Yesterday I introduced you to eStara and posted part one of John Federman's article called How to Scare Off Online Prospects...Without Really Trying. Here's part two of the article where John covers ignoring customer feedback, engaging your customers, and recovering from sales and service errors:
3) IGNORING CUSTOMER FEEDBACK
Do you know what your customers are saying about your company? Are there mechanisms in place for you to get feedback and react based on customer input?
The Web is no longer just an informational portal or online brochure for customers, it’s quickly evolving into a community where fellow shoppers share their experiences with one another. I can guarantee you there is someone out there talking about your company, so why not join them in the conversation? Better yet, why not give them a venue where they can share their stories?
When you solicit feedback, be sure to respond promptly and make the necessary improvements based on customer demand.
4) ENGAGING YOUR CUSTOMERS
Can you imagine a retail store where 9 out of 10 customers left without buying and the sales person never asked anyone if they needed help to find what they're looking for? The store would go out of business, but only after the sales person is fired.
The same standard should be true for commerce websites. You may be attracting online lookers, but are they booking anything? The best way to make sure they do is to provide them with any means of connecting with an offline customer service representative.
Customers must feel a connection to a company’s brand to create loyalty, and sometimes a Web environment simply can’t accomplish what a voice conversation can.
5) DON’T BOTHER RECOVERING FROM SALES & SERVICE ERRORS
As I mentioned earlier, the Internet is evolving into a community where almost anyone can post their opinions online. This can be good or bad depending on how well they were services at a particular establishment. It’s particularly important to recover from mistakes with emerging forms of media such as blogs, where disgruntled customers can share their stories with the world and other irate posters comment on their experiences as well.
For those that would prefer to be spared of the blogosphere’s wrath, I suppose you could implement a way to capture lost leads. Sometimes in completing an online transaction, recovering a sale is as important (if not more so) than how well you do in the first place.
These are all examples of what happens when companies engage in a monologue with prospective customers rather than a dialogue.
The online channel may seem impersonal, which is why so many companies make the mistakes detailed above. But there are a few simple things that can be done to improve your online customer support procedures.
Remember, it can sometimes take months to find a new customer, but it only takes a few seconds to lose one. Your online presence is often the first impression potential customer get of your company, and it’s also a great way to keep current customers loyal.
Thanks to John and Dan of eStara for this! This has restored my faith in CEO's. Some of them do know the importance of customer service ;)
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