Why Phone Customer Service Matters to Online Retailers

• Assign personalized CSRs. Similar to a single account executive, keep customers with individual reps. They may begin to develop a more personal and deeper connection with your rep and your brand.
• Upgrade shipping for select customers who call in. Not only will a customer be likely to recommend your site to someone else, you may also save a sale that could have been an abandoned cart.
• Answer calls quicker. This is a no-brainer, though many companies come across problems when figuring out how to do so. An auto attendant or answering service can help your current staff manage calls better.
• Improve customer service training. Make sure your reps are ready for a majority of the calls that are likely to come in. If they can address a problem and provide a solution quicker, you can reduce the time spent on the phone per call.
• If your business employs an after-hours call center that's off-site, make sure you regularly monitor the quality of service it's providing customers. You need CSRs that are knowledgeable about your products/business and serve your customers as effectively as possible.
• Make follow-up calls. After a customer makes an over-the-phone purchase, calls in with a question or speaks with a CSR, make a personalized follow-up call to them. You can foster loyalty and get feedback with one call.

Online retailers need to pay attention to their phone customer service, especially if they see sales numbers starting to slide. With the majority of U.S. consumers preferring to handle customer service questions over the phone, your business needs to make sure its efforts are beyond stellar. Train your customer service team on the products and protocol so it can provide correct answers and recommendations quickly. Make sure your team is taking notes in the CRM or sales software it uses so you can monitor what's working and what isn't. This can often mean the difference in wait times and high-quality customer service.