Customer service is the key to success for online ecommerce shops

How many of us have had a bad experience with a company, restaurant or store and that one time has been enough to never come back? It’s just human nature that once we’ve had a bad experience, it’s pretty unlikely that we will ever return. For most people, if they are paying for a product or service, they want to not only see the value of what they are acquiring but also expect a level of customer service to come with it.

Many companies spend a fair amount of resources in trying to get more customers but they never step back to rethink how they can retain customers and avoid losing existing customers. (It’s far easier to retain and grow existing customers than it is to find new ones!)

Here are some interesting stats on customer service:

According to a survey done by American Express, 78% of consumers have bailed on a transaction or not made an intended purchase because of a poor service experience.
95% of people who have a bad experience do not complain.
News of bad customer service reaches more than twice as many ears as praise for a good service experience. It’s estimated that 13% tell up to 20 other people, while a satisfied customer tells only five other people.
It can cost at least five times more to land new customers than retain existing ones
It takes 12 positive experiences to make up for one unresolved negative experience (Source: “Understanding Customers” by Ruby Newell-Legner)

What you can do for your ecommerce shop to make sure customers are happy

Ask them! It’s not hard to send an automated email after order completion to ask them what they thought of the experience.
Make sure your site has plenty of areas to ask questions and provide feedback.
Check other online review places like Google+, Facebook, Yelp, etc. For reviews, make sure any negative feedback is addressed. TIP: Don’t argue negative reviews online. Simply apologize and offer a solution to the problem. This shows you’re proactive and that you take complaints seriously.
See what positive and negative reviews your competitors have online and try to make sure you take this into account in your website user experience.
Fulfillment is key! After a person places an order the expect to get the right products they ordered promptly. Make sure you’re fulfillment house is doing its job.

Customer service not only means providing the client with solutions, peace of mind and different alternatives to address their concerns, but it also means to help them in meeting their goals and objectives. It means working with them within their means, such as budget constraints, guide lines, deadlines, etc. When a service or product provider understands that the customer’s needs are important and makes sure that those needs and concerns are addressed, then they can increase customer service satisfaction.

I found this line and loved it:

Any business with customers is in the “people” business.

Customer service in our eyes is about building relationships and letting our customers know that we care about them. We are always here to assist them.

At Dare Marketing, we strive to offer and provide the best customer service. We take pride in taking care of our customers and provide valuable Marketing services. Our customers know that they can rely on our expertise for all their marketing services. We maintain an open communication with our customers and always look to resolve their concerns in a favorable way.

We understand that happy customers are returned customers and acknowledge that they will likely recommend us to their friends and family. Referrals are always appreciated.

Thank you to all our customers for believing in us in these over 20 years in business. We value and appreciate immensely each one of you!