Customer Care is Still King

Treating customers with kindness continues to be the key to selling lots of products and services. Just ask the owners of Zappos.com, a company interviewed in the December 5th edition of Business Week.

Customer service takes center stage at this Internet shoe seller, which relies heavily on customers telling friends and family about the perks associated with buying online. Free shipping and return shipping, free overnight or second-day delivery for repeat customers, and a selection of over 90,000 styles are reasons why Zappos has doubled its sales for the past six years.

Zappos’ owners employ a call center staff and warehouse delivery personnel, but small and solo business owners working on their own can learn from their profitable tactics.

1. Offer customers perks that won’t hurt profitability. One of my companies gives customers free shipping on orders over $50, which has increased the average order total from $34 to $100.

2. Give customers varied options. If your best-selling service is too pricey for some, consider offering the same service with a shorter timetable or fewer steps. Some companies in my industry sell large supply kits for thousands of dollars. I sell a smaller kit for a lesser price, and my kit sells by the thousands to those who need an alternative that stays within their budget.

3. Change your hours for better accommodation. Zappos allows customers to place orders up to 11:00 pm. This may not be an everyday option for you, but late hours on certain days during the week may help you connect with more clients who don’t work the traditional 9-5.

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November 27, 2005 | Filed Under Customer Connections, Recent Entries 

Comments

2 Responses to “Customer Care is Still King”

  1. Flora on November 27th, 2005 1:11 pm

    This is a wonderful example of how important customer service is in spite of advances in modern technology. Customers want the human touch that call centers or 24-hour tech support offers. As you point out, a solo business owner won’t be able to offer such extensive hours as large companies, but we must always look for ways to extend customer service. Offering email support and responding to your email every few hours throughout the day, for example, is a doable tactic and very satisfying to the inquiring customer.

  2. Shirley on November 27th, 2005 4:30 pm

    How true you are, Flora. I can’t tell you how many times a customer or inquirer has commented how surprised she was that I not only responded but responded quickly.

    The same is true for order shipments. Customers are pleasantly surprised that the orders are received within days.

    This are great examples how solo business owners can treat each customer as though they spent a million dollars.

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