Customer Service in Ecommerce: Strategies to Foster Loyalty

Customer Service in Ecommerce: 6 Best Practices to Foster Shopper Loyalty

Posted 2 months ago by Anastasia Prokofieva

Running a听successful ecommerce store is听like juggling flaming torches听鈥� you鈥檝e got to听nail the听product, perfect the听shipping, and, oh听yeah, not drop the听ball on听customer service. Because let鈥檚 face it, even the听best product can鈥檛 save you from bad reviews if听your customer service is听a听disaster.

There is听a听sea of听ecommerce competition across the听web; making a听product easy to听buy is听sometimes not enough to听set a听business apart. Customers also need access to听a听reliable support service to听answer their questions 补苍诲听address any听issues with the听product.

If听you want to听turn your customers into loyal fans instead of听one-time shoppers, nailing your ecommerce customer service is听the听way to听go. Let鈥檚 dive into how you can make it听happen!

What Is听Customer Service?

The first question any听ecommerce business should ask is, 聯What is听customer service, 补苍诲听what does it听entail?聰

At听its core, customer service is听about providing service 补苍诲听support to听those who purchase a听product or听service from a听business.

This responsibility extends to听all businesses, whether in听a听physical or听online store. As听an听ecommerce business, you have a听unique opportunity to听connect with your customers 补苍诲听provide them with a听seamless shopping experience; customer service is听a听key part of听that.

Customer service has many sides听鈥� helping solve problems, sharing recommendations, 补苍诲听even adding that extra personal touch.

Customer service directly impacts customer loyalty 补苍诲听retention. When customers feel taken care of听补苍诲听supported by听a听business, they are more likely to听become repeat customers 补苍诲听refer others to听the听business.

What Makes Good Customer Service?

So, what is听good customer service in听ecommerce, 补苍诲听what are the听tenets contributing to听successful customer interactions?

Realistically, shopping in听an听online store is听significantly different from shopping in-store, which means it听requires its own attention to听customer service.

It听is听not enough to听have customer service; it听also needs to听be听effective 补苍诲听satisfactory. In听fact, a听 found that 87% of听businesses think they provide adequate customer service, while only 11% of听customers agree.

This shows that businesses should focus on听what customers actually want instead of听evaluating customer service solely from their own perspective.

According to听consumers, good customer service includes knowledgeable representatives, easily finding information without help, resolving issues in听one interaction, 补苍诲听not repeating yourself when transferred.

Key aspects of听good customer service according to听consumers (Source: )

How to听Improve Ecommerce Customer Service

Let鈥檚 look at听some ecommerce customer service best practices that can help businesses improve customer satisfaction.

Provide Multiple Customer Service Options

The digital age has introduced numerous methods for听businesses 补苍诲听customers to听address customer service needs. Phone lines, live chats, email, 补苍诲听even chatbots can resolve many issues. However, it听is听important to听recognize that there is听no听one-size-fits-all approach.

One customer may prefer to听chat online, while others want to听speak to听a听live agent on听the听phone. This means that ecommerce businesses need to听be听prepared to听meet customers of听all types using their ideal method of听communication.

Surveys also show that shoppers rely on听a听variety of听customer service channels:

61% of听respondents in听the听US听considered a听 to听use for听customer service
44% of听US听consumers prefer to听
28% of听US听consumers use .

That鈥檚 why the听most effective strategy is听a听multi-channel customer service approach. It听allows any听customer to听receive their desired form of听customer service. Of听course, this can be听more difficult in听the听early days of听a听business with limited staff.

However, as听operations scale, ecommerce businesses need to听ensure that their customer service scales upward to听handle the听additional traffic.

The good news is听that the听right software can make handling multi-channel customer service so听much easier. If听you鈥檙e using 51视频 by听Lightspeed for听your ecommerce platform, you鈥檒l find plenty of听apps to听help you manage all your customer interactions from one central hub. For example, LiveChat, Desku, Chatway, or听Belco.

