Running a successful ecommerce store is like juggling flaming torches — you’ve got to nail the product, perfect the shipping, and, oh yeah, not drop the ball on customer service. Because let’s face it, even the best product can’t save you from bad reviews if your customer service is a disaster.
There is a sea of ecommerce competition across the web; making a product easy to buy is sometimes not enough to set a business apart. Customers also need access to a reliable support service to answer their questions and address any issues with the product.
If you want to turn your customers into loyal fans instead of one-time shoppers, nailing your ecommerce customer service is the way to go. Let’s dive into how you can make it happen!
What Is Customer Service?
The first question any ecommerce business should ask is, “What is customer service, and what does it entail?”
At its core, customer service is about providing service and support to those who purchase a product or service from a business.
This responsibility extends to all businesses, whether in a physical or online store. As an ecommerce business, you have a unique opportunity to connect with your customers and provide them with a seamless shopping experience; customer service is a key part of that.
Customer service has many sides — helping solve problems, sharing recommendations, and even adding that extra personal touch.
Customer service directly impacts customer loyalty and retention. When customers feel taken care of and supported by a business, they are more likely to become repeat customers and refer others to the business.
What Makes Good Customer Service?
So, what is good customer service in ecommerce, and what are the tenets contributing to successful customer interactions?
Realistically, shopping in an online store is significantly different from shopping in-store, which means it requires its own attention to customer service.
It is not enough to have customer service; it also needs to be effective and satisfactory. In fact, a report by Emplifi found that 87% of businesses think they provide adequate customer service, while only 11% of customers agree.
This shows that businesses should focus on what customers actually want instead of evaluating customer service solely from their own perspective.
According to consumers, good customer service includes knowledgeable representatives, easily finding information without help, resolving issues in one interaction, and not repeating yourself when transferred.
Key aspects of good customer service according to consumers (Source: Statista)
How to Improve Ecommerce Customer Service
Let’s look at some ecommerce customer service best practices that can help businesses improve customer satisfaction.
Provide Multiple Customer Service Options
The digital age has introduced numerous methods for businesses and customers to address customer service needs. Phone lines, live chats, email, and even chatbots can resolve many issues. However, it is important to recognize that there is no one-size-fits-all approach.
One customer may prefer to chat online, while others want to speak to a live agent on the phone. This means that ecommerce businesses need to be prepared to meet customers of all types using their ideal method of communication.
Surveys also show that shoppers rely on a variety of customer service channels:
- 61% of respondents in the US considered a chat with an agent to be the easiest communication channel to use for customer service
- 44% of US consumers prefer to contact customer service by phone
- 28% of US consumers use social media for customer service.
That’s why the most effective strategy is a multi-channel customer service approach. It allows any customer to receive their desired form of customer service. Of course, this can be more difficult in the early days of a business with limited staff.
However, as operations scale, ecommerce businesses need to ensure that their customer service scales upward to handle the additional traffic.
The good news is that the right software can make handling multi-channel customer service so much easier. If you’re using Ecwid by Lightspeed for your ecommerce platform, you’ll find plenty of apps to help you manage all your customer interactions from one central hub. For example, LiveChat, Desku, Chatway, or Belco.
Managing customer chats using the Live Chat app
Offer Self-Service Customer Support Options
While a multi-channel approach is important, as mentioned above, self-service support is one of the most preferred methods in the modern age. 79% of US respondents said they have used a self-service support portal for customer service.
Many customers prefer the customer service method of least resistance, such as a knowledge database where they can go to answer their questions.
Of course, a knowledge base may not resolve some more complex issues, but it can be an excellent way to handle many more straightforward and common problems. For example, if a customer needs to know how to change their shipping address, they can simply search the knowledge base and find step-by-step instructions.
Other self-service options include chatbots, FAQs, and tutorial videos. These tools allow customers to quickly find solutions on their own without having to wait for assistance from a customer service representative.
In addition, offering self-service options can help reduce the workload for your customer service team, allowing them to focus on more complex issues.
If you have an Ecwid store, you can add self-service options using apps like Chaport and FAQ Section. Some of the multichannel support apps also include self-service options, for example, LiveChat and Desku.
An example of a knowledge base by Nike
Strive for Efficient Response Time
One of the most vital factors in efficient customer service is response time.
More than ever, customers expect their needs and difficulties to be addressed conveniently and promptly. Whenever they contact the customer service department, they expect a fast response with practical advice or assistance.
An ecommerce business can offer many customer service channels, but this becomes useless if those channels cannot be attended to quickly.
Of course, quality is also a crucial part of customer service. The most effective customer service operations will offer an adequate balance of timely response and consistent quality.
Concentrating too much on speed can lead to ineffective customer service, while spending too much time on easy difficulties can lead to slower responses. Each business needs to have an adequate customer service team that can attend to both sides of the equation.
Here are a few ideas to help solve customer issues more quickly without losing that great quality of service:
- Use canned responses: Create pre-written templates for frequently asked questions or common issues that your customer service team can use to respond quickly to customers. This will save them time and ensure consistency in responses.
- Train your team: Make sure your customer service representatives are well-trained in handling different types of customer queries and issues. Provide them with ongoing training and resources to improve their skills and knowledge.
