easy to incorporate pieces of advice for keeping your company on your customer’s good side.
There When They Need You
There are few things more annoying than having a problem, looking around for someone to help you, and there being…no one there to help. You know what it’s like to be a customer because you’ve been one yourself a thousand times over. If you’ve ordered a product and you’re excited for it to arrive, then you get a bit impatient and may want to check up if it’s on its way. If there’s a problem with the item when it arrives, then you’ll definitely want to speak with someone. Make yourself available whenever your customers need you with a 24/7 phone line.
Clear Online Info
Customers might take a chance when it comes to using your business, but they’d rather not. You already have a website, so why don’t you make the most of it and outline all the crucial information your customers need to know. This can be things like your delivery schedule, returns policy, and so on. It’s easy for you to include, and it might just help put your customers’ minds at rest.Your website isn’t just a tool for your marketing and a vehicle for your business; it’s there to help the people who want to become your customer.
Social Media Engagement
There’s not a person on the planet that likes being ignored. The question is, is your company guilty of committing this insult? Take a look at your social media channels; are people trying to contact you via Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram? If they are, and you’re ignoring them, then they might not be your customer for too much longer. It’s easier to keep an eye on your company’s social media channels; you can have them on your phone, and get notified when someone sends you a message. A reply will take a minute or less, so do it! Also, try to be upbeat, fun, and creative – people love companies who have a sense of humour and don’t take everything so seriously!
Extra Mile Packaging
You’re not just sending your customer the item they’ve bought when you send it to their home. You’re posting them a package, and if it’s clearly substandard, then the thrill of the purchase arriving won’t last very long. Make sure you go the extra mile when it comes to your packaging. Use foam sheets to ensure the item is free of damage when it arrives. Use a creative design on the outside of the package. Include a thank you note, and – if you’re feeling generous (and why not?) – maybe a small gift, such as a fun button or sticker.
No Mystery Billing
Do you want to make your customer angry? Here’s what you do. Charge them an extra 1.99, and then don’t tell them what it’s for until they ask. People – all your customers – have an innate sense of fairness, and if they think you’ve taken an opportunity to make an extra bit of cash for your company, you’ll never see them again. Of course, some charges are unavoidable, but you should be upfront about all costs from the first moment. The vast majority of people who find an added charge when it comes to checkout will abandon their cart; don’t make your customers do the same!
Reward Your Regular Customers
It takes a lot of money to find new customers. You have first to get them to pay attention to your name, and then tell them who you are and what you offer, then you need to bring them on board as a customer. That’s not easy. The cost of getting repeat business from your existing businesses is much more cost effective; indeed, it’s the clients who return again and again that determine the long-term success of business. As such, you should work hard to keep everyone happy, and that means: offering rewards! Don’t save all your best promotions for your potential customers – reward your existing customers for their continued support. They’ll appreciate it.
Follow Up The Order
You don’t just get to bask in the satisfaction of an order once you’ve packaged an item and sent it on its way. Your job is only half finished. As part of your customer service, you should be following up the order and ensuring that everything went smoothly. It’s a small thing to do, but your customers will appreciate it, and you might just learn something that helps you move your company forward. And talking of which….
Measure Customer Happiness
How do you know if your customers are happy with their level of service they received? Why, you can just ask them! Most people will put an email asking them to rate their experience straight into the bin, but not everybody will, and from them, you’ll get some invaluable advice. These are your customers we’re talking about, and if they’re willing to tell you how you might improve, then you’d be crazy not to listen to what they have to say. You might be making one mistake that’s easy to rectify, but you won’t know unless you give your customers a chance to tell you! Alternatively, you can also ask your customers to click a simple emoji (happy, sad, indifferent) corresponding to their experience in a number of fields (such as expectations, delivery, level of service, and so). If one factor is getting a higher than usual amount of negative feedback, you know that’s where you need to improve moving forward.
Dealing with Complaints
Of course, not everything will run perfectly at all times. Even the best companies in the world make mistakes; but as they say, it’s not the fall that determines our character, it’s how we pick ourselves up. Any complaint should be treated as a priority, and you should work hard to make sure that customer is happy once their issue has been resolved. You should have a system in place for dealing with complaints. If you don’t, get to work on one. If you do, remember that it’s always a good idea to review your processes from time to time.
Be Ready for Rush Periods
You might have a great relationship with your customers, but you’re only one rush period from having your high standards slip. To make sure that you’re always offering the same standard of customer service, consider taking on more staff during rush periods to handle the increased workload. If you’re relying on your existing staff just to do more work when things get busy, then mistakes will be made.
Bottom Line
Ultimately, your mission is to take care of your customers on any issue that is linked to your business. Customers want to feel valued, know they can talk with someone if they need to and to believe that you care about them. Make their happiness a priority, and you’ll naturally find that your customers keep on coming back: because they like your company!
