In 2019, the e-commerce industry in the U.S. was worth $343 billion in sales. It also has a projected growth of $374 billion for 2020.
All e-commerce stores are vying for customers’ attention through marketing campaigns. But one of the best ways to build trust and loyalty is through stellar customer service.
Keep reading to learn 5 essential tips for improving your e-commerce customer service and optimizing it for more sales.
1. Implement Real-Time Live Chat
Today’s online shoppers have short attention spans and little patience. When they have an issue, they want it resolved immediately. If they can’t reach a customer support representative right away, they’ll get frustrated.
Implementing a real-time live chat is crucial if you own an online store. You’ll also need to build a long-term customer service strategy for ecommerce and hire more people.
2. Include Detailed FAQ Pages
To avoid too many support tickets to common questions, build a detailed FAQ page on your website.
This way, your customers can find the answers on their own. Meanwhile, you’ll have more time and workforce to devote to more serious or customer-unique problems.
3. Go For a Multi-Channel Strategy
The best approach for an e-commerce business is a multi-channel strategy. You should have customer reps available on many different channels such as your website, social media, email, and even phone lines.
For example, there are some businesses that could greatly benefit from live receptionist services. You can read more now to learn the best way to implement phone-based customer service.
4. Resolve Customer Issues on the First Try
Customers are becoming more and more impatient, so go the extra mile to make sure their issues are resolved on the first try.
If you send them through endless loops with several customer reps, you’re looking at a very unhappy customer as a result.
Even if you set up an automatic chatbot on your website, it’ll address the issue right away and send the customers to specific help pages or FAQ pages. It’s important to not leave them hanging while waiting for a reply.
5. Use Social Media for Customer Service
If your customers follow you on social media, expect them to write comments and messages with their issues and complaints.
Social media channels are no longer just marketing tools. They’re also great for customer service. Make sure your social media managers are prepared to answer questions, reply to comments, and address customer complaints.
Pro Tip: Use Help Desk Software
Help desk software is a life-saver for many e-commerce businesses that need a single solution for their customer service.
Tools like these will help you better organize customer requests, improve your response rate, and track contact forms so that you have access to everything at once.
Improve Your E-Commerce Customer Service With These Tips
Whether you’re new to online selling or have an established store, improving your e-commerce customer service will bring you more happy customers. This translates to more sales!
Word of mouth is a powerful marketing tool. The more satisfied customers you have, the more recommendations you’ll get from them.
Want more e-commerce and business tips? Stay tuned for more articles on these topics as well as the latest industry news and trends.
