As a customer, how many times have you had a terrible customer service experience while patronizing an e-commerce site? Do you remember the last time you had an exceptionally good experience while purchasing from an e-commerce merchant? Now, let’s turn the tables. If you are the owner of an e-commerce enterprise, how do you treat your new customers? How about your repeat customers?
Jamie Estep, proprietor of E-commerce-Blog.org, shares his personal e-commerce customer service experience, both good and bad, and reminds e-commerce merchants of the value of treating new customers well and repeat customers better. As Estep pointed out, it is a well-known and accepted principle in marketing that it is easier to sell to a repeat customer than to a new customer. Unless you are a major e-commerce player like Amazon, a typical online shopper will perhaps go to a site to buy something at least once or twice. This is why e-commerce merchants should focus on customers who are most likely to come back and purchase again. In the world of e-commerce, selling to a repeat customer also means lesser security and fraud risk, especially, if this customer has already made several purchases in the past. He reminded e-commerce merchants that“there’s no reason to assume all customers should be treated the same.” New customers should have a reason to come back and repeat customers should feel that their continued patronage of your business is well-appreciated through easy and efficient customer service. Citing Estep’s personal experience with an online pet supplies manufacturer, this usually means going the extra mile for a customer. Estep also cautioned entrepreneurs not to assume that a customer will suffer through bad customer service no matter how good the product or the service is. There are certainly many othere-commerce merchants out there offering the same product or service for a much lower cost and, perhaps, with much better customer service who are more than willing to pick up your slack.
The key point to remember? Always treat your customers nicely. They are the lifeblood of your business. And if they are repeat customers, treat them extra special.
