Shift4Shop eCommerce Blog | Customer Service (3)

Having a solid returns process in place is critical to ecommerce success - and businesses that aren’t prepared will be left behind.

Returns is one of the hottest ecommerce trends. Backed up by 89% of shoppers claiming to have returned a purchase in the last three years.

But the costs have also surged. With deliveries estimated to cost $550 billion by 2020 - 75% more than four years previous.

All leaving the average retailer needing to offer hassle free returns to stay competitive, but getting[...]

The difference between a one-time customer and a lifelong customer is the relationship you’ve built together.

It may be time-consuming, but with the right strategies, building meaningful and long-lasting relationships with your customers is an easy process. Meet them where and how they want to be met, and you’d be surprised how much more value that customer will provide to your business.

We have created a list of 7 helpful tools that will enable you to maintain successful and profitable[...]

Live Chat vs Messaging Apps

With so many customers visiting your website, it’s not always easy to keep track of everyone’s request, which is why about 21% of live chat interactions go unnoticed. The average response time for a live chat is 3 minutes, and with the increasing expectation in instant replies, it’s just not enough time to accommodate most customer requests.

Instead of becoming a useful tool to bolster customer experience, live chat often becomes a burden for companies and a[...]

In today’s competitive landscape, brands see customer loyalty programs as one of the key facilitators to grow their business. According to the research group Colloquy, there are 2.65 billion loyalty program memberships in the U.S. alone. In fact, companies spend a staggering $2 billion on loyalty programs every year.

Although companies embark on these initiatives with great enthusiasm, they aren’t really aware of how well their loyalty programs are working. That’s because most businesses lack[...]

From May 25^th 2018, the European Union will be enforcing the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). While the law is designed to protect the personal data of EU citizens, the act is the first of its kind in a number of ways: it applies to all organizations with which EU residents can interact; compliance will be enforced globally; and fines will be far higher than existing rules.

With time running out to fulfill the new regulations before they are brought into effect, Sage have compiled[...]

Building an e-store relies heavily on the products you’re selling and the financial elements of the business. However, there’s another feature that can help you master the former two bits of your eCommerce business – customer awareness. This concept refers to the degree to which your potential buyers are aware of the existence of your eCommerce brand.

This is a two-way relationship.

On the one hand, eCommerce entrepreneurs are aiming at spreading the word about their brand and increasing their[...]

Most customers these days are used to shopping online, and they generally know what to expect. However, these expectations can work against you if your store operates any differently than how the customer thinks it will. If you lay out your store policies in an easy-to read format, and in an easy-to-find location on your website, you can help avoid misunderstandings with your customers and keep them satisfied.

Guest post by Michael Lazar.

Every December, consumers pad the pockets of online retailers worldwide as they shop for holiday gifts for their loved ones. For 2017, experts at the National Retail Federation and Internet Retailer have predicted that there will be double-digit growth from the same time last year, with at least a 19% increase in worldwide sales being forecasted.

As the holiday shopping rush settles end of December, retailers cope with the litany of reverse logistics that follow.[...]

Let's face it — returns are no fun, but there's always a chance they'll happen.

No matter how informative your product descriptions, how high-quality your images, and how great overall your products are, you'll still need to deal with customers who want to return their purchase.

In fact, some customers deliberately buy multiple variants of a product — usually clothing — intending to keep only one and return the rest!

The use of an RMA (Return Merchandise Authorization) system to handle returns[...]

Understanding your customer is one of the most important goals for any business, whether eCommerce or brick-and-mortar. The knowledge of what motivates your customers will help you build a solid strategy for forming good relationships with them. Among other things, you need to know what they like and dislike, why they prefer certain products over others, and why they sometimes return their purchases.

Store credits are more than just a substitute for a cash refund. They're a powerful customer service tool that can open up new ways for you to process returns. The way you implement store credits as a customer service strategy should depend on what you sell and what your customer base is like, but if you've been thinking of store credits as a "weak" version of a refund, it's time to reevaluate what they can do for your business. In fact, store credits should be considered a vital component of[...]

Put yourself in the following scenario: you're shopping online for a new shirt. You find one you really like, and check the product information. It doesn't say much, but you know your size and the pictures look good, so you go ahead and order. A few days later, your new shirt arrives and you remove it from the packaging to try it on. It's a little larger than you expected, but maybe it will shrink in the wash. Actually, it doesn't seem to be cotton— it's a little itchy. What blend of fabrics is[...]

Guest post by Alex Jasin.

It’s really expensive to find new customers.In fact, it costs up to twenty-five times more than just keeping the customers you already have.Surprised? If you’re selling online, keep reading, because customer retention can be a complete game changer for your eCommerce business.

With eCommerce evolving into an increasingly competitive market, more businesses are feeling the pressure to deliver consistently memorable, great customer service around-the-clock.

In today’s world of aggressive marketing strategies, buzzing social media and huge promises, businesses tend to forget about the very nature of people. More often than not, they want to build a brand image based on completely wrong premises. Spin doctors and marketing experts like to prepare campaigns where they pinpoint strengths, pros, advantages or even false promises.

For most eCommerce merchants, attracting and retaining existing customers is their primary marketing focus, and for good reason too.

Whether you participate in marketing forums or read authoritative websites on ecommerce, you'll  surely come across this same conclusion about live chat--- it can boost your business!

The great news for 3dcart merchants is that Olark Live Chat, a premium provider that's bound to do wonders for your online store, is being offered for a 14-day free trial.

What are the perks of using Olark Live Chat? Take a look at these amazing benefits reported by those who have used it: 

Working in the world of eCommerce has its limitations, and part of your job as an online store owner is to overcome them. One such limitation revolves around the simple fact that a shopper doesn’t get to physically look at, or feel a product before making a purchase. In an effort to compensate for this, online store owners can create a return policy that’s succinct, informative, engaging and easy to understand.

Your eCommerce return policy is crucial for making returns and exchanges easy for[...]

Business owners and entrepreneurs love to make money. And that desire to earn is the precise reason why so many of them have spent the past few months working tirelessly to get their online store(s) ready for the New Year. But now that the heavy lifting is over and the first quarter is finally upon us, what can one do to ensure their business is successful both today and beyond? The answer is simple… focus on customer service!

There’s a saying in the ecommerce industry, “a happy shopper is a[...]