QUICK READ: Amazon.com has the bar for customer service when it comes to online sales. Retailers who sell primarily online cannot afford to be closed on Sundays and holidays and customer service people have to be available during normal business hours to answer customers’ questions.
While online sales are still a very small part of total retail sales they are growing very quickly. Traditional retailers like Target and Wal*Mart are trying to compete against Amazon but can they compete against their customer service? Here are some things every online retailer needs to offer:
1ne: Keep the customer informed as to the status of their order from initial order through shipment.
2wo: Allow customers to track their order once it’s shipped.
3hree: Do not require customers to create an account to place an order.
4our: Empower your customer service people to replace damaged items or offer full refunds when appropriate.
5ive: If someone pays for expedited shipping the order should ship the day it was placed.
6ix: Let customers know when orders will arrive by shipping option.
7even: Customer reviews are an important part of any online shopping experience. Offer your customers rewards for leaving product reviews.
8ight: Do not automatically “opt-in” customers for future emails once they place an order.
9ine: Sunday should be a normal business day.
10en: Offer multiple ways to pay including PayPal, credit cards and financing for expensive items.
Right now the power belongs to consumers and if you don’t offer a great online experience from order through delivery you’ll never be able to compete against Amazon.com.
