Ecommerce Encyclopedia

‟Ecommerce is a powerful means to connect the unconnected to global trade” - Arancha Gonzalez

The secrets to excellent customer service

Delivering 5-star customer service is the key gateway to a successful business. It is important to first understand the importance of it before learning how to improve your skills. 

1.Why providing good service is a necessity

  • Customer retention: it is a fact that maintaining a loyal customer base is more cost-effective than acquiring new clients. Building a good relationship with your customers will help reduce churn rate  and the overall CAC (customer acquisition cost).
  • Brand reputation: customer service is the main means of communication between your brand and your clients. If people are content with your service, they will recommend your brand to their friends and family and leave good reviews on your website.
  • Competitive advantage: in today’s saturated market, you want your business to stand out. A lot of customers stop buying products from a brand whom they experience poor service with. By striving to provide a great service, you will not only gain loyal customers but also take other competitors’ lost customers.

2. How to improve customer service

  • Be quick and responsive: Make your hotline available on your website, preferably real-time support, and put it at an easy to find spot. Customers will feel like their time is valued when receiving immediate response.
  • Communicate effectively with your clients: be as clear and straightforward as possible about your procedures even with the existing drawbacks of your products and service such as possible delayed delivery, a small rate of product error. It is also better to adopt positive language into your conversation, which means avoid negative phrasing to prevent bad reactions.
  • Collect and analyze customer feedback: encourage your clients to leave feedback, then you can use them to find out what is lacking or need improvement. You will be able to identify issues faster and your customers will know that their opinions are appreciated.
  • Be unique and creative: another aspect of customer service is brand engagement with personal interaction or additional things that are beyond your customers’ expectation. Consumers always welcome a nice surprise, which means you should do something special for them. For example, a short hand-written thank you letter or including extra gifts for each order will make your customers happy. These are two basic examples but you can do whatever you think is original and good for your business.