When the "honeymoon" is over

We talked in a previous post about online reviews. Their power cannot be doubted. Customers are precious, so make sure that you keep them happy. A bad review can take your company from successful to practically non-existent, so you should focus on taking the right steps in all aspects of the consumer’s journey.

(source: https://www.livechatinc.com/livechat-resources/online-customer-service-best-practices/)

According to Klimczak (2015), companies should invest in customer service, because it can later turn out being a source of new customers. It can become an efficient, very credible and free advertisement. However, when it is managed improperly, it can also bring the opposite results. And that’s not all. Many brands don’t get it right. The zeitgeist is that the shopping experience is only the desired click, so they focus on this micromoment. I hate to break the bad news, but it’s not. The consumer journey begins at the moment the customer decides to make a purchase, but the post purchase experience is equally important.

Why is that?

Drum roll please…

A returning customer is much more valuable than a new one. Weird, huh? Don’t try to reach new customers; keep your old ones happy and listen to them. Be there for them. Nice packages and fast delivery are of course needed, but what happens if the product is not working? A not so wild guess would be that they will never buy from your company again and they will spread the word as well.

“New online shoppers are only half as likely as returning customers to place an item in their cart at just a 7.6% rate, compared to 14.8% to existing shoppers (up from 13.6% in the same period one year earlier)”, Meola (2016). What do you have to do to keep them? Build a relationship.

Sharma, (2016) proposes 4 ways to make you fly when it comes to the post purchase experience:

1. Continue the conversation.

2. Provide shoppers with relevant, personalized information.

3. Transform a bad customer experience into an amazing experience.

4. Create an organizational environment that supports a great post-purchase experience.

Loyalty programs are also very useful. Don’t overdo it with offers and coupons, but try to find ways to bring them back to you. Create a plan that aligns best with your brand and products and you won’t regret it. Always remember that “by streamlining customers' paths to purchase and bringing them back directly into the loyalty loop, brands can convert one-time shoppers into lifelong brand advocates.”, Sharma, (2016)

Sources:

Klimczak, S. (2015). Online Customer Service Best Practices. Retrieved from: https://www.livechatinc.com/livechat-resources/online-customer-service-best-practices/

Meola, A. (2016). Returning customers are far more valuable to online retailers than new customers . Retrieved from: http://www.businessinsider.com/e-commerce-report-shows-returning-customers-are-more-valuable-than-new-ones-2016-3

Sharma. A. (2016). Online Retailers Should Care More About the Post-Purchase Experience . Retrieved from: https://hbr.org/2016/05/online-retailers-should-care-more-about-the-post-purchase-experience

Yahalom, T. (2010). How to Improve Your Company's Customer Service. Retrieved from: http://www.inc.com/guides/improve-your-companys-customer-service.html