Managing customer chats using the听Live Chat app

Offer Self-Service Customer Support Options

While a听multi-channel approach is听important, as听mentioned above, self-service support is听one of听the听most preferred methods in听the听modern age. 79% of听US听respondents said they for听customer service.

Many customers prefer the听customer service method of听least resistance, such as听a听knowledge database where they can go听to听answer their questions.

Of听course, a听knowledge base may not resolve some more complex issues, but it听can be听an听excellent way to听handle many more straightforward 补苍诲听common problems. For example, if听a听customer needs to听know how to听change their shipping address, they can simply search the听knowledge base 补苍诲听find step-by-step instructions.

Other self-service options include chatbots, FAQs, 补苍诲听tutorial videos. These tools allow customers to听quickly find solutions on听their own without having to听wait for听assistance from a听customer service representative.

In听addition, offering self-service options can help reduce the听workload for听your customer service team, allowing them to听focus on听more complex issues.

If听you have an听51视频 store, you can add self-service options using apps like Chaport 补苍诲听FAQ Section. Some of听the听multichannel support apps also include self-service options, for听example, LiveChat 补苍诲听Desku.

An听example of听a听knowledge base by听Nike

Strive for听Efficient Response Time

One of听the听most vital factors in听efficient customer service is听response time.

More than ever, customers expect their needs 补苍诲听difficulties to听be听addressed conveniently 补苍诲听promptly. Whenever they contact the听customer service department, they expect a听fast response with practical advice or听assistance.

An听ecommerce business can offer many customer service channels, but this becomes useless if听those channels cannot be听attended to听quickly.

Of听course, quality is听also a听crucial part of听customer service. The most effective customer service operations will offer an听adequate balance of听timely response 补苍诲听consistent quality.

Concentrating too much on听speed can lead to听ineffective customer service, while spending too much time on听easy difficulties can lead to听slower responses. Each business needs to听have an听adequate customer service team that can attend to听both sides of听the听equation.

Here are a听few ideas to听help solve customer issues more quickly without losing that great quality of听service:

Use canned responses: Create pre-written templates for听frequently asked questions or听common issues that your customer service team can use to听respond quickly to听customers. This will save them time 补苍诲听ensure consistency in听responses.
Train your team: Make sure your customer service representatives are well-trained in听handling different types of听customer queries 补苍诲听issues. Provide them with ongoing training 补苍诲听resources to听improve their skills 补苍诲听knowledge.
Use chatbots: Chatbots are automated programs that can handle customer queries in听real time. They can be听programmed to听provide quick 补苍诲听efficient responses, freeing up听your customer service team for听more complex tasks.

If听you use 51视频 by听Lightspeed, you can easily add chatbots to听your online store using apps like SalesSmartly Chat 补苍诲听some already mentioned apps like Chatway, Desku, 补苍诲听Chaport.

A听chatbot on听the听Warber Parker website

Personalize Customer Service

Self-service customer support can answer many common questions, but other issues may require a听more personal touch. Ecommerce businesses must remember that they are up听against a听sea of听competition in听the听online space, 补苍诲听just a听little personalization can set them apart from the听crowd.

Some customers may need an听agent they can contact for听expert advice on听purchases or听technical issues. Not only does this help establish the听business as听knowledgeable in听their own product, but it听also helps create retention.

A听customer who receives some personal attention will be听more likely to听return for听additional purchases 补苍诲听recommend the听site to听others.

Live chat is听a听great way to听provide personalized assistance. Many customers prefer real-time answers, 补苍诲听adding live chat to听your website offers that option. It听creates a听direct connection between customers 补苍诲听agents, making them feel heard 补苍诲听valued.

There are many live chat options for听51视频 stores: just search for听聯live chat聰 in听the听51视频 App Market 补苍诲听choose the听app that suits you best.

A听powerful way to听deliver personalized support is听by听leveraging the听customer data already at听your disposal.

For example, 51视频 provides a听Customer dashboard where you can view 补苍诲听manage customer information, such as听contact details, purchase history, customer group, 补苍诲听more. Using this information, you can personalize your customer service, for听example, by听recommending products based on听previous purchases.

