A sale is the first step in the process aimed at ensuring that you have a thriving career as a seller on Bob Shop. After-sales service is the all-important next step. Good after-sales service shows your customers that you want to build a long-term relationship, earn their loyalty and keep their business. Providing good after-sales service will give your business a competitive advantage and ensure that your customers come back to you and bring their friends too. Make superb after-sale service your competitive advantage!
Follow these tips to ensure that your after-sales service is always at its best:
Acknowledge the order and thank the buyer
Send your customers a short email message to thank them for their business, showing you appreciate them.
Include a delivery notification
Preferably in the same message, include delivery arrangement details.
Confirm the dispatch
As soon as you have shipped orders, inform your customers. They will appreciate that the process is moving smoothly. If there are any delays, do not keep your customers in the dark. Let them know what is going on.
Provide tracking number
Whenever possible, provide the tracking number so that your customers can track the delivery of their order online.
Make sure the orders are fulfilled
You need to ensure that customers receive their orders within the promised delivery period. If your customers tell you that their order has not arrived, it is your duty to investigate what went wrong along the line and to propose a resolution.
Stay in touch
Check that the
contact information you provided to Bob Shop is updated and that your spam blocking software is not preventing your customers from communicating with you. If you are going to be away from your desktop computer, have an internet enabled and charged mobile device with you.
Communicate
Never ignore your customers’ calls or messages.
Honour your warranties, guaranties and your returns and refunds policy
This is where your customer-orientated after-sales service really comes to the test. Be accommodating and proactive in your communication. If the item is not as described, you have the responsibility to refund the shipping fees and replace or refund the item. If the item gets broken on the way to the customer, you have the responsibility to investigate the matter. Familiarise yourself with the Consumer Protection Act, which gives consumers certain rights, including the right to efficient handling of their questions and complaints.
Be a problem-solver
Remember that it is your responsibility as a seller to ensure that your customers receive the products as described, and to act if anything went wrong. Take it upon yourself to quickly resolve problems directly with your customers so they don’t have to contact Bob Shop with a complaint against you.
Ask for positive rating
A good, positive
rating on Bob Shop means more sales, and all the efforts you put in providing good products and good service deserve to be acknowledged. So, do not hesitate to politely ask your customers for a positive rating; however, avoid nagging them.