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It can stir up a wealth of emotions when you ask people what they think of when they hear the words customer service. Based on prior experiences in general, customers’ perceptions can be as varied as “Oh no! Add in the words e-commerce, software, or online to the phrase customer service, and often times peoples’ reactions are quite a bit more negative than “Oh no!” “In the world of internet customer service, it is important to remember your competitor is only a mouse click away.” - Doug Warner As an online business owner or customer service rep for an e-commerce business, these reactions and perceptions are a built-in bias you must overcome. The best way to do that is to set the bar higher than the general accepted level of “good” customer service. You also must remember that for your customer, or potential customer, sharing their unhappiness about you, your company, or your product with 5000 of their nearest and dearest friends is also a mouse click, status update, or tweet away. Setting Your Standards Think about how it is you would rather be treated, and then create a company or personal set of standards based on that. Make sure your standards for good customer service are clearly defined and communicated. Remember, for a business, good customer service means you should be proactive, not reactive, to your customers’ needs. Customers are looking for solutions to their problems, not just a product or service, and they want to feel good about their purchase. They want you, the person providing customer service to them, to make them feel good about their purchase. Customer Service, Sight Unseen While the internet has made finding out about and shopping for new products so much easier, at the same time, it has also made it much easier to hide behind that faceless, anonymous wall for customer service. Besides setting high standards for treating customers well, you also want customers to have a sense of ease when it comes to getting customer service. For many e-commerce businesses, making use of real-time, live chat programs to talk with their customers is a very useful tool to have in the customer service toolbox. At a click of a button from the company website, customers are connected with a customer service representative. More complicated issues can not only be reported, but are tracked within the live chat system until that issue is resolved. Customers feel good that a representative of the company or product is available to help. Remember, Treat Others as You Wish to Be Treated The ethic of reciprocity, also known as the Golden Rule, has existed for a very long time, for very good reason. The best rule for great customer service is to treat your customers the way you would want to be treated yourself – with respect, patience, and courtesy.
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