The coronavirus crisis has been detrimental for many businesses around the world. But, when it comes to eCommerce, the picture is different. The sector has seen a growth in demand due to the changing buying patterns of customers. In fact, many eCommerce vendors had to hire eCommerce call center services to manage over-pouring customer requests and orders. The crisis has also made brands realize that price and quality are not the only two criteria for the customer to distinguish an eCommerce brand. Customer-driven answering services and order taking, user-friendly e-portal designs also play a big role.
Unearthing the recent eCommerce customer service trends post-COVID-crisis is a great first move to escalate the quality of customer service and improve customer experience in 2021 and beyond.
Here are some trends call center experts have observed for eCommerce companies:
1. Exceptional CX
If you are trying to provide a great customer experience or CX you have to reach a whole new level of customer service than what you are offering at present. The highest standards of customer service can improve CX and bring fruitful rewards that are well worth all the efforts being made towards perfecting customer service. It can bring along repeat business, customer loyalty, and higher ROI.
2. Hyper-local, customized and prompt service
If an eCommerce or online retail business doesn’t offer personalized, quick, and effective service across different customer touchpoints, customer experience badly suffocates. Chances are you will not be able to survive in the competition for long, no matter how niche or how classy your product or service is. In fact, the eCommerce customer service this year needs something extra – hyper-personalization. Hyper-personalization involves using customer data to improve the overall experience as close to real-time as possible. Thanks to the eCommerce call center providers that use artificial intelligence to make customer service hyper-personalized, prompt and accurate.
3. Rise in Social Media shoppers
It comes as no shock that after the COVID-19 outbreak and social distancing obligations, social media shopping has gained prominence and will keep on gaining momentum. Ecommerce portals are not the only place where shoppers shop. So, if you are looking to up your customer service game, you have to present where your prospective buyers are. It implies you have to explore popular social media channels other than your online store and integrate your social media accounts with your e portal.
4. Omni-channel customer care
The concept is everywhere today and it was implemented as a strategy to combine all customer interaction points into one. All the channels like social media, chat, emails, video conference, etc. are in sync with one another and are monitored under a centralized system. This will let your customers see and experience a consistent and unified brand experience.
5. Ecommerce Chatbots and AI sales assistance
Chatbots were optional tools even a couple of years ago, but today, it is a must-have for customer support. A chatbot can give real-time support and is very prompt. Chatbot-assisted eCommerce customer service is here to stay and you will see how it improves customer experience.
Conclusion
The customer buying patterns evolve continuously. As the competition gets tougher, it becomes difficult for eCommerce vendors to succeed unless they keep up with the evolving trends, hire an eCommerce call center for achieving perfection or invest in adequate in-house resources and technology to meet international standards.
