Did you know… 62% of customers share their negative support experiences with friends, family and co-workers (according to Salesforce Research)? This can have a HUGE impact on your word-of-mouth marketing and sales… throttling and slowing your Amazon store’s growth.
The thing is… Amazon customers are some of the most savvy and well-informed shoppers around. They know what they want, and expect to find it on Amazon. But sometimes even the most informed shopper can need a little help, and that’s where customer support comes in.
By providing prompt, courteous, and professional customer support, you can build trust and goodwill with your customers. And that trust and goodwill can lead to repeat business and even higher customer satisfaction scores.
So… if you’re looking to build a strong relationship with your Amazon customers, boost word-of-mouth marketing and pad your bottom line, make sure to follow the do’s and don’ts in this article.
Use this outline to skip to any section of this page:
- What is customer support for Amazon FBA sellers?
- Benefits to positive customer support
- Prioritize quick response times
- Hire out customer support reps if needed
- Use an autoresponder
- Create templates for common questions
- Show empathy when customers are frustrated
- Use personalization
- Add questions & objections to your product listings
- Cross-sell more products when appropriate
What is customer support for Amazon FBA sellers?
You might be wondering – “Doesn’t Amazon already have their own customer support system for FBA? Why do I need to put much effort into my own customer support if they already handle it?”
Keep in mind – shoppers will always have questions that only you, as a seller, can answer yourself (before AND after the purchase), while Amazon can only handle returns and store policy questions. As a seller, you need to cover all pre-sale questions and product functionality questions – such as buyers with questions on how to use a product after delivery.
In other words… while Amazon can handle a good percentage of customer inquiries, you need to put significant effort into handling pre-sale questions and offering post-purchase support (especially to avoid returns and negative reviews). This is one of the most crucial aspects of selling on Amazon.
Benefits to positive customer support
Offering high-end, fast customer service is essential for any company, but it’s especially vital when you’re new to the game. You’ll want shoppers who are happy with their purchase talking up your services and glowing reviews – so that other potential customers know what they’re getting themselves into before handing over their hard-earned money.
Excellent customer support can also generate word-of-mouth marketing, which can attract even more customers. By offering good customer support, businesses can improve their online reputation, attract new customers, and encourage repeat business.
At the end of the day, consistent and fast customer support will result in more purchases and 5-star reviews, which will in turn generate more customers. It’s a simple equation that savvy FBA sellers should take advantage of – especially since the most successful Amazon retail brands are already nailing this strategy.
Prioritize quick response times
An essential part of providing excellent customer service is responding to questions quickly and efficiently. This is especially important when it comes to preventing returns, as customers who feel like their concerns are being ignored are more likely to return items. By taking the time to promptly answer questions, you can build trust with your customers and reassure them that their satisfaction is important to you.
On top of that, you can use customer questions as an opportunity to upsell or cross-sell related products. For example, if a customer asks about a specific type of product, you can suggest similar items that they might be interested in. By responding quickly and effectively to customer questions, you can not only prevent returns, but also boost sales and build loyalty among your customer base.
Beyond that, when it comes to pre-sale customer inquiries, time is of the essence. The quicker you can respond, the better the chances are of capturing the sale before the shopper goes with another competitor. This is especially true in today’s fast-paced world where shoppers have more choices than ever before.
A quick response time shows that you value your customers’ time and that you are invested in providing them with the best possible experience. It can also help to build trust and loyalty, two essential ingredients for any successful business relationship. So next time a customer has a question, make sure to answer quickly and efficiently. It could be the difference between making a sale and losing out to the competition.
But… don’t give low effort.
While you want quick response times, don’t sacrifice high-quality support either. If you need, just take a moment to say “Thanks for your questions – let me take a further look and get back to you within the next few minutes/hours.”
Even though you haven’t solved the issue yet… your customer will appreciate the quick response and view it just as favorably (as long as you indeed follow up with a solution). If you attempt to give a full solution right away without full preparation, you might come off as giving low effort and leaving the customer hanging out to dry.
Hire out customer support reps if needed
As you grow your Amazon business, hiring customer support employees is one of the first items on your list. You don’t want to be stuck working IN your business – while you could be instead working ON your business, with high-level tasks like marketing, sourcing and supply chain operations.
There are many reasons why Amazon businesses should hire customer support employees:
- First and foremost, support reps can help boost customer satisfaction levels. They can provide assistance with product inquiries, handle complaints in a professional manner, and help to resolve issues quickly and efficiently.
- In addition, customer support reps can help to build relationships with customers and create a positive impression of the company. Studies have shown that customers who have a positive experience with customer service are more likely to become loyal, repeat customers. Satisfied customers are more likely to refer friends and family to the company.
- Finally, customer support employees can help to improve the efficiency of the company as a whole. By providing quick and effective resolutions to customer inquiries and concerns, they can help to prevent small problems from escalating into larger ones.
In today’s competitive business world, superior customer service is essential for success. By investing in customer support reps, Amazon brands can reap the rewards and grow their operation to the next level.
Don’t offer cheap pay for customer support.
This is a crucial mistake many business owners make – and it truly comes back to bite them. Cheap rates will attract cheap effort… and cheap effort will result in unhappy customers who will not advocate for your brand, leave good reviews, or keep their product. Instead, they’ll leave bad reviews, return your product and recommend staying away from your company.
Use an autoresponder
As any online seller knows, top-notch customer service is essential to growing a successful Amazon store. One way to provide excellent customer service is to use an autoresponder for customer support. An autoresponder is a program that automatically responds to customer inquiries. This can save you a lot of time, as you won’t need to worry about responding as quickly as possible each time.
