How do you turn bad customer service into a win-win?

Customer service isn't always easy. No product or service is perfect. Customers get frustrated. There are some basic principles that executed consistently can turn bad customer service into a win-win.

Here are some very good ideas from Amber Schaub, founder and CEO of RuffleButts, an online retailer specializing in clothing for toddlers, offers a few tips on providing excellent customer service based on her five years’ experience as a small-business owner:

• Always respond promptly. Even if you don’t have an immediate solution, customers like to know their complaint has been heard. Offer a tentative time frame if possible, or let them know you’re working on a solution.


• Carefully choose employees. Employees who will be working in the customer service department or handling any customer interactions. “They are ultimately your voice,” says Schaub.


• Make it personal. Include a handwritten note or a personal follow-up call.


• Follow the golden rule. Treat your customers as you would like to be treated in a similar situation.


• Use the Wow factor. Wow them. They will never forget it.

via How to Turn Bad Customer Service Into a Win-Win : topic :: American Express OPEN Forum.

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How valuable is Facebook to online retailers?

The question has been asked many times: is Facebook of any value to online retailers? For a publicly traded company, this is a pretty important question.  According to data recently released by RichRelevance, it is of value.

The e-commerce specialist analyzed 689 million shopping sessions between January and August with a special focus on sessions that were initiated through social channels.

Not surprisingly given its user base, Facebook drives significantly more traffic to retail sites than Pinterest and Twitter do: the world’s largest social network accounted for 86 percent of all shopping sessions that started off on any of the three sites.

What’s more interesting is the fact that shoppers coming from Facebook are more than twice as likely to make a purchase as those coming from Pinterest, a site much more visual appealing and product-focused than Facebook is.

In terms of average order value, Pinterest is far ahead of its peers, which is possibly attributable to the fact that Pinterest has a design-conscious high income user base.



http://www.statista.com/markets/21/topic/194/social-media/chart/643/social-media-channels-as-a-source-of-e-commerce-traffic/

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• What the Heck Is Pinterest and Why Should You Care? Let Us Tell You. (blogs.constantcontact.com)