Consider the competitive advantages of an online retailer. Customer service
It’s not usually the first thing that comes to mind, is it? Many eCommerce
Websites, even the well-known big box store, are infamous for being impersonal and mediocre
customer service practices. And yet the few Internet retailers that
differentiate in service become well-known case studies in the customer
watch out. In this article, I’ll share some of the best practices I’ve seen in
years that serve to differentiate companies in customer service.

1. Update your CRM tools: The right technology can go a long way towards improving customer service. At a minimum, make sure your staff has the ability to see the history of past interactions with a customer. It is very frustrating to have to repeatedly explain the situation to a representative.
2. Thank you handwritten on the packing slip: Most packing slips are boring, impersonal, and only useful if you need to return the merchandise. On rare occasions, I have received orders where the packing list included a personalized, handwritten thank you from a staff member. While this may not be practical for all orders, it is a great way to impress select customers. Another idea could be to include a business card with a manager’s contact information.
3. Assign Personal Customer Service Representatives: Along with the order confirmation receipt you send to your customers, you also automatically assign each customer a personal representative who will answer their questions. Please email this representative’s name and include their contact information. Customers will be impressed to have a “personal” representative specifically assigned to them.
4. Call customers who abandon orders: When a customer starts an order but doesn’t finish it, make a phone call to find out if there was a problem. Customers appreciate the gesture, and you’ll likely save a lot of sales in the process.
5. Follow-up surveys: Consider sending a survey email with every order confirmation. While not all clients will complete it, your clients will know that you care enough to ask for their opinion.
6. Extensive knowledge base of frequently asked questions: Surprisingly, one of the easiest ways to improve customer satisfaction may be to avoid unnecessary interactions with the customer in the first place. No matter how friendly your call center representative is, no customer will be satisfied if they have to call you to answer a simple question like “how do I return a product?” Avoid situations like this by maintaining a searchable FAQ knowledge base that answers all reasonable questions.
7. Live Chat: Many customers don’t like the idea of ​​waiting for even a few minutes. Offering a live chat option can be an inexpensive way to answer questions to your visitors and reduce call volume from your call center.
8. Improve the call center after hours: If your company employees are an outside call center outside of third-party business hours, be sure to frequently monitor the quality of care they provide. Make sure they are trained to serve your customers as effectively as possible. If your primary call center is a third party, seriously consider bringing it to your home. While this is not always the most affordable option, it is necessary if you want to give your clients the best of yourself.
9. Free Upgraded Shipping: Surprise certain customers by upgrading your shipment to 1 or 2 express. If you do this, be sure to email them to let them know that they have been updated. This strategy was pioneered at Zappos.
10. Same day shipping: Most websites have a policy of shipping orders 1 or 2 business days after they are placed. If possible, selectively ship some orders the same day. Quick delivery will be appreciated, although not expected by your customers.
11. Featured Client Testimonials: Place customer testimonials on more than just the “testimonials” page. Zappos presents them directly on its main customer service page. However, a caveat applies here. If you’re going to “brag,” so to speak, of your service, be sure to keep going!
12. Human touch: Many online shoppers find it difficult to trust an online merchant due to a lack of face-to-face interaction. Mitigate this weakness by displaying photos of your customer service staff. Christian retailer C28 displays the picture of their customer service manager on the Help page, as well as in every order confirmation email. Also, below the picture is the manager’s direct contact information. Something like this can go a long way toward instilling confidence in your company.
13. Detailed Product Pages: Answer questions before they are asked by always having fully detailed product pages. Include all relevant information that a customer would like to know about your products. For more ideas on this topic, check out my previous post on 25 Ways To Improve Your Product Page.
14. Automatic price protection: Always respect the sale prices of items that customers have previously purchased. They need to be able to buy with this confidence. Better yet, automatically notify customers when items they’ve purchased in the past go on sale. Offer to apply the price difference to a future purchase or simply refund the amount. Sounds crazy? Perhaps, but it is a small cost that a customer can earn for life.
15. Indulgent Return Policy: Make sure your return policy is not unnecessarily complicated or rigid. How many times have you shopped at a certain retailer because their lenient returns policy gave you the confidence you needed to buy? (Think Costco vs. Walmart!)
16. Thank you calls: Call selected customers and thank them for placing the order. This personalized gesture will blow your mind.
17. Thank you emails: Email certain customers and thank them for their business. Make sure to include something personalized in the email that will convince them that it is not just something generic sent to everyone.
18. Do more than correct your mistakes: When your business makes a mistake, be sure to exceed your customers’ expectations by fixing it. If an item was mistakenly left out of a shipment, don’t apologize, offer it for free. Many companies find that their most loyal customers are the result of a very successful problem resolution.
19. Correct the mistakes of others: If a shipment is delayed or lost due to carrier failure, don’t just blame UPS, offer a solution. Offer to quickly resend the item, or at the very least offer to fix the issue with the carrier so the customer doesn’t have to.
20. Guaranteed email response time: Most customers expect an email inquiry to be responded to within 24 hours. If you can, ensure a response time faster than this. Also, acknowledge the receipt of an email inquiry by using an automatic reply.
21. Secret shopping: Used widely by traditional retailers, secret shopping is a great way to identify problems and keep customer service personnel on their toes.
22. Customer-centric motto: Show your dedication to customer service by highlighting a customer-centric tagline that outlines your company’s practices. A great example of this would be the famous Zappos slogan on their home page: “We are a service company that sells shoes.”
23. Free return shipping: One of the biggest obstacles to ordering online is the idea of ​​having to return the product. Consider sending customers a prepaid return shipping label in case a product needs to be returned. Because this is rarely done by ecommerce stores, you are sure to set yourself apart in your customer’s mind.
24. Customize everything: Always great customers by name on the home page and offer them personalized product recommendations based on previous orders.
25. Increase the number of service representatives: It goes without saying that if you have a higher rep to customer ratio, you will have time to better serve your customers. While not all businesses can afford this, if you want to differentiate yourself with great customer service, it’s a must.

I once heard people say that “the enemy of good is not bad, it is mediocre.” Too
Many online retailers struggle with poor customer service. Many companies
They don’t realize that their customer base is also a powerful marketing machine. Yes
treated correctly, they can become the most effective viral marketing campaign
imaginable. If treated poorly, they can become a public relations disaster.

If you enjoyed this article, check out my other article on

improving your shopping cart and

improving your payment.