19 Sureshot Customer Service Tips For Improving Your Online Business By Increasing Customer Satisfaction

Every business in the world understands the importance of customer satisfaction. When your customers are happy, your business thrives and vice versa. It is also one of the most trusted marketing channels.

When you provide amazing customer service, they tell 3 people. But, keep in mind that for every negative interaction, they tell 7 people.

According to a report, 63% of people read an online review before buying a product. This fact adds weight to the already known truth that you need to keep your customers happy today if you want to find customers tomorrow. Keep reading to find out.

Benefits of providing amazing customer service:

Providing great customer service has 3 major benefits which are vital for every business.

● It shows the customers that you are not only after their money. You care about them even after selling your product.

●In today’s world, online reviews matter a lot for creating perception about your business. Providing customer satisfaction serves as the perfect marketing tool without spending money.

● It ensures a greater percentage of visitors are becoming your customers and customers are becoming regular buyers.

At first, it seems like a daunting task, but if you break it down into simple steps, your business will grow faster than ever.

Focus on creating outstanding customer experiences:

Creating an unforgettable customer experience is the key to making people trust your business. A recent study shows that 79% of people want to do business with your company that shows they care for consumers.

Follow these tips for improving customer service.

1. Address customers by name

2. Send personalized replies/ messages

3. Appreciate your customers by thanking them

4. Change customer mistakes into a memorable experience

5. Reward customers for loyalty

6. Provide instant support

7. Deliver omnichannel support

8. Connect on social media

9. Use personalized auto-responses

10. Give self-help options

11. 24*7 customer support

12. Make unique offers

13. Offer a simple refund policy

14. Give guarantees about products/ services

15. Offer a trial period

16. Provide free shipping and return shipping

17. Experiment with offers & discounts

18. Develop a feedback culture

19. Focus on providing solutions to all complaints

1. Address customers by name:

There is nothing more important and dear to a person than their name. One of the simplest ways to provide a personal touch is using a customer’s name while addressing them.

You can use it while talking to them in person, over a phone call, email or even while doing a customer survey. Using a person’s name gives your business the much needed human touch in this day and age. People become disarmed and ecstatic upon hearing their name.

2. Send personalized replies/ messages:

Are you taking the time to send personalized messages after a transaction? Like sign-up, free trial or product purchase. Or are you sending out generic messages like most businesses?

Automatic onboarding messages have their place in marketing, especially after customers have become familiar with your products. But, as far as personalization goes, they are not of much use.

Reach out personally to all customers who have signed up, sent an inquiry or bought your product by offering to help. Most customers won’t need the help, but they will appreciate this gesture. It will create a positive impression on your business.

Still not convinced, look at this data about personalized emails:

● They have 29% more open rates than generic

● 41% higher click rates

● Have 6-times greater transaction rates

Tips for sending out personalized messages:

● Use a friendly and informal tone/ writing style

● If conceivable, use a personalized email rather than the company email address

3. Thank your customers for doing business with you:

In this modern world of automation, sending out a personalized thank you note can go a long way in reaping enormous benefits for your business. When you are giving attention to customers, it doesn’t go unnoticed. You may think otherwise, but this unscalable gesture is creating a positive impression.

Never underestimate the power of saying thank you. It shows you value them and you view them as a person, not some number/data from which they can reap dividends.

If your budget allows, you can send some printed personalized notes alongside the shipped product. When you have a subscription-based business, you can mail the notes.

Tips for sending out personalized notes:

● Don’t use some system-generated email

● Customize the tone of the messages

● Use style that is consistent with your brand image

● Send notes on holidays, especially some uncommon ones

4. Change customer mistakes into a memorable experience:

If a customer has made some mistake, don’t blame it on them. It is a perfect opportunity for you to grow your positive impression by providing a solution.

If someone has bought the wrong item or size, don’t question them. Provide them free return shipping or refund. It shows that you care for people and not only their money.

Train your employees to see opportunities for fixing customers’ mistakes.

5. Reward customers for loyalty:

Everyone loves surprises. Surprise your customers with some rewards for their loyalty. Run a loyalty program or try out contests for old customers. It also makes it easy for you to collect relevant customer data.

