Jayasty Anandan

Why is After-Hours Support Important for E-commerce Business? E-commerce customer service refers to the services that you provide to online buyers. The e-age customer is online shopping 24/7 and may require assistance accordingly. Shopping has become seamless irrespective of the time of day or night; hence, online businesses must always be available for their customers. This will not only give them a wow customer experience, but it will also give you an edge over the competition. The physical distance between the shopper and retailer adds risk to the customer’s buying. Online shoppers face issues at every stage of their buying process. Thus, customer support needs to be present to ease their research and make their checkout process much smoother. While providing customer support around the clock, most businesses have two choices: · Either the customer leaves a message through voicemail · Pick up the call irrespective of the time The first option might seem easier, but the second option will ensure you do not lose a customer. Hence, it is beneficial for online businesses to invest in after-hours support. Improves average response time Customers enjoy e-shopping as it is efficient and convenient. They can easily compare prices between products and make their best purchase. However, when customers have queries, they expect them to be answered without much effort. They don’t like to wait and prefer to make a quick purchase. Hence it is important to focus on average response time while dealing with eCommerce customers. If shoppers reach out, customer support should respond in a few seconds. This builds customers’ trust in the brand and increases customer loyalty. Never Miss an Opportunity In today’s fast-paced business environment, offering services around the clock and on weekends is crucial to ensure no sales slip-up through the cracks. The more you are available for your customers, the more sales you can close. Customer Satisfaction When customers get support around the clock and make shopping faster, it motivates them to shop more. This makes their shopping experience more exciting, and they feel great satisfaction while shopping with your brand. It helps the brand increase sales and build a reputation among its customers. Cater Across Geographies Providing after-hours support distinguishes the fact that your eCommerce business needs to deliver exemplary customer service to all potential prospects, irrespective of their time zone, and not just those in your location. Increase Productivity With overnight customer messages in the voicemail, employees have much work to go through instead of doing their actual work. Providing after-hours support will reduce this burden on employees and increase their productivity. Professional Representation The after-hours support staff is trained to answer any kind of customer queries. Thus, whether running a small e-commerce site or a large online store, your customers will appreciate the superior care that the right call center provides. Builds Brand Reputation Customers want to talk to a real human who can address their problems quickly and effectively. You can meet this expectation by being available 24/7 for your customers through an after-hours support service. You will gain a reputation for being caring and professional to customers. Once customers are impressed by your service level, they are likely to recommend your e-commerce brand, products, and services to friends, family, and others. Reduced Frustrated Clients You might have to face frustrated clients who had bad experiences while shopping. You must support them throughout their shopping journey to provide a great shopping experience. This helps to build healthy relationships with them and remove their frustrations. Conclusion It is difficult for organizations to have an in-house team to handle customer service operations. It is also harder to provide customer support around the clock. Customers are no longer satisfied only with an excellent product offering. To stay ahead of the game, you need to have unique offerings that set you apart from the rest of the competitors. Providing a stellar customer experience through after-hours support service is a surefire way to help you achieve the desired results. Thus, it is smarter to outsource after-hours support who are well-trained, has adequate technological resources, and have multiple channels to communicate with customers. This creates a long-term relationship with your customers and builds customer loyalty. Not only that, but it also helps the business to increase its sales and profits.