Beyond that, an autoresponder can help you keep track of customer inquiries and make sure that all customers feel at ease, knowing they will receive support without being ignored.
Once again, this gets right back to the idea of improving customer satisfaction and lowering your return rate. Ultimately, using an autoresponder for customer support can help you provide fast service, boost reviews and prevent returns.
Create templates for common questions
Customer support is an essential component of any successful business, and Amazon sellers are no exception. In fact, supporting your customers can be the difference between a successful sale and a return request.
One way to streamline customer support is to create automatic template responses for repeat questions. This way, you can quickly and easily provide your customers with the information they need without having to type out a response each time. Not only will this save you time, but it will also ensure that your responses are always consistent and professional.
Template responses can be created for a variety of different customer support scenarios, so take the time to develop a few that you can rely on. This includes common functionality questions, shipping questions, durability questions, compatibility questions, and more. You can even insert these templates into your product listing in certain cases.
Templates are used by several high-volume Amazon sellers to lower resources put towards customer service – reducing expenses and improving their bottom line. Plus, your customers will appreciate the effort behind a well-crafted response, and your business will benefit as a result.
But… don’t use a template for every response.
Templates should only be used when suitable – and they shouldn’t be the goal for every response. Only use one if it makes sense, and you might need to tweak a few words here and there. While streamlining your support is crucial, the most important goal is top-tier customer support that drives your business forward.
Show empathy when customers are frustrated
In customer service, empathy is everything. It’s the ability to see things from your customer’s perspective, and to understand their feelings and needs. It’s the key to providing great service, and building strong relationships with your customers. When you show the customer that you understand their concerns, you create a unique connection with your customer that goes beyond the transaction and stands out from competitors. You build trust and rapport, and you make them feel valued and respected. As a result, they’re more likely to do business with you again in the future.
Empathy is also pivotal for handling difficult situations. When things go wrong, it’s important to be able to recognize how your customer is feeling, and to offer them the support they need to resolve the issue. By showing respect and understanding, you can turn a negative situation into a positive one – and turn an unhappy customer into a loyal one.
So next time you’re dealing with a customer, take a step back and try to see things from their perspective. Put yourself in their shoes, and let empathy guide you to provide the best possible service.
Use personalization
In a world where customers have more choices than ever before, providing top-tier customer service is essential if you want to stand out from the competition. One way to do this is to personalize your support services.
By taking the time to get to know your customers and their individual needs, you can provide a level of care that is truly unique. In addition, personalization can help to build loyalty and encourage customers to stick with your brand, even when they encounter problems. When done right, personalization can be a powerful tool for differentiating your business and providing an exceptional level of customer service.
On top of that, your knowledge of personalization for customer support will also translate into your copywriting and product descriptions. You’ll be able to craft messaging for your marketing efforts that resonate greater with your customers – which will boost your conversion rate and profitability.
Don’t use cookie-cutter responses out of laziness
It’s important to remember that each customer is an individual, and deserves to be treated as such. This means that cookie cutter responses are a big no-no in customer support. Not only are they impersonal, but they also often fail to address the specific issue at hand.
Instead, take the time to craft a personalized response for each customer (unless it makes sense to use a template, as mentioned above). This will show that you’re willing to go the extra mile to provide them with the best possible experience. In the end, this will go a long way towards building loyalty and maintaining satisfaction.
Add questions & objections to your product listings
The age-old adage goes “the customer is always right,” and for good reason – after all, who knows what potential customers are looking for better than the customers themselves? This is why it can be helpful to add customer questions and objections to your product listings.
By addressing common questions and concerns upfront, you can show potential buyers that you’re responsive and attentive to their needs. In addition, this can also help to build trust and confidence in your brand. Of course, you’ll want to be sure to answer these questions in a way that’s consistent with your brand voice and messaging.
That being said… the greatest benefit to adding questions and objections to your listings? It will boost your conversion rate, since customers won’t need to reach out to you first (and many customers will search other listings, find their answer and purchase from them first). By taking the time to address customer questions head-on, you can show that you’re invested in providing a quick solution and great experience – from start to finish.
For questions that appear frequently, consider adding the answers to your product listing bullet points or within your images (which helps optimize your Amazon product images) – since most customers will scroll through each of these sections first (before checking out the lengthy product description). You might even see a further conversion rate boost, just by using that strategy too.
Cross-sell more products when appropriate
Good customer support is the key to keeping your customers happy. And what better way to promote and cross-sell more Amazon products than to provide excellent customer service? By offering outstanding customer service, you’ll not only keep your customers coming back, but you’ll also encourage them to try out new products.
After all, if they’re already happy with the level of service you provide, they’re more likely to trust your recommendations for other products. So if you want to boost your sales and promote more Amazon products, make sure you’re providing the best possible customer support.
But… don’t come off too salesy.
Customer support is a delicate situation. On one hand, customers need to feel like they can trust the person on the other end of the line to help them solve their problem. On the other hand, support reps need to be able to sell additional products in order to boost revenue.
As a result, finding the right balance between being salesy and sincere can be tricky. However, there are a few basic principles that can help guide the way:
- First and foremost, it’s important to remember that the customer’s needs should always come first. If a customer feels like they’re being pressured into buying something they don’t need, they’re likely to react negatively – and might never do business with your Amazon store again.
- Secondly, it’s important to be transparent about pricing and any potential upsells or cross-sells. Customers appreciate knowing what they’re getting themselves into before they commit to anything.
- Finally, it’s important to build rapport with customers and create a relationship by establishing trust from the beginning. As mentioned above – show empathy, use personalization, and be sincere.
By following these simple guidelines, you can ensure that your customer support experience is both positive and profitable – creating a pathway to growing your Amazon store to 7, 8 or even 9 figures in revenue.