The main idea is to wow your customers with an experience they will remember for a long time. You can achieve this by giving away something relevant to them. For example, if you run a fitness company, surprise them with some free fitness programs. You are limited only by your imagination. Think of ways that you find suitable for your business.

6. Provide instant support:

People have become more and more impatient and with so many options to choose from, you always need to be on your toes. When a consumer has a problem with your services/ products or a query, they’re expecting a fast solution. You don’t want to make them wait, it can have a serious impact on their satisfaction levels.

According to a report, 73% of consumers want companies to value their time. Make it a priority to connect with the customers within the first 50-60 seconds of contact. You can use chat software like Duvim for making instant connections.

7. Deliver omnichannel support:

In this age of automation and bots, customers sometimes feel left behind. One of the most common complaints they have is the time it takes for them to connect with an actual person on their preferred channel. During this time, either they have found the solution or have ditched that company.

You want to connect with customers on their preferred channels. It means making yourselves available on the platforms where your customers are active.

Nowadays, people use various channels, and devices at the same time to shop. Develop a support strategy by doing in-depth research about your customers’ preferred channels.

Some of the common modes for support:

● In-person interactions

● Social media support on customers’ preferred network

● Email

● Helpline number

● Live chat support (most popular these days)

This ensures that customers get a seamless experience with little effort. Make your support process and policies as transparent as possible.

8. Connect on social media:

People use social media for various purposes. They connect with their friends, family, work and do shopping. Your business must have a presence on social media so people can feel connected. Consumers ask for support, ask questions, discuss with other users and leave complaints on social media.

Various studies suggest 42% of customers are expecting a response within 60 minutes of posting a complaint. 32% of consumers expect a response within 30 minutes. If you don’t respond within that time, they would start complaining with their friends and other users on the same platform.

It is best to have a dedicated employee for monitoring and responding to social media comments. If your budget allows, you can dedicate an entire department. It will boost your customer satisfaction level by 25%.

9. Use personalized auto-responses:

Auto-responses are significant for communicating to customers that you have got their messages. A response message makes this confirmation, some people need confirmation. Otherwise, they would think about whether you received their messages.

Give some character to the confirmation messages by personalizing them. Make them stand out from others by not sending generic auto-replies. Instead, you can use a friendlier tone. Tweak the messages (if your software allows it) to use the customer’s first name. We have already discussed the value of using a person’s name. Ensure you are thanking clients for their time.

Follow up with customers within the promised time frame. Under-promise and over-deliver. If you are saying, you would get to them within 24-hours, try connecting with them in 8-10 hours. The same goes for social media auto-replies. It creates a positive impact on your business.

10. Give self-help options:

Modern consumers don’t want to wait for their problems to be solved. If it means solving the problems themselves, then it is fine with most users. According to a study, 53% of users said that it is important for them to solve their service-related issues themselves.

One way of helping customers accomplish this is by having an in-depth knowledge base, FAQ sections and forums. Provide answers to the common complaints/ questions with step-by-step tutorials. You can also make simple videos for the same, host them on YouTube, Vimeo, etc.

For customers who want a direct response from your side, you can attach links to these documentations and videos with the email. Chatbots are one of the better ways of providing help, it also helps reduce your support cost by 30%.

Suggested Read: 20 Online Chat Etiquette for Excellent Customer Service

11. 24*7 customer support:

We have already mentioned the importance of providing fast responses, but that is also not enough these days. You need to provide 24*7 instant support. It is especially important if you have a large customer base, and you operate in different countries.

You can accomplish this by

● Hiring customer reps and working them in shifts

● You can outsource the work to freelancers (it saves money on renting office space)

● Using a chatbot

People like the idea of live chat, it can increase your revenue. Use chat software like Duvim for growing your revenue by connecting with customers instantly. Website visitors who connect with you on the Live Chat are worth 4.5 times more than others.

12. Make unique offers:

One way your business can stand out from the crowd is to provide unique offers to your customers. Offering unique propositions, discounts, offers reduce the buying anxiety and buying remorse a customer often feels.

Some owners think that by offering discounts and offers they are creating revenue loss themselves. But in the long run, it is more profitable for your business.

