Learning from examples of positive customer service can help you provide a better customer service experience in your store – something vital for the success of retail businesses. In fact, according to Shopify research, 58% of consumers say that excellent past customer service influenced their purchasing decisions.
Add a Personal Touch
Your advantage as a local retail business is that you can provide a level of personal service that online giants like Amazon cannot. Customer service is an opportunity to add a human touch to your business. Offer personalization in your work.
Be Transparent and Educate Customers
Providing education about the products you sell can also help you upsell or increase product sales. Some might initially feel that this could be annoying or detrimental to customer service, but if you are transparent and take the time to educate shoppers before purchasing, they are likely to leave satisfied.
Quick Response to All Customer Feedback
Responding to both positive and negative feedback in a timely manner shows that you listen to customers and value their opinions, whether they are good or bad.
Use Creative and Unexpected Return Policies
If a customer ordered online and then decided that they don’t like it or it doesn’t fit, suggest that they give it to a friend or family member and offer them a new product of equal value. This approach can be unique and is likely to lead to the customer sharing their experience.
Find an Alternative Solution When Out of Stock
If a customer is shopping in-store or online and encounters a product that is out of stock but really wants, there may be some recommendations to deal with this issue.
Build Relationships with Local Shoppers
You are more likely to remember the cashier who starts a conversation with you rather than the store employees who don’t speak. Finding common ground with shoppers is a great way to build a relationship and provide an unforgettable experience.
Remember and Reward Repeat Customers
Add an element of surprise and delight by remembering and rewarding repeat customers. You can do this by letting repeat customers know you appreciate their support.
Proactively Address Online Store Shipping Issues
Online businesses sometimes face shipping and delivery issues. It’s important to track customer orders carefully and ensure that the package arrives on time and in good condition.
Offer “Try Before You Buy” for Online Shoppers
If you can manage the logistics, allowing customers to try products at home before purchase is a great way to build relationships with them.
Improve In-Store Greeting
Excellent customer service starts the moment potential customers enter your store. A unique in-store greeting can help leave a strong impression.
Send Handwritten Thank You Notes
Sending handwritten thank you notes is not just a nice gesture, but it is a surefire way to stand out from the rest of the retailers (especially the big ones). This method may seem old-fashioned, but it provides an unforgettable experience.
Facilitate Customer Service Across All Channels
To build lasting relationships with your customers, it is essential to provide a consistent customer service experience across email, phone, live chat, social media, your website, and your store.
Omni-Channel Customer Service
There are three immediate ways to simplify your customer service communications.
Send direct messages via social media.
Add live chat or chatbots to your website.
Create a customer service email address.
Good vs. Bad Customer Service in Retail
Now that you have 12 real examples of customer service to help you develop your customer service strategy, let’s quickly review the key components of good customer service in retail.
Provide quick responses when customers ask a question or raise an issue, showing them that their opinions matter.
Empathy
Engage with the client to show them that you understand their perspective and value them.
Provide self-service options so customers can find solutions to their problems at their own pace.
Simplify customer service across all channels to make it convenient for customers.
Excel in exceeding customer expectations to deliver a positive experience and encourage customer loyalty.
Serve multiple customers at the same time when there is an increase in visitors without sacrificing the quality of each interaction.
Avoiding the consequences of poor customer service can be evident, but it is important to note that:
Failing to meet customer expectations regarding response time, service quality, and overall service experience can impact a customer’s opinion of your store. It can lead to lost sales – 58% of consumers say that the ability to easily reach customer service on their preferred channel influenced their purchasing decision.
This is why it is important to avoid doing things like making the customer wait a long time for assistance, using negative language, being rude, and not showing any empathy.
Apply these examples to customer service in your store.
Common Customer Service Examples
What is excellent customer service?
Excellent customer service ensures support for customers and exceeds their expectations. To ensure the best service for customers, you should strive for professionalism, patience, and a customer-focused approach.
What are 3 things for good customer service?
Professionalism, patience, customer focus.
What are 7 pitfalls of customer service?
Customer focus, company culture, customer experience, customer data, customer journey, consumer experience, consumer expectations.
What is an example of customer service?
One example of customer service is when a customer receives a product (like a jacket) and it doesn’t fit them. You would need to provide a way for the customer to contact you so that they can either return the product or exchange it for a different size. You or the store employees would assist them in this process. This is just one example of what customer service can look like for a retail brand.
Source: https://www.shopify.com/retail/7-retailers-who-are-embracing-modern-customer-service
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