So you’ve started a Shopify store – Congratulations! It is exciting to try something new, especially when your new store can put a little money in your pocket. However, not long after the orders start coming in you’ll need to provide support to customers. From exchanges and returns to answering questions before they buy, customer support for a Shopify store can be a game-changer for your business. Being unable or incapable of offering great support can have negative consequences. That’s why understanding the best practices is a great way to unlock all the potential of your new brand.
Best Practices for Shopify Store Support
Think about the last experience you had when purchasing an item online. Now think about the last time you needed someone at an online store to help you in some way. Maybe you needed to exchange or cancel an item. Maybe you had a question about the right size for a shirt or a feature included in a household product. What do you remember about that experience?
If it was a good experience you probably remember how helpful the support agent was. You likely remember that support was timely and the agent was trying to answer your questions or solve your problem.
If it was a bad experience? You may remember waiting for a response, a rude support agent, or not receiving the information you needed.
Your own experiences can be a great guide for providing awesome support. How you expect to be treated likely aligns with how your customers will want to be treated. Above and beyond channeling your own experiences into how you’ll provide support for your Shopify store, the following best practices should be helpful.
Make it Easy for Customers to Get Support
One mistake some Shopify stores make is not having support information easy to find on their website. Whether offering email, ticket, chat, or phone support your customer should not have to hunt for how to contact you.
Customers expect quick and helpful support when they reach out to a store. If you are not able to offer this, it is likely that the customer will take their business elsewhere. There are a few things you can do to ensure that your support is quick and helpful:
-Set up an auto-responder to let the customer know that their inquiry has been received and is being worked on.
-If you are not able to answer the inquiry immediately, set up a system to prioritize inquiries so that the most urgent ones are dealt with first.
-Make sure that your support team is properly trained and has access to all the information they need to be able to help customers.
Be Polite and Professional
When providing customer support, it is important to be polite and professional. This not only makes a good impression on customers but also helps to ensure that they have a positive experience with your store. Being rude or unprofessional can not only ruin the relationship between you and the customer, but it can also lead to negative reviews and word-of-mouth.
Publish Your Policies on Exchanges and Returns
Customers want to know that they can return or exchange an item if they are not happy with it. Most customers will not purchase an item if they are not sure that they can return it, even if they love the product.
Make sure that your policies on exchanges and returns are easy to find on your website. You should also make sure that your policies are clear and concise. Customers should be able to understand your policies without having to contact customer support for clarification.
Have a Tracking System for Support Interactions
When providing customer support, it is important to have a system in place to track interactions. This will help you keep track of the customer’s history and ensure that all interactions are recorded. It will also help you to quickly find the information that the customer is looking for.
A ticketing system or CRM is the perfect way to track support interactions. This way, you can see all of the customer’s interactions in one place and quickly find the information that you need.
Shopify Store Support Best Practices
Customer support is a vital part of running a successful Shopify store. By following the best practices for Shopify customer support, you can ensure that your customers have a positive experience with your store and are more likely to return in the future.
If you are not able to provide quick, helpful, and polite customer support, you may find that your business suffers as a result. Make sure that you put customer support at the top of your priority list when running your Shopify store.
Running a Shopify store can be challenging, but providing good customer support is an essential part of success. When you are providing your customers with top-quality service, you’re not just making them happy now – they’ll come back to do business in the future. To learn more about providing great customer support for your Shopify store, take a look at these resources from the team at wrrk!
