The rise of online shopping has not only paved the way for a faster commercial landscape, but also for transparency – whether you like it or not. Before, you had to focus on your packaging so that your product would get noticed among the masses. But it’s no longer about enticing someone to buy it based on its looks. There’s a whole community out there of reviews, Q&A sites and social media that mean your product or service has to be genuinely loved in order to see growth.
However, a lot of businesses can let customer service fall to the back foot, given all the other responsibilities involved in making a successful business work. But don’t underestimate the power of reviews and what they can do for you. For a start, if your customer is pleased then they’ll return. It’s not enough to provide them with something they need anymore; customers have to feel special in order to invoke loyalty.
Secondly, it’s a great way to generate new sales leads. Customer reviews work as a referral scheme – and one that works too. 88% of customers have been influenced by an online review when making a purchasing decision. Similarly, ‘influenced’ can mean that an online review has put them off purchasing something, so to ignore the customer service aspect of your business could be driving new potential customers away.
Online reviews, be it on a specially designed, integrated platform or on social media, also provide an opportunity for increased interactions with your customers. And don’t think that this is purely about service. Highly-engaged customers spend 60% more per transaction, leading to higher profits for your business!
Customer service is not, and never should be, an after thought. With such power to the people, it’s important that consumers are saying good things about your brand and driving their connections to you. Devote a little extra time to going above and beyond and you’ll certainly reap the rewards.