When your goal is to get repeat, happy customers, you need to be on top of your customer service game. Nothing can be left to chance. The good news is that customer service is completely within your control if you're willing to put in the time and effort to make it work.
To get more satisfied customers who are willing to leave you the raving reviews you need to boost profits, here's what you need to do.
1. Keep popular inventory in stock
Inventory management is one of the most impactful factors in terms of customer satisfaction. For example, if you're always out of popular items, people will be upset. It's fine once in a while since you can't control your supplier's access to goods, but if you're constantly out of stock because you're not ordering enough, that's not acceptable to the customer.
Nobody wants to check back every once in a while and see that the item they want is always out of stock. That's a fast way to lose customers to your competition. The easiest way to avoid this is to meticulously track your stock levels and automate order replenishment. Create a par for each item you sell and have the system automatically order more when that par is reached.
2. Go above and beyond
Basic customer service simply handles issues according to company policy. Going above and beyond is something else. For example, say you encounter a customer who is 30 days past the return window, but they tell you they were on vacation and never had a chance to open the box until they got back. Their story may or may not be true, but providing a refund anyway would be going above and beyond.
Another way to go above and beyond is to allow people to keep the items they wish to return. Customers don't want the hassle of packing something up and having to ship it back to you. This also benefits your business because you don't have to pay for return shipping, deal with a bunch of physical returns, or manage the process. All you have to do is send the customer a replacement or a refund.
When customers can get their needs met effortlessly, they'll be more likely to become a repeat customer and buy your other offerings.
3. Ask for the reviews you deserve
Don't be shy – ask for the reviews you deserve. Most people are too busy to remember to leave reviews on their own, so implement email reminders for online transactions, and nudge people in person if you work with them directly. Never assume your customers will leave a review on their own because most of the time they will forget.
Most people expect a mix of good and bad reviews, but positive reviews can influence people to start feeling good about you before they even experience your brand.
4. Resolve issues the first time around
Customers don't like having to call back or submit multiple tickets to get issues resolved. Unfortunately, that's a common experience.
According to data discussed in a Forbes article, business revenue would skyrocket if issues were fixed on the first call. If you can ensure customers get their problems resolved on their first attempt to get support, you'll see an increase in profits.
5. Don't customer-blame even when it's the customer's fault
The customer isn't always right, but the customer should always get what they need. Train your support staff to let go of the need to make customers wrong, even if something is technically the customer's fault. For example, say a customer submerged your (non-waterproof) product in water because they got the impression it was waterproof from your advertisement. You can choose to issue a refund or not, but don't shame them for making a mistake.
Most people will understand why you can't issue a refund in this case, and they might still buy from you in the future. However, if you make a customer feel awful or embarrassed, they probably won't do business with you again.
Your profits depend on customer service
Your ability to deliver seamless, quality customer service will determine your profits. Ultimately, you could have the best gadget or service in the world, but without good customer service, sales won't come easy. Do whatever you can to make your customers happy – it will come full circle to increase your profits.