- Use chatbots: Chatbots are automated programs that can handle customer queries in real time. They can be programmed to provide quick and efficient responses, freeing up your customer service team for more complex tasks.
If you use Ecwid by Lightspeed, you can easily add chatbots to your online store using apps like SalesSmartly Chat and some already mentioned apps like Chatway, Desku, and Chaport.
A chatbot on the Warber Parker website
Personalize Customer Service
Self-service customer support can answer many common questions, but other issues may require a more personal touch. Ecommerce businesses must remember that they are up against a sea of competition in the online space, and just a little personalization can set them apart from the crowd.
Some customers may need an agent they can contact for expert advice on purchases or technical issues. Not only does this help establish the business as knowledgeable in their own product, but it also helps create retention.
A customer who receives some personal attention will be more likely to return for additional purchases and recommend the site to others.
Live chat is a great way to provide personalized assistance. Many customers prefer real-time answers, and adding live chat to your website offers that option. It creates a direct connection between customers and agents, making them feel heard and valued.
There are many live chat options for Ecwid stores: just search for “live chat” in the Ecwid App Market and choose the app that suits you best.
A powerful way to deliver personalized support is by leveraging the customer data already at your disposal.
For example, Ecwid provides a Customer dashboard where you can view and manage customer information, such as contact details, purchase history, customer group, and more. Using this information, you can personalize your customer service, for example, by recommending products based on previous purchases.
Viewing a customer’s past orders can help create more personalized offers
Use Reviews to Improve Customer Service
Customer reviews are one of the best sources for improving customer service for ecommerce businesses.
Customers can lose interest in a brand pretty quickly if their feedback is ignored. But here’s the good news — 77% of people feel more positively about brands that listen to their input and act on it.
If you run an Ecwid store, starting to collect customer feedback takes just a couple of clicks. Plus, you can view customer information, like their email, when reading new unpublished reviews. This lets you quickly contact the customer to address issues in the review.
Access customer contacts directly from the review, making it easy to reach out when needed
Track and Improve Your Customer Service
Ecommerce businesses need to remember that customer service is not a stagnant department. There is always room for positive change and improvement.
Every ecommerce business should keep track of key performance indicators of their customer service, such as:
- response time
- issues resolved
- customers returning with the same issue
- common complaints
- busiest hours, etc.
One key metric to monitor customer satisfaction is NPS, or Net Promoter Score. It measures customer loyalty by asking them how likely they are to recommend your product or service to others on a scale from 0 to 10. Various tools, such as Qualaroo, ProProfs, and Zonka, track NPS.
If you have an Ecwid store, you can add a customer satisfaction survey to it using the Easy Customer Feedback Survey app.
These stats show where things are working well and where there’s room to improve. Keeping an eye on key metrics supports making future decisions or adjustments.
Start Improving Ecommerce Customer Service
For any ecommerce business to truly thrive in the competitive online market, efficient customer service is a must. This department should never be neglected; it can be crucial to customer retention and brand reputation.
If you’re thinking about starting your first ecommerce store or launching another one, Ecwid by Lightspeed is the perfect partner to have on your side. It not only gives you a powerful online store but also connects seamlessly with customer service platforms, making it super easy to sell online and keep your customers happy at the same time.
Frequently Asked Questions: Ecommerce Customer Service
Check out some of the most frequently asked questions about ecommerce customer service.
What Is the Purpose of Customer Service for Ecommerce?
The purpose of customer service is to offer a channel of communication between customers and a business to resolve issues, ask questions, and handle any difficulties.
Whether a customer purchases a product or service from an online or physical store, they need somewhere to turn for consultation about that product or service.
Why Is Customer Service Important?
Customer service is important for ensuring that customers continue to be happy with the product or service they purchase from a business.
However, it goes much further than that. While immediate customer service allows a buyer to ask questions or handle difficulties, it also promotes confidence in the brand. If customers cannot contact someone to address these issues, they will be less likely to buy again or recommend the brand to others.
Is Ecommerce Customer Service Outsourcing Worth It?
Some ecommerce brands may not have the staff to handle significant customer service traffic internally. This can lead to businesses considering outsourcing their customer service department.
While this can be effective, there are some caveats. If the outsourced customer service team is not well-versed in the product or can confidently address the customer’s needs, it can lead to further frustration or dissatisfaction.
If an ecommerce business is considering outsourcing its customer service needs, it must ensure it works with a reputable company that fully understands the product or service. Additionally, the outsourced team must be educated and able to address virtually any issues.
- Customer Service in Ecommerce: The Best Practises
- What is Client Nurturing and How to Get Started
- Customer Satisfaction: Importance, Examples, How to Measure
- Ecommerce Personalization: Tips, Tricks and Benefits
- How to Handle Negative Feedback
- The Art of Positive Communication in Customer Service
- How AI Is Changing Customer Service
- Self-Service: An Affordable Way to Scale Customer Support
- Building Strong Customer Relationships
- What Customer Success Software You Need for Business
- Customer Service Tools Every Business Needs: Multi-Channel Support, Proactive Chats & More
- Customer Complaints: Examples and Effective Resolutions
- How to Deliver Exceptional Customer Support via Facebook Messenger
- CRM Systems for Ecommerce: How to Streamline Customer Interactions
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