A great product or service is not always enough to keep customers happy, especially if you do not provide excellent customer service before and after the sale. The increased popularity of blogs and review sites makes it possible for customers to spread negative information about your customer service quickly, which could result in lost sales. If you want to follow the example of a successful company, pay attention to what Amazon is doing. The company was the winner in the 2012 Customer's Choice Awards sponsored by the National Retail Federation.
Amazon customer service is truly something special. The e-commerce giant makes it possible to shop any time of the day or night, complete transactions online, and contact customer service representatives via email, telephone, and chat. If you do not provide customer service that improves the customer experience, you are at risk of having unhappy customers spread negative information about you on Twitter, Facebook, and other social networks. People also use blogging services like Blogger and Tumblr to share their opinions, increasing their reach and making it more likely that people will see negative information before you have a chance to respond.
In an article from CNN, Frank Farley, a Temple University professor, says every customer now has a "global platform" to share opinions. On this platform, speed is sometimes more important than accuracy, so customers are quick to spread negative information if they have a bad customer service experience. Even if someone from your customer service team reaches out to unhappy customers, their original complaints often remain intact. If other people come across those messages without seeing your response, they could believe the complaints and avoid doing business with your company. Amazon's Jeff Bezos has said unhappy online customers can tell as many as 6,000 people about their bad experiences, making good customer service a must for any retailer.
Amazon is a great example of a company that gives customers what they want whenever possible, creating a positive buzz instead of a negative one. The retailer offers refunds on most items that are returned with all of their original accessories and packaging, which helps the company compete with retailers like Best Buy, which has a fifteen-day "no questions asked" return policy. Amazon is also constantly offering new services to attract customers and keep them happy. In June 2013, company representatives announced a new type of Prime membership that would give Los Angeles customers access to same-day delivery of groceries and household items. Prime Fresh members will not pay any fees for these deliveries. Derek Thompson of "The Atlantic" says this move will bind customers to Amazon, increasing their loyalty. Prime Fresh customers will also be able to take advantage of consumer-friendly Amazon customer service policies.
Negative information spreads like wildfire online, so you must use your customer service team as your first line of defense. Doing whatever you can to make customers happy without ignoring your company's policies is just one way to prevent negative information from spreading. This is why your customer service strategy is so important for the success of your business.
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