Some ways you can use discounts:

● Use irresistible offers to new customers

● Have a flash sale or limit on discounts

● Provide special prices for loyal customers

13. Offer a simple refund policy:

People are mostly apprehensive about money. This is especially true when you are a new company. Provide a simple money-back guarantee, helps to increase trust levels in the minds of customers. The buying experience feels slightly less risky, people are more likely to get your products/ services.

Here is the problem, most businesses now offer some kind of refund policy. So, advertising won’t be enough to make you stand out. You need to help the customer easily understand your policies. You can start doing this by leaving out technical and complicated jargons. We recommend using bulleted lists and mention any deadlines.

Aim to keep your refund and money-back guarantee flexible. Providing a no-questions-asked guarantee also works. Going the extra mile for customers always works well for your business.

14. Give guarantees about products/ services:

Remember, whenever customers are buying something they are taking the full risk, and offering guarantees about products/ services help mitigate this slightly. You are showing them you are not only after their hard-earned money but; you care as well.

For example, if you are selling an electronic item, provide a long-term guarantee. You can also offer some sort of refund policy if the product does not meet their expectations. Protecting customers against risks is one way of creating a positive frame in their minds.

15. Offer a trial period:

Offering a trial period is a common phenomenon nowadays, but it was not so common a decade ago. Today, businesses debate about which trial period works well.

Providing a trial period lessens buyer’s remorse as there is no upfront fee. Some important points to keep in mind while providing a free trial:

● Don’t ask the customer for their credit card details

● Provide an option of registering with their social media account, it is much easier

● Let them use as many features as possible, don’t restrict their experience

● Don’t be too aggressive with the promotion of subscriptions during the trial period

If you’re an eCommerce business, you must provide a detailed demo video of the products. Showcase, how it looks from different angles, what’s the size, working, assembling and other relevant information.

16. Provide free shipping and return shipping:

Most businesses think of this as a way of losing money when they are covering refund shipping costs. However, the reality is different, research shows that 88% of customers say that free return shipping has an enormous influence while buying from a business. The same report mentions 67% of customers said that free shipping encouraged them to buy online.

If you’re a small business, you can at least offer free shipping for specific products. To stop this policy abuse, clearly mention all the eligibility requirements.

17. Experiment with offers & discounts:

Discounts are one of the most lucrative ways to attracting people to buy from you. A report suggests eCommerce businesses that offer discount codes are 8 times more likely to sell than others.

Add a page to your website with various discount codes, like a first-time buyer discount, weekly discounts. Encourage customers to buy from you by informing customers about discounts and new offers via email.

One another way is to try is to run giveaways. It works well for a subscription-based service/ product. For example, give one month of extra subscription or a plan to share with their family and friends. It is also a free marketing tool, as it creates a lot of social media buzz.

Try experimenting with different offers and discounts and see what works well for your business.

18. Develop a feedback culture:

One of the most important assets you can develop is a culture of taking customers’ feedbacks. Are they satisfied with their experience, your services/ products, and your business? They are clear indicators of what’s going on in the minds of customers. It also provides you with valuable insights for making your product and services better.

Taking their opinions seriously shows that you value them.

● Ask customers for feedback after every interaction:

Develop a habit of asking customers for feedback after every successful interaction. You can send them a simple feedback form with options to choose from or you can be different and use emojis (universally recognized ones).

● Share the feedback across every department:

Don’t keep the feedback to the concerned department, but share it across all the staff including management, product team, etc.

● Reply to every feedback:

Getting positive comments makes us feel good. But, you are missing out if you are not replying to negative comments or criticisms. 78% of customers say they would like to do business with a brand that responds to their messages.

19. Focus on providing solutions to all complaints:

Inspecting all the customers’ complaints will show you the few common recurring questions everyone has. You need to look at both the angry customers and passive customers.

Collect all the common complaints and categorize them according to issues. Make it a priority to solve these issues before they reoccur.

Give access to all the employees to these issues so that everyone is aware of them. Develop a sense of urgency for fixing these issues.

Conclusion:

When customers come to you, your policies or company does not bother them; they are only concerned about the product or services they are getting. They care about the value of money they are getting from you.

Follow the tips, but remember to use your best judgement every time. You can achieve it only by keeping the customer at the center of your organization.

If you have any queries, reach to us in the comment section. Connect us on social media channels for improving your business.