Customer support

The easiest way to improve your customer service is with clear communication. That means that the communication in your online store needs to be clear during the whole customer journey, as most support questions arise after completing a purchase. Improve your service across the board, with the right expectations regarding products, logistics, returns and accessibility.

Content:

• Data bundling
• Software solutions
• Marketplaces
• Outsourcing contact
• Availability
• Product and logistics information
• Measuring customer service levels

Customer support helps with getting the right information

In ecommerce, customer support usually has two objectives. First, you want to help customers by processing questions quickly and effectively. Secondly, good customer service can increase the conversion rate of your online store. Accessibility and quick responses can often convince customers to place an order.

But also take a good look at the kinds of questions you receive. Questions about logistics, returns and product information can often be prevented by improving the information on your website.

Good customer support can increase the conversion rate of your online store

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Bundling data in a single system

Many online retailers start out with their own mobile number and email address on their website. Once the amount of orders exceeds a hundred per month, it makes more sense to set up a single system for this purpose. If you collect all contact with customers in one place, you can immediately see where work is being duplicated, what is taking too long or where you are incurring the most costs.

Customer support software can bundle customer contact, and other customer data in one system. Think, for example, of CRM or helpdesk software. Not every customer adds the same value to your business. This becomes visible when you can see who the customer is, what they have ordered before, and what questions they have asked before. This data can help guide your service.

You want to offer customers with high order values or repeat purchases a different level of service than customers who return all their purchases. The right software can provide insight into these patterns. Which questions come up too often, or which products are frequently returned? This information helps to improve processes and reduce customer contact.

Customer support software for online sellers

Popular packages that provide support for online retailers’ customer service include:

Customer service at marketplaces

If you are selling your products on a marketplace, customer contact often takes place partly outside of your own channels. Platforms like Amazon, for example, will handle part of customer contact. In cross-border ecommerce, language, business hours and local expectations will also play a role. Sometimes it makes more sense to outsource customer service.

External partners can provide support in multiple languages and time zones. This ensures that questions are resolved more quickly and customers are less likely to abandon their purchase. Usually, these customer service partners are also well-versed in platform rules, like mandatory response times or return policies.

Outsourcing customer service

There are several ways to outsource your customer service. Some retailers only use an external team to handle evening hours or peak periods, like Black Friday or Cyber Week. Other outsource international support.

Many retailers start with standard outsourcing standard inquiries, like delivery times, returns or order status. You can also begin with a small pilot program, such as covering only evening hours or international support. If that goes well, you could scale up the volume.

You decide how many tasks you want to outsource

Availability of your customer support

Most online stores offer multiple channels where customers can reach them, but not every channel needs to be available at all times. Many retailers deliberately direct customer inquiries to chat and email. This allows them to handle multiple conversations simultaneously, and software can more easily repurpose the communication from these interactions.

Especially during business hours, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., customers expect customer service to be available. Larger retailers often extend it, and are available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. or also offer support on weekends. For international sales, availability across multiple time zones can be important.

Customer service via email, chat, or phone

Phone calls are less popular than email or WhatsApp, but they work well for specific questions or complaints, or when a quick response is important. With chat, customers expect a response within a few minutes, whereas emails often go unanswered for longer. Phone contact is the fastest option.

Sometimes, simply displaying a phone number can alleviate doubts and improve conversion rates. At the same time, you want to avoid a situation where every order requires personal contact. Clear information on the website prevents a lot of customer contact.

Be upfront about what customers can expect

Many customer questions come up because of a lack of clarity even before placing an order. For example, there could be a lack of information about delivery times, shipping costs, return fees, or warranty information.

If this information is not clear in your online store, customers will reach out for confirmation. By being upfront about what customers can expected, you can prevent these questions. This means that you need to clearly state how quickly items can be delivered, your stock status and shipping costs next to the product. This information should also be visible during checkout.

Retailers sometimes worry that showing a return policy or warranty will increase the likelihood of returns. However, customers are more likely to place an order if they have a better idea of what to expect.

Most customer inquiries arise from creating unrealistic expectations for the customer

Product information and advice

A lack of product information will lead to a lot of questions. Customers want to make sure if a product will fit, how big it is, or what the specifications are. If this information is missing, they will contact you. Some customers will even abandon their purchase and just order elsewhere. Clear information on product pages can prevent this.

Information that should be included is: specifications, sizing advice, photos and reviews from other customers. Especially for clothing, furniture and electronics, these additional explanations will help reduce inquiries. But in addition to fewer tickets for your customer service, this can also lead to higher conversion rates and decrease in return rates.

Communication about delivery and logistics

Most inquiries from customers are about delivery. If customers already know when they can expect their order, they are less likely to contact you. Track and trace – where the customer receives message with a link to track to shipment – is the first step in this process. Be sure to update this information if a package is delayed.

Returns and refunds

Returns involve a lot of customer interaction, and processing them can be very time-consuming. You can use a returns portal for this. Customers can use it to request a return, download a shipping label and track the status of their return. This also reduces the amount of manual upkeep that you need to do.

Speed is also a factor in this aspect. If a refund takes a long time, the amount of inquiries or tickets will increase quickly. By processing returns quickly and automatically notifying customers of the status, you can avoid additional customer questions.

Measure your customer service to improve it

You can only improve customer service if you know where questions arise. That is why many online retailers track the volume of customer service tickets they receive, how quickly they respond to those and which topics come up most frequently. Customer relationship management software with marketing features or help desk software can provide insight into these metrics.

Consider the amount of tickets, your average response time, and the share of inquiries resolved by your customer support on the first contact. You can also see which products or business processes generate the most customer contact. This can help you identify your areas for improvement.