AIW: This Way That Way Sign by Kute Kardz on Etsy
Imagine you’re a customer shopping for the perfect handmade gift for your Mom for Mother’s day. You’ve searched through several shops, & finally narrow your choices down to two.
The first store has great pictures, a detailed description, & a “buy now” button to make it easy.
The second store has great pictures & a detailed description including their payment, shipping, and return policies. They also include additional items that coordinate with the item you’re interested in, & they too have a “buy now” button to make it easy to purchase.
But, you just can’t seem to decide among the two so you opt for buying both products. It’s for you Mom anyway, & she’s worth it. Once your payment clears with the first shop, you get a message saying “Thank you for your order.” Then you purchase from the second shop, & they send you a message that tells you when your order is expected to ship & that if you have any questions to contact them at their email address.
Which shop sounds more customer friendly to you? Which would you return to?
Many times the subject of customer service is overlooked. We’re all about presenting a great product that people will want to buy, but we forget to make the experience of buying our product simple & easy.
You can never be too specific or too detailed as to what your customer needs to know & do next. Don’t just assume it’s clear on how to buy from you. We as the business owners know exactly what is supposed to happen & what to do because we designed it & we look at it often. It seems obvious to us, but customers don’t always see it that way.
This is important no matter what kind of business you have or what you sell. Maybe you have an online shop where you sell tangible items, maybe you sell online digital items, or you may even have a brick and mortar store. It doesn’t matter. You need to be awesome at customer service because you want your customers to come back for more & to spread the word about you, right?
So the best way to nail customer service is to think of the customers experience before, during, and after their purchase. Think through the process, simplify it, and detail it for them.
Before
Whether you have an online shop or a brick & mortar store, do customers know what you offer in your shop at first glance? Is your brand visible & effective? Is it easy for customers to find what they’re looking for? Do you have things organized & accessible? Are your policies visible?
You want to make your customers feel at home & let them know if they’re in the right place or not. Don’t waste their time. You want them to know that shopping in your shop will be a breeze.
During
So your customer decides you have what they’re looking for & they decide to stick around & shop with you. Again, no matter the kind of shop you have, you need to help your customer with every little detail.
You need to show them your products. Up close, far away, from the front, from the back, at different angles, the details, in its packaging, it being used, etc.
You need to describe the product. What it’s made from, what ways it can be used, it’s size, who it’s for, other items it coordinates with, & so on & so forth.
You should inform customers of how you ship, when you ship, how you package the item, & what to do if they want expedited shipping or insurance. What about returns, refunds, & exchanges…super important!
Is it obvious where the customer needs to go to checkout? Do you include what types of payments you accept?
After
So your customer decided to buy your great product! Their payment clears, & they receive their receipt/invoice. Do you include a message thanking them for their purchase? Do you include one or more ways to get in touch with you if they need to? Do you let them know when they should expect to receive their item? What about including a coupon code for their next purchase?
Again, you can never be too specific or too detailed as to what your customer needs to know & do next. Don’t just assume it’s clear on how to buy from you. This is especially important with online selling. Help your customer to feel comfortable & confident purchasing from you, & they’ll be sure to return bringing friends with them!
Tell me how you provide awesome customer service in your business in the comments below.
} & I also included 7 ways to leave a good impression with your shop. So here you go…check it out here…
