A little boost in customer service can mean big money for an ecommerce store. We all know customer service is valuable, but it can be hard for e-commerce entrepreneurs to prioritize it, especially when their stores are in high-growth mode.
As you consider your company’s customer service game plan (i.e. whether or not to outsource), here are three ways you can use CS to increase your company’s revenue:
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Provide around-the-clock customer support.
Online shopping is a 24/7 experience. E-commerce sites should mirror that behavior by having active support during “off hours.” Not only is this is a perk for your customers, it means that your business now has 24/7 pre-sales support, which is a proven revenue-generator. For example, a late-night shopper may be hovering over the BUY button, but has a quick question about sizing before making the purchase. If your live chat is dormant, the customer is more likely to ditch the sale completely than wait til the next day (or Monday morning) for an answer.
Pre-sales support also plays a critical role in your company’s long-term revenue game. Insights derived from customer interactions can inspire product improvements, prevent bad reviews, and generate great sales data. When that capability is turbo-boosted up to 24/7, the sky’s the limit for your top line.
Treat abandoned carts with a person, not a template.
Shopping cart abandonment is one of the toughest (and most heartbreaking) challenges to overcome in the e-commerce business. In fact, over $4 trillion in e-commerce sales are lost to cart abandonment. While that’s a tough figure to tackle, a top-notch customer service strategy can help make a dent.
What if instead of receiving a “come back to your cart!” auto-prompt, your customers got a friendly email or chat from a human being… like you. A personal nudge from the CEO can do wonders for a neglected cart. Don’t have the time to reach out to every customer? There are ways to automate your outreach and cycle it back into your customer service ticketing system without disrupting its authenticity.
Make great customer service a priority.
You can’t go wrong with solid customer service, but there are a few reasons why it’s particularly critical for e-commerce stores (and their revenues):
- It makes you more competitive. There’s an opportunity for smaller businesses to leverage their outstanding customer service as their secret weapon against competitors – even the big retailers. Use it.
- Customer service is the #1 way to prevent bad reviews. A bad review can be devastating for an e-commerce business, particularly in its early stages of growth. Bad reviews affect revenue, as they deter new shoppers from trying your product and require resources for damage control. Quick and empathetic customer service will soften even the most rabid hater, and make them think twice before stomping over to Yelp.
- Great customer service creates superfans. If your customers are treated well, they will keep spending money on your site and telling their friends to do the same.
Customer service is much more than a friendly face. It can be one of the most effective and affordable ways for e-commerce sites to drive more revenue. Now go talk to your customers!
