Why Great Customer Service is Vital for Your Business

Believe it or not, customer service is one major element that makes your brand successful. You can have the most popular brand, offer excellent products or services, but none of that matters if you lack proper customer service – especially when it comes to retaining new and loyal customers. One bad experience can literally make or break your brand.

Our online marketing experts gathered a few tips to help you elevate your customer service strategy and manage your eCommerce customers with the proper etiquette.

Listen to What Your Customers Have to Say

Customers just want to be heard and feel confident that their favorite brands are really listening to what they have to say. Whether you own a brick and mortar business, or an online eCommerce store, it’s always important to listen to your customers and let them know that you actually care about them and that you’re willing to go the extra mile to fulfill their needs.
Try implementing the following tactics:

• Create a welcoming environment. No matter what kind of business you have, always make sure your customers feel welcome. For instance, if you own a physical store, make it an unforgettable experience for shoppers. They’re more likely to remember the environment, and overall experience, as a positive one and definitely tell others about it. The same goes for eCommerce stores. Your website should be clean, inviting and user-friendly for easy navigation.
• Be completely transparent with your brand. Customers want to know absolutely everything they can about the products/services they are purchasing. According to a transparency ROI study by Label Insight, “56 percent of participants surveyed said that more product information inspires more trust in a brand.” That’s why it’s extremely beneficial to be completely transparent across social media, product descriptions and any other brand communications.
• Encourage customer feedback. Listening to your customers is only part of the equation. Remember, word-of-mouth feedback travels pretty fast and it is one of the most powerful forms of marketing, but don’t forget that others turn to review sites to leave their comments. So, if your customers are already sharing their opinions, why not ask them to share it directly with you? This not only generates valuable insights that can help you revamp your customer service strategies, but also allows you to better serve your target audience and gain their trust.

Don’t underestimate the power of social media. It is a very powerful resource for customer feedback and reviews. Whether it’s good or bad news, people won’t hesitate to publish their thoughts on social media. We know it’s no easy task to keep track of all this information, so an effective tool to help you “listen” to these messages is AgoraPulse. This community management tool keeps track of messages, brand mentions and insights from most social media platforms all in one place, so you can easily answer and review any customer feedback instantly.

Don’t Ever Argue Back

Aren’t you tired of hearing the cliche phrase that “the customer is always right” ? Well, it’s safe to say that no, the customer is not always right. However, as a business owner, it’s never a good idea to get defensive and argue with your customers – it really isn’t worth it! Like we mentioned before, bad news travels fast and customers will not hesitate to tell their friends about unpleasant experiences. Nowadays, bad reviews on social media (especially on Yelp) are not healthy for your brand’s reputation.
Swallow that pride, take a deep breath and count to 10. Let’s go over some ways you can overcome those customer nightmares:

• Diffuse the situation. By thoroughly listening to your customers and identifying the root of the problem, you may be able to calm them down and show that you are truly concerned about their problem.
• Take responsibility. Depending on the situation, if you know that the customer is in fact right (this time), then it’s only fair to take responsibility and try to remedy the situation in the most civil way. Offer a discount, a promotion or something free to show your customers that you value their business and would like to see them again (even if you kind of don’t want to).
• Don’t take it personally. Let’s face it, not everyone is going to agree with you or like your brand – and that’s okay. You’re not going to always win against rude customers, so try to empathize with them rather than reacting defensively. Give them the benefit of the doubt even if you know they are wrong. It’s better to lose one customer than ruining your brand’s reputation.

Go Out of Your Way to Exceed Their Expectations

Customers tend to expect certain things from a brand, but they rarely imagine the unexpected. As a business owner, trying to establish your brand and reputation begins by building sincere relationships with your customers and offering only the best service. Customer satisfaction has a lot to do with customer loyalty.

You can’t go wrong with going out of your way to exceed their expectations and make them feel special and appreciated. For instance, if you own a store and a product is out of stock, instead of simply saying “Sorry, the product is unavailable,” take the extra initiative to find a solution to the problem instead of brushing it off. Once they notice that you’ve done everything that is humanly possible to help them, they won’t hesitate to come back the next time they need something from your store.

Need Some Guidance on Your eCommerce Store?

It’s obvious you can’t please everyone, but the intention is what counts. Great customer service is one of the main factors of success for your business. Think of your customers as guests, and always treat them the way you would like to be treated. With the proper training and implementing the right tactics, you can elevate your customer satisfaction strategy and potentially increase sales and brand recognition.

Cultura Interactive agency is an award-winning Fort Lauderdale web design studio that strives to create unique and attractive websites, and develop strategic digital online marketing campaigns for our clients.