There is no doubt about the fact that poor customer service is the best guarantee customers never come back to your business. Likewise, having the best after sales service allows your business to present a face that will welcome people back to doing business with you.
Two things you must remember:
When customers are happy, they might tell four or five close friends about your services.
Unhappy customers tweet, blog and tell maybe double that number of people that doing business with you was a mistake.
What Can You Learn From This?
Taking good care of your customers is an investment. You can have the best customer service employees, the best product and the best offers, but if you’re after sales service stinks, people will never set foot in your business. That goes for both "normal" shops and web shops. People will take their business elsewhere.
How Can You Ensure Good Customer Service?
I will give you 5 keys that will effectively strengthen your customer service, and boost your business:
Show customers you appreciate their business
Follow up on sales with an e-mail
After a couple of months, check up whether customers are still happy about buying from you
Assure people you take customer service seriously by replying to e-mails
Provide testimonials from happy customers to strengthen your positive image
Let's go through these customer service points to ensure your business gets the full benefits of these keys.
Customer Service Key Number One: Show Your Customers You Appreciate Their Business
Provide feedback to customers. Everything from order confirmation to shipping information, and perhaps even a payment receipt information can provide you unique opportunities for positive contact with your customers. Each time people are positively surprised that link to your web shop may get you an extra order.
Customer Service Key Number Two: Follow Up on Sales With an E-mail
You can earn a lot of upselling by sending people targeted information about the products you just sold. If you sell furniture, including a PDF with a how-to guide on assembling that special type of furniture won't cost you anything, or perhaps telling people they have to fasten screws on a table after using it for about a week will ensure you don't get complaints once those inexperienced with assembling furniture don't know about that trick.
Customer Service Key Number Three: After Some Time, Check Whether Customers Are Still Happy
You can follow up on sales three to six months after selling the first products. That will tell your customers that you appreciate doing business with them. If you have their birthday on file, sending a small e-mail on their birthday can also be done automatically using some PHP and a MySQL database.
Customer Service Key Number Four: Answer All E-mail Your Business Receives
When you do receive e-mails you should prioritize giving a speedy reply at all times. That shows a professional attitude, and ensures people feel special and as though you really care.
Customer Service Key Number Five: Provide Testimonials to Strengthen Your Positive Image
When you do receive positive statements from customers, you should send them an e-mail asking if you may use their testimonial on your website. Once you build good positive feedback on your website, people can see you make an effort to treat all customers well - and this will also boost your sales. But do remember to ask their permission before releasing any names. No harm in being polite, just to avoid this backfiring on your business.
In Conclusion
Such little tricks work in a business where dog-eat-dog is the order of the day. No one else is doing this, so implementing these keys for your business could sky-rocket your revenue.
