Customer Service

Good customer service equals good customer retention and good word of mouth.

The explosion of e-commerce transactions brings tremendous opportunity to all kinds of businesses. The Web has attracted both entrepreneurs looking for a new business model and established brick-and-mortars seeking an opportunity to grow their revenues and to expand their customer base through this compelling online sales channel.

Yet, all e-commerce businesses need to differentiate themselves from the competition. That presents a daunting challenge to most online enterprises; especially those just entering the e-commerce arena. The smart businesses realize that at least part of the differentiation will come from the quality of service they offer their customers.

The successful e-commerce business will adopt good customer service strategies that allow them to build customer loyalty, fulfill a broader range of customer needs, and increase the effectiveness of their sales and services.

Look at customer service like this: Every contact a customer has with an e-commerce business, its employees, website, help desk, call or contact center, or other business-related services, influences that person’s perception of that business — online and offline.

The technologies that the Web brings to the forefront present a unique opportunity to create and nurture a special one-on-one relationship with every customer. This is why providing exceptional customer service is the best marketing tool a website has.

Figure 26: The perfect e-commerce trifecta — marketing, sales, and customer service. An e-commerce business can court customers through promotional material, which entices the customer to visit the website to review online marketing material. Once comfortable with the products and/or e-commerce business, a customer will place an order. If the website is built with the right backend support, the customer can then follow the post-order process through receipt of the product. Thereafter, the customer can re-visit the website anytime he or she has a question, or desires additional information/products/services.