How to Over-Deliver Online Customer Satisfaction

By Ed McLaughlin and Wyn Lydecker

Satisfied customers are powerful assets for your business. They can be roaming ambassadors of your product or service, and they can spread the value of your brand and create a viral attitude of trust that pulls in new customers and retains existing ones.

Start Strong

In his May 2015 Entrepreneur article, 5 Ways to Put Your Customers First, John Joseph said, “The true measure of success lies with the only people who really determine your future: your customers.”

Develop a high standard of service right from the get-go. Don’t hide your contact information in the obscure small print at the bottom of your website. Make it readily accessible. This speaks volumes for your intention to over-deliver on customer satisfaction.

Make it Personal

Beware of turning your customers’ online buying experiences into endless scavenger hunts that send them tripping over links that never quite yield the right answers. This mass-customized approach to customer service should be your last resort.

Don’t leave your customers feeling wounded and weary.

Instead of herding your customers to an impersonal webpage that funnels their questions into a series of hot-links that lead to ambiguous answers, provide your customers with access to live service (best choice) or to a live online chat (second choice) with trained associates who are empowered to find answers and offer solutions.

Create a pathway that will seamlessly connect potential and post-sale customers with people who are distinctively competent to handle their pre-sale questions and post-sale concerns. For online businesses, this kind of quality customer service could give you a sharp competitive edge.

Give Customers Your Full Attention

In her May 2015 article, 5 Tools and Tips for Showing Customers You Really Care, Christina Desmarais’ number one tip is, “Listen to them.” Christina says, “It sounds simple, but humans have a basic desire to be heard and understood…”

Your customer service team is often the entryway for new business. More importantly, they can directly affect customer retention or loss. Equip your team with the skills that enable them to represent the standards you want to convey:

Train them to listen and understand your customers’ needs
Empower them with access to the right resources to handle pre-sale and post-sale concerns
Help them to understand their integral role in creating and maintaining a positive customer experience
Don’t underestimate their power as the gatekeeper to consumer satisfaction.

Customers are the key to your growth and expansion. Plan ahead to treat them as the valuable asset they are!

Have you begun your entrepreneurial journey? If you are determined to build, lead, and grow a profitable business, The Startup Roadmap is designed for you. For a limited time, you can get a complimentary eCopy of The Startup Roadmap: 21 Steps to Profitability by clicking this link. If you prefer the print edition, you can purchase it directly from Amazon for $9.99.

Once you have read The Startup Roadmap, please let us know what you think by emailing us at: Ed@ThePurposeIsProfit.com.

Ed McLaughlin is currently co-writing the book, The Purpose Is Profit: The Truth about Starting and Building Your Own Business with Wyn Lydecker and Paul McLaughlin.