It’s no secret that Amazon dominates the ecommerce industry. In fact, recent studies show that Amazon accounts for 43% of online sales. Whether it’s their product variety or their free shipping programs, one thing is certain: they’re doing something right. A company cannot thrive that strongly without great customer service, and that’s the area we will focus today. Here are some ways online retailers can implement Amazon’s customer care strategies.
Accessible and Transparent Product Reviews
Consumers trust online product reviews just as much as they trust recommendations from friends. Before they spend their’ money an item, they want to make sure it is going to meet their expectations. Many online retailers will not provide a review or ratings section their product descriptions because they are worried that negative reviews will detract customers. In all reality, customers will value the transparency of the site itself. If they decide not to buy that product, they may continue shopping the same site for similar items.
Shopping Recommendations
Another element of Amazon’s customer service success is recommending complementary products for a person to purchase. For example, if a person is ordering a phone case, Amazon may suggest a popular screen protector to bundle with it. Amazon also recommends products that may better suit the customer’s needs, which is particularly helpful when the original item has negative reviews. By providing a personalized shopping experience, online retailers can captivate the modern audience.
Admit to Mistakes
No business owner wants to admit to a mistake, but doing so could boost customer service. In the event of an error, online retailers should be quick to apologize and resolve the manner in a way that best suits the customer. Even if a customer has a bad experience initially, this resolution will create an overall positive image in his or her mind. That is the end goal.
Beyond apologizing, retailers can learn from these mistakes and implement strategies to prevent them in the future. If the customer received an inaccurate shipping estimation, the company could work with the warehouse or shipping provider to get better status quotes. If the customer received the wrong item, there may be an issue with the picking process or with the SKUs set up for the products. Working through those errors will provide a better customer experience in the future.
Don’t Sacrifice Quality for Price
All businesses want to stay ahead of their competition. For online retailers, that often means finding creative ways to cut prices. There are plenty of options to do this – lower production costs, use efficient third-party logistics services, streamline the order fulfillment process, etc. The one thing retailers should not do is sacrifice the quality of their merchandise to lower the price. Consumers are willing to spend slightly more for better quality items, and they will come back for more in the future. If they have a bad experience from the start, they will take their business elsewhere.
Amazon offer a wide range of products in all different price points, but the price typically matches the quality. They may recommend slightly more expensive items for a customer to explore, and then the customer can decide if he or she wants to pay the difference. Options, value, and transparency. Those are the secrets to Amazon’s customer service success. Use the tips above to improve the customer experience with your online store.
Contact Overflo at 1-800-626-0616 to learn more about the order fulfillment solutions available for your business.