Convenient Customer Service: Mastered by Amazon

In the chart-topping song Run the World (Girls) sung by Beyoncé , she chants Who Run the World? and received a resounding response of “GIRLS” which was repeated around the world. And let me just add, with complete bias, I wholeheartedly agree. However, there are some who would beg to differ as to who truly run the world – the customer. And once again I would have to wholeheartedly agree with that sentiment.

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Customers run the world and have become the customer service experts. Any company not listening to their customers are setting themselves up for a grand closing. The market tells us every day their desires and needs. Companies just need to be savvy enough to meet and greet the customer on their platforms.

Related: 8 Tips to Master Customer Service and Profit

Convenient customer service is possible and the benefits are endless!

Amazon has mastered and embodies the essence of Convenient Customer Service by thoroughly listening to their customer. The data collected by Amazon allows them to cater to the needs of their customers thus making for a phenomenal customer experience. Think about this, Amazon’s genius was in dominating the online retail market by providing ease, speed and trust. Through the data that customers willingly provide, Amazon is now able to disrupt the retail brick-and-mortar by moving into the grocery store business. They saw a need and is serving a growing market with the convenience of online groceries.

Companies looking to succeed must embrace the customer experience and implement it throughout the business. Buy-in from the executive team must overflow into every department. Starting a connection via social media is a dynamic step for companies who are serious about understanding the customer experience. Connecting with customers on social media is vital and boosts revenue.

Customers want effective service from all channels, be it phone, email, website, social media or any other form of communication. And they want the flow to be seamless, for example when a customer places an order by phone they then would like to receive an email notification of when the item shipped and then be able to set up a return online. Setting up an omni-channel will be costly however the customer satisfaction indicator will increase.

Convenient Customer Service also requires speed. Providing a quick turn-around time while producing quality products will indeed drive customer loyalty. Setting up a business of convenience based on your market needs will always prevail but you must understand The Psychology of Customer Service and if possible provide Speed à la carte. The option to select the speed of delivery i.e. overnight, 2-day shipping, 3-day shipping, etc. is a bonus which create an advantage over your competitors.

Another important way to provide Convenient Customer Service, which has been mastered by Amazon, is through personalizing the customer experience. Pay attention to your customer’s buying trends and send them special offers via email or through their smartphone for products they have bought in the past. Go a step further and predict their likes based on past purchases and provide buying suggestions. If you collect personal information, send a birthday card via email or direct mail along with a discount code.

Look for ways to make the customer experience more personal and earn their trust.

5 Additional Tools to Provide Convenient Customer Service:

1. Chat Support – Chat when done correctly can help to improve customer satisfaction. Tip: Remove scripted language – Customers can detect it and do not like it. Appeal to the human touch through Live Chat and provide real-time, immediate communication. Sumo offers a great chat service.
2. Multiple Social Channels – Keep in mind, people do not use the same form of social media therefore you need to get in front of your customers where they socialize. Businesses must consider their business hours because customers are working during your hours of operation and they cannot readily pick up the phone to contact you. Therefore, having access on multiple channels and social platforms is a must for the working population.  Create your email marketing free for 60 days Sign up now for a free 60 Day Trail with Constant Contact
3. Add Video – Platforms like Instagram and Pinterest exist because we are more visual now than ever before. YouTube has become a dynamic force in marketing and increasing revenue. No matter your industry, you need to add video to your website to display your product/service. Add a How-To video and boost sales.
4. Consider AI (and VR) – Artificial Intelligence is quickly growing and becoming affordable for the small entrepreneurs. AI has removed some of the stress for customer service agents  by providing best responses. The possibilities are endless with AI.  Virtual Reality has catapulted the customer experience from simply seeing to being able to engage a product/service.  According to a study by Oracle, 34% of Sales and Marketing leaders believe that AI will be the biggest game changer to improve the customer experience.
5. Empowerment – This is a JDI (Just Do It!) that can be applied to any company no matter the size. Give your employees the power to quickly resolve a customer concern. A happy customer will share their experience which will lead to new customers.

 

How are you providing Convenient Customer Service? Leave comments below.

 

Jacqueline Michele Ridley is a board-certified problem solver (aka board-certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt), Customer Alignment Strategist (aka Customer Service Expert) and workflow strategist with over 25 years of experience in Customer Operations and Quality Improvements in multi-million-dollar businesses.

For information, visit JacquelineMichele.com

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