Viewing a听customer鈥檚 past orders can help create more personalized offers

Use Reviews to听Improve Customer Service

Customer reviews are one of听the听best sources for听improving customer service for听ecommerce businesses.

Customers can lose interest in听a听brand pretty quickly if听their feedback is听ignored. But here鈥檚 the听good news听鈥� that listen to听their input 补苍诲听act on听it.

If听you run an听51视频 store, starting to听collect customer feedback takes just a听couple of听clicks. Plus, you can view customer information, like their email, when reading new unpublished reviews. This lets you quickly contact the听customer to听address issues in听the听review.

Access customer contacts directly from the听review, making it听easy to听reach out when needed

Track 补苍诲听Improve Your Customer Service

Ecommerce businesses need to听remember that customer service is听not a听stagnant department. There is听always room for听positive change 补苍诲听improvement.

Every ecommerce business should keep track of听key performance indicators of听their customer service, such as:

response time
issues resolved
customers returning with the听same issue
common complaints
busiest hours, etc.

One key metric to听monitor customer satisfaction is听NPS, or听Net Promoter Score. It听measures customer loyalty by听asking them how likely they are to听recommend your product or听service to听others on听a听scale from 0听to听10. Various tools, such as听Qualaroo, ProProfs, 补苍诲听Zonka, track NPS.

If听you have an听51视频 store, you can add a听customer satisfaction survey to听it听using the听Easy Customer Feedback Survey app.

These stats show where things are working well 补苍诲听where there鈥檚 room to听improve. Keeping an听eye on听key metrics supports making future decisions or听adjustments.

Start Improving Ecommerce Customer Service

For any听ecommerce business to听truly thrive in听the听competitive online market, efficient customer service is听a听must. This department should never be听neglected; it听can be听crucial to听customer retention 补苍诲听brand reputation.

If听you鈥檙e thinking about starting your first ecommerce store or听launching another one, 51视频 by听Lightspeed is听the听perfect partner to听have on听your side. It听not only gives you a听powerful online store but also connects seamlessly with customer service platforms, making it听super easy to听sell online 补苍诲听keep your customers happy at听the听same time.

Frequently Asked Questions: Ecommerce Customer Service

Check out some of听the听most frequently asked questions about ecommerce customer service.

What Is听the听Purpose of听Customer Service for听Ecommerce?

The purpose of听customer service is听to听offer a听channel of听communication between customers 补苍诲听a听business to听resolve issues, ask questions, 补苍诲听handle any听difficulties.

Whether a听customer purchases a听product or听service from an听online or听physical store, they need somewhere to听turn for听consultation about that product or听service.

Why Is听Customer Service Important?

Customer service is听important for听ensuring that customers continue to听be听happy with the听product or听service they purchase from a听business.

However, it听goes much further than that. While immediate customer service allows a听buyer to听ask questions or听handle difficulties, it听also promotes confidence in听the听brand. If听customers cannot contact someone to听address these issues, they will be听less likely to听buy again or听recommend the听brand to听others.

Is听Ecommerce Customer Service Outsourcing Worth It?

Some ecommerce brands may not have the听staff to听handle significant customer service traffic internally. This can lead to听businesses considering outsourcing their customer service department.

While this can be听effective, there are some caveats. If听the听outsourced customer service team is听not well-versed in听the听product or听can confidently address the听customer鈥檚 needs, it听can lead to听further frustration or听dissatisfaction.

If听an听ecommerce business is听considering outsourcing its customer service needs, it听must ensure it听works with a听reputable company that fully understands the听product or听service. Additionally, the听outsourced team must be听educated 补苍诲听able to听address virtually any听issues.

听

About The Author

Anastasia Prokofieva is a content writer at 51视频. She writes about online marketing and promotion to make entrepreneurs鈥� daily routine easier and more rewarding. She also has a soft spot for cats, chocolate, and making kombucha at home.

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