How After Sales Communication Can Improve Brand Reputation in eCommerce

With the trend of e-commerce becoming the norm for most South African brands these days, a new set of rules needs to be considered post-sale. Yes, the main aim of an online store is to generate sales and brands want to ensure that this process is as fluid as possible. But the fluidity of after-sales service and communication journey is just as significant.

Why After Sales Communication is important

Having recently purchased from several niche local niche online store. I did have a few questions post sale and became a bit concerned about the legitimacy of the site. Being in the industry for so long, it was easy for me to pick up the signs to diminish this worry in no time. However, every customer won't have the same know-how or experience.

Your target audience average Joe with a keen interest in your industry or product needs a little more assurance. Having automated communication protocols in place will:

1. Help your delivery process flow more efficiently.
2. Put less pressure on your customer service team to answer mundane questions about delivery.

Ramp up your communication journey Streamline your aftersales service

By Establishing an effective after-sales communication journey, you help your brand by:

• Increasing credibility and trust factors
• Create a sense of reassurance with your customer
• Ensure delivery is received the first time.

Here's how to utilise your communication channels to improve your aftersales customer service.

4 Communication Techniques That Can Improve Your Relationship With Customers

1. Communicate Basic Order Information

Customers still feel they are taking a bit of a risk by purchasing online, especially if your brand is not as big or well-known as you'd like it to be. By merely communicating necessary order information, you can increase the credibility of your brand.

2. Create assurance that payment has been received and order is on its way.

Communicating payment is usually delivered via your payment gateway. But the customer needs to hear this from your brand as well. They need to know you have received payment, and goods will be delivered shortly. This is especially critical for new customers as South African are fearful of scam and phishing. If your system is not intelligent enough to redirect users back to the site after payment is complete, you could easily deliver the message via automated email or SMS.

3. Communicate Delivery Date and Time

Once a product has been shipped and handed to courier ensure that the users are aware of the expected delivery date and time. The time does not have to be exact, but an idea of when the delivery could be expected to give customers enough time to take action. Failing create expectation will more often than not result in a failed delivery first time around.

4. Give Customers The Option To Arrange A Convenient Delivery Time

Sometimes a scheduled delivery does not work for a customer due to a conflict in their schedule. Believe it or not, but they are not just sitting around waiting for your delivery all day long.

When communicating scheduled time, give customers the option to change their delivery time if need be. Provide them with contact details of your courier company together with a reference so they can arrange a more convenient time. Putting this process in place will help streamline your delivery service and be less frustrating for customers and couriers alike.

Keep Them Your Customer In The Loop And Save Your Brand Alot Of Grief

Communication is key, so do the right thing and open up the lines of communication with your customer. Save your business time, money and keep your sanity intact.  

Contact us

If you're having trouble mapping out your communication journey, simply contact us here and we will be happy to guide you along the way. 

Are you looking to promote your business?

South African Business owners can create your free business listing on nichemarket. The more information you provide about your business, the easier it will be for your customers to find you online. Registering with nichemarket is easy; all you will need to do is head over to our sign up form and follow the instructions.

If you require a more detailed guide on how to create your profile or your listing, then we highly recommend you check out the following articles. 

• How to create a nichemarketer profile 
• How to create a nichemarket business listing 

Recommended reading

If you enjoyed this post and have a little extra time to improve your knowledge base, why not check out the following posts about digital marketing for eCommerce:

• 3 Ways to Grow Your Email List As an E-Commerce Brand
• How To Set Up WordPress eCommerce Tracking With GTM
• Choosing the Right Ecommerce Platform for Your Business
• What Does An SEO Optimised eCommerce Product Detail Page Look Like
• How eCommerce Sites Sabotage Their SEO

Tags: eCommerce, Brand Reputation, Communication Journey