Proactive customer service will transform your eBay sales, and keep your best clients coming back again and again.
Let’s face it. Your customers are your bread and butter. They are the wind in your sail, and the sugar in your coffee. Consequently, the way you treat your customers is directly related to the returns you get from them.
So, just what does proactive customer service mean?
Proactive customer service means offering solutions to problems that haven’t happened yet. That’s right. Giving your customers the kind of amazing support that means they don’t even have the chance to encounter a snag.
Let’s take a look at a few of the steps you can take to implement proactive customers service. And, let’s look at how proactive customer service will transform your sales success.
How to Implement Proactive Customer Service
Here are some tried and true ways to use proactive customer service to transform your sales results.
Send Out Customer Surveys – and Then Read Them
One way to find out what your customers are feeling and thinking? Ask them directly! A survey shows your customers that you care about their opinion and their experience. And even better, it gives you valuable insights into what you can do better.
What questions should you include in your survey? You might ask customers about their satisfaction with your products, customer service, and user experience. You might ask them what other products would be useful to them. Remember, the information they share is valuable, so thank them for taking the time to give you their thoughts.
Timing is Everything – Use it to Your Advantage
Clients should never have to send an email and wait for a response. That means it’s your job to reach out to them first – before they have a chance to worry.
Ask if there’s anything you can help with. Find out if their order arrived on time. Send them a friendly note thanking them for their business. Reaching out before your customers have questions is a key part of proactive customer service.
Create a Knowledge Base – Customized for Your Users
What is a knowledge base? Knowledge bases are databases that store information about your company, your products, and other industry-related topics.
Knowledge bases are helpful, because they lessen the time you have to spend answering customer inquiries. Consequently, many customers love knowledge bases because they can do their own troubleshooting and avoid having a lengthy phone call or email conversation.
Introduce a “Products You May Like” Feature
How can you grow relationships with customers who want to return to your company? Show them you haven’t forgotten about them.
A “Products You May Like” feature highlights the new or existing products that your customers may find interesting. These can be related to the product they purchased.
Start an Email Newsletter – Filled with Value
An email newsletter is a great way to keep customers connected, while continuously providing value. Your email newsletter can include blog posts, industry news, new product announcements, events, and more.
The best newsletters shower customers with useful, insightful content. As a result, your customers will regard you as an authority in your industry, and a company they can count on and trust.
Closely Monitor Your Social Media – To Build Connections
Social media is a powerful way to interact with your customers. It’s intimate, immediate, and can be a tool used in your favor. Even better, you don’t necessarily have to spend extra funds on expensive ads – you can leverage social media, free of charge.
Keep an eye on your social accounts, and chime in to conversations when appropriate. You can do this by answering questions, addressing concerns, and thanking people for their business. You can provide helpful industry insights, link to relevant resources, and post limited-time only deals and discounts. Social media opens up new doors of offering proactive customer service to people on your social channels.
Begin a Loyalty Program
Loyal, repeat customers not only save you money. In addition, they tend to spend more money on your products, and they also tend to refer their friends. That’s why a loyalty program is such an effective tool.
Reward your customers for their business. Send discounts and deals. And offer special exclusive products only to your loyal clients. Rewarding loyalty is one of the primary tenants of proactive customer service.
Acknowledge Your Mistakes – and Learn from Them
It can be embarrassing when a customer has to contact you about a glitch, technical error, or general mistake in their purchase. And yet, being the first to acknowledge, apologize for, and right your mistakes can actually work in your favor.
After all, calling out your mistake puts the power in your hands. Make sure to apologize for the inconvenience, explain how you’ll find a solution, and offer a discount or refund if you can’t fix the problem.
Now is the Time to Take Proactive Customer Service Steps
By taking even small steps towards proactive customer service, you will begin transforming your sales results.
Your customers will notice the effort, and they will appreciate the care and attention you give to them. Consequently, you’ll notice an uptick in the loyalty you receive.
Need a hand implementing eBay best practices into your business? Give us a shout at 609-675-0912, or visit us online at OCDesignsOnline. We’re eager to find ways to improve your eBay sales results.