Smaller e-commerce players are changing the customer satisfaction game

The e-commerce sector in India and around the world has undergone a massive reboot due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In such a digital-first world, seamless customer service will be a key differentiator. E-commerce is all about speed, convenience, and customization. Ensuring customer satisfaction in such an environment warrants speedy customer service across multiple channels and platforms, understanding customer needs and expectations, and knowing how your business offerings fulfil those needs.

Here are a few techniques to take your customer satisfaction game to the next level.

Localize and customize

The pandemic has helped businesses penetrate smaller cities in India. Even after the pandemic ends, this trend will persist. To support online shoppers from small towns, e-commerce giant Flipkart with almost a 58% user base in Tier-II cities and beyond, has introduced local language versions of its interface. The aim is to make the entire shopping experience more personal and convenient. Other businesses could take notes from this example and offer support in local languages to increase customer satisfaction.

Make it personal

The number of smartphone users in India is expected to cross 760 millionby 2021. With easier access to the internet, products and services are just a few taps away. Even before the pandemic, 66% of global consumers preferred messaging apps as the go-to method to reach out to brands. By introducing the element of personalization through instant messaging (for instance, WhatsApp for Business and SMS) helps businesses carve a unique identity and build a loyal customer base. Besides, instant messages have a higher chance of getting read as compared to digital ads or emails.

Live support

A great benefit digital shopping offers is the ability for service providers to understand what drives them to make a purchase. Using the right software tools, businesses can track online customer behaviour, understand their needs, and design experiences that match their expectations.

Small businesses are increasingly capitalizing on live chat to improve customer satisfaction. These tools provide customers with instant information through defined algorithms which provide answers to overcome common objections they may have and convert them quickly.

Lastly, for e-commerce businesses that offer delivery services, logistics, or transportation services, IoTbased tracking solutions help both businesses and customers get real-time updates about their assets via SMS or email. This helps businesses manage delivery routes and resources to reduce risks and avoid delays – crucial to guarantee customer satisfaction.

Tata Tele Business Services’ suite of marketing solutions (call register services, live chat, digital surveys, toll-free services, and more) to improve customer experience and boost satisfaction.

The way forward

Globally, online consumers are opting for local, independent businesses to get unique and great quality products. While a desire to support local enterprises fuelled this move, it has now evolved into a need for a personalized shopping experience and stellar customer service.

With the right customer-centric approach and technologies that enable this mindset, e-commerce players in India can build and maintain a strong relationship with their customers and achieve manifold growth.