The costumer is king. In 2021, the customer is even more king than ever. Globalization and the unlimited choice that the WorldWideWeb brings has shifted the proverbial power from corporations to consumers. This shift makes it virtually impossible for companies to distinguish themselves solely on price or product.
Do you have an online store (or do you want to start one) and are you feeling discouraged after reading this paragraph? Don't let this fool you and read on!
The costumer is king
We all know the saying. Today it is used infrequently and inappropriately. But to what extent does this fly? Is the customer actually king?
The answer to this is very simple: Yes. The costumer is king.
'In the past,' in the days of purely physical stores, a retailer (e.g. a clothing store) could still somewhat afford to show a customer the door if he was not satisfied with the service provided. Because this was probably the only clothing store in the area, the customer had no choice but to purchase his clothing again from the same store. Everything has changed with the introduction of globalization and the internet.
Globalization has ensured that Dutch consumers jointly spent 880 million euros at foreign web shops in 2018. Despite this, they still prefer online stores from their own country. The reason for this is the strong and healthy e-commerce sector.
To distinguish yourself from your (inter)national competition, you can use the best-kept secret for a successful webshop. Not everyone gives it the priority it needs. Those who do this will agree that this is the missing link to make a difference online. What this is? Customer experience!
We at Belco believe so strongly in the power of personal service that we are convinced that this is the factor to make a difference online. Through the right people, tooling and mindset you can deliver the most optimal customer experience in order to respond to your customer's happiness.
Personal service, customer service and customer experience.
Personal service, customer service and customer experience. Three concepts that seem to say the same thing, but are not the same. Yet they are inextricably linked. The example below explains the three concepts.
It is Wednesday. AnnaBelco has just received an invitation to a party this weekend from her colleague. To make a good impression, she decides to order new shoes from her favorite online store.
Just before ordering, she contacts us by telephone with a number of pressing questions:
- Should I have size 37 or 38?
- Do they also come with white laces?
- Are the shoes delivered on time?
The customer service employee on the other end of the line kindly answers by immediately mentioning AnnaBelco's name and helps her choose the correct size based on previous orders. This is an example of personal service.
The employee listens to her, speaks to her kindly and helps her adequately. The conversation lasts less than two minutes; AnnaBelco gets answers to all her questions and knows immediately where she stands. This is an example of good customer service.
The shoes arrive on Friday morning. The box contains the flashy shoes, white laces and a handwritten card that says: ' AnnaBelco, have fun at your colleague's party. We have also included a set of white laces for you. Good weekend!'
This is the textbook example of a good customer experience. This experience ensures that she feels even more connected and loyal to her favorite webshop.
In fact; she is so pleased with the experience that she leaves a 5/5 star review, she dedicates a praising post to it on her social media channels and she shares it with anyone who will listen. AnnaBelco has just managed to bridge the gap between the brand and other consumers. She has just transformed from customer to brand ambassador.
The customer experience is the total experience that a customer experiences during his or her (online purchase). Personal service and customer service are an important part of this and have a major influence on this.
It is therefore important to invest in the right tooling. Listen to the feedback your customers and customer service representatives provide and adjust your approach accordingly where necessary. It requires perseverance and a clear strategy, but by prioritizing the customer experience this will lead to growth: more customers, more loyal customers and more turnover.
Belco
Is customer service not yet a priority for you or is it still in its infancy? Working on the online store!
Don't know where to start? No worries. You don't have to do it all alone. With 200 customers we supply software for approximately 750 online stores. Thanks to our extensive experience, we know how we can optimize your processes together with you to contribute to the customer experience. Contact us and we can tell you in 45 minutes how our tooling will contribute to your growth!
