[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2021\/09\/27\/how-to-improve-customer-service-in-e-commerce-examples-benefits\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2021\/09\/27\/how-to-improve-customer-service-in-e-commerce-examples-benefits\/","headline":"How to improve customer service in e-commerce: Examples + benefits","name":"How to improve customer service in e-commerce: Examples + benefits","description":"In a digital world, customer service is crucial. Improve customer service for e-commerce, then watch loyalty and revenue soar.","datePublished":"2021-09-27","dateModified":"2023-05-04","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/contributor\/emily-kelly\/#Person","name":"Emily Morrow","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/contributor\/emily-kelly\/","identifier":216,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e1a6b9e9410da52a3baabbac612ba6017cee3e29053c47dc554eabe78303e0da?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e1a6b9e9410da52a3baabbac612ba6017cee3e29053c47dc554eabe78303e0da?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"The Future of Commerce","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/logo-foc-schema-app-1.png","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/logo-foc-schema-app-1.png","width":172,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/imrpove-e-commerce-customer-service-ftr.png","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/imrpove-e-commerce-customer-service-ftr.png","height":375,"width":1200},"url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2021\/09\/27\/how-to-improve-customer-service-in-e-commerce-examples-benefits\/","about":["B2C Commerce",{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/customer-experience\/customer-experience-general\/","name":"Customer Experience","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Customer_experience","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q984142"]},{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/service\/customer-service\/","name":"Customer Service","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Customer_service","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q1060653"]},{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/sap-sapphire-general\/customer-service-sapphire\/","name":"Customer Service","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Customer_service","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q1060653"]},{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/commerce\/e-commerce\/","name":"E-Commerce","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/E-commerce","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q484847"]},{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/commerce\/omnichannel-commerce\/","name":"Omnichannel Commerce","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Omnichannel"]},{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/service\/","name":"Service","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Service","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q7406919"]},{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/service\/service-general\/","name":"Service","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Service","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q7406919"]},"Service"],"wordCount":954,"keywords":["Best Customer Experience","Best Customer Service","Customer Service","E-commerce Customer Experience"],"articleBody":"As e-commerce continues to grow, more and more companies have been enhancing their online shopping experiences. At the same time, they’re looking for ways to optimize and improve customer service in e-commerce.Simply put, your e-commerce business can’t succeed without having top-notch service that helps customers as they navigate your site, choose items, make purchases, and use your products or services.Benefits of improving customer service for e-commerceCustomer service is crucial for any business, but it\u2019s especially important for e-commerce. That’s because in a self-led e-commerce experience, customer service is often the customer\u2019s main, if not only, point of contact.Whereas in a brick-and-mortar experience, customers engage with sales staff, see and touch products, and ask questions on the spot, e-commerce is primarily a solo experience. And that\u2019s part of the appeal.Customers can shop when they want, where they want, and as focused or as casually as they want. It\u2019s on their terms. And when they do have questions or issues \u2013 whether that’s choosing a size, selecting a service plan, tracking a package, scheduling maintenance, or making a return \u2013 they turn to customer service.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSo your service experience better be at least as good as the rest of your CX. A good interaction can drive loyalty, and even increase sales. In fact, service is the biggest driver of customer loyalty today, and 75% of organizations can connect higher customer satisfaction with revenue growth.On the other hand, a bad interaction one can ruin a customer\u2019s experience. It may even cause them to take their business elsewhere, and post negative reviews and comments about your company.What makes great e-commerce customer service?According to consumers, great customer service interactions are quick, helpful, and pleasant. So whether you’re engaging with customers before, during, or after purchase, the priority should always be resolving their issues as quickly and painlessly as possible.      How to provide great call center customer service                92% of consumers will leave a brand over bad customer service. Call centers can help boost customer service and CX.      When thinking specifically about e-commerce, there\u2019s even more to consider. What makes a great e-commerce experience? It\u2019s convenient, easy to navigate, and available on the customers\u2019 terms.So it stands to reason that great customer service needs to include all those things too:Easy to navigate: Be transparent and clearly guide the customer to where they need to go.Omnichannel: When we say \u201cbe where your customers are,\u201d we basically mean \u201cyou need to be everywhere.\u201d Customers should be able to reach out via their preferred channel — whether that’s live chat, email, phone, or social media — and get consistent, seamless experiences.Available 24\/7: Even if your office is closed, use chat bots and automated emails, as well as self-service content, to give customers off-hours support.Pleasant and personable: Whether your customer is talking to a service rep or reading through an FAQ page, the experience should be pleasant and should reflect your brand\u2019s voice and values.And above all, HELPFUL: Remember, you\u2019re providing service. Answer their questions, resolve their issues, or reach out with pertinent reminders. Every interaction should be helpful and build their confidence in your brand.Pop quiz: What do all these elements of great service have in common?Answer: They can all be achieved (or improved) with data.Using data to optimize customer service for e-commerceData is our most powerful tool for delivering customer experiences that drive loyalty and revenue. We use it to level up our marketing, commerce and sales engagements – customer service should be no different.5 data-driven ways to optimize e-commerce customer service:Understand your customers and their preferencesPersonalize the service experienceDeliver seamless, omnichannel CXAnticipate needs and provide proactive serviceMeasure service success      Service fail: 7 customer service mistakes to avoid                Find out the top common customer service mistakes and how to avoid them to deliver top-notch service that drives loyalty + revenue.      1. Understand your customers and their preferences76% of consumers expect companies to understand and adapt to their expectations and needs. Use customer data to get a clear, comprehensive profile of your audience. Learn where and how they like to engage, and what matters most to them. Then, use those insights to drive your customer service strategy.2. Personalize the service experienceSay goodbye to the one-size-fits-all approach. Consumers expect personalized experiences at every step of the journey – including customer service. Their personal preferences, transaction history, and past service interactions should all inform how you engage with them today.3. Deliver seamless, omnichannel CXDon’t make customers repeat themselves every time they reach out with an issue. Make sure all your customer teams (sales, marketing, commerce, and customer service) have access to the same data. If customer service doesn’t have insight into the customer’s past purchases, or interactions with other departments, it creates a disjointed experience. And that could raise more issues than it resolves.4. Anticipate service needsUse product and transaction data to anticipate needs, and provide proactive (or even preventative) service. For example, send personalized reminders about scheduled maintenance, or contract renewals. Or, provide recommendations for product upgrades or service add-ons post-purchase.Also, pay attention to trends on your site to see where issues are occurring, and address them before they snowball.5. Measure customer service successAnd of course, use your company and departmental data to track service success. See which channels are the most popular, where you’re seeing the most positive feedback, etc. Then adapt your strategy to optimize your own performance.  Customers want excellent service.Brands know they need to deliver it, but often fall short.Take a product tour to see how modern CRM powers great customer service HERE."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2021","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2021\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"09","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2021\/\/09\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"27","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2021\/\/09\/\/27\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"How to improve customer service in e-commerce: Examples + benefits","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2021\/09\/27\/how-to-improve-customer-service-in-e-commerce-examples-benefits\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]