In today’s age of technology, the businesses that can offer effective online customer service will undoubtedly be the ones to thrive. However, virtual transactions pose a host of challenges in the service realm. If you want to step up your online customer service, we have six options to consider.
Automate Transaction Follow-Up
When customers shop online, they want the process to be as fast and trouble-free as possible. Automate transactions for customers so they can complete them conveniently any time of the day or night. It is also helpful to incorporate automatic follow-up into the transaction process. For example, send the customer an automated thank you email for their business, as well as updates when products are shipped.
Make Contact Information Easy to Find
When customers do run into a snag, they don’t want to have to search for ways to contact a live person with your company. Provide contact information on every page of your website, with a chat button positioned in a prominent place that is easy to see. Staff your support center appropriately, so when customers do contact your customer, they don’t have long waits or transfers that can frustrate them.
Upgrade your FAQ page
The FAQ page should give customers much of the information they need for doing business with your company. If you haven’t visited yours for a while, now is the time to take a look at the information you provide – from your customer’s point of view. If you aren’t sure whether the information is what your customers are looking for, find out through a survey or by tracking customer requests in your support and sales centers for a period of time to find out what customers want to know. Take a look at Marketreview.com for an example of a useful and well written FAQ page.
Give Details
Shopping online can be challenging, since all the customer experiences when selecting merchandise is a small picture on a computer screen. Help your customers out with detailed descriptions of your products, including dimensions, function and any other pertinent information. If your support center is getting many questions about particular items, check out your posted description to see how it can be improved.
Personalize the Experience
Just because a customer shops with you online doesn’t mean he won’t be delighted with personal service. There are many ways to add the personal touch to online transactions, from hand-written notes in orders to follow-up emails from a customer service rep.
Reward Regular Shoppers
Online shopping makes it relatively easy to track purchases and customer transactions. If you have customers that shop with your company frequently, reward them for their loyalty by emailing a discount coupon or free shipping offer. These rewards go a long way in promoting customer loyalty and word-of-mouth advertising.
Online customer service is the wave of the future, with more customers heading online to do transactions than ever before. This is the perfect avenue for you to stand apart from your competition by providing stellar customer service online that surprises and delights your customers. These tips are just the beginning of creating a sensational customer experience no matter how your customers contact your business.
