E-commerce Service Tips

Zappos.com is an e-commerce site selling shoes and clothing, and it is combating this problem. Known for its loyalty business model and relationship marketing, Zappos.com prides itself on exceptional customer service. Its call center employees are trained to make an emotional connection with the consumer, and they are expected to spend at least 80 percent of their time in customer-facing interactions.

In one interaction, a Zappos employee mailed a flower delivery to a customer who returned a pair of boots after her husband died. The employee billed the company and sent the flowers without supervisor approval. Zappos employees go above and beyond traditional customer service, allowing the company to become one of the world’s largest online shoe stores.  In general, e-commerce merchants can provide great customer service by offering multichannel support, listening to social media, tracking customer interactions, and focusing on timely responses. Delivering exceptional customer service can be a huge differentiator, as in the case of Zappos.com.