Do you believe in offering great customer service?
If so, that’s great, because your customers are and will be the biggest part of your success story as an entrepreneur.
You could create the best-looking website and market better than anyone else on the planet, but without customers pulling out their credit cards to make a purchase, your business is nothing.
Running a successful online business requires you to offer the best customer service in appreciation for their loyalty and trust in your brand.
What is customer service?
Customer service is the act of serving, helping and assisting those who purchase or plan to purchase from your business. It could be as simple as responding to an email about when a product will arrive or as thoughtful as a small token randomly given to loyal customers.
By offering great customer service, you help ensure that customers enjoy shopping from your online business. This can help increase customer loyalty, increase repeat shoppers, boost the number of positive reviews on your store and spread a word of mouth promotion about your brand.
10 creative customer service ideas to wow your customers
Customer service is more than just solving problems, it’s about creating memorable experiences that build lasting loyalty. Use these 10 creative ideas to surprise and delight your shoppers.
1. Invite loyal customers to a VIP sale
A great customer service idea is to make your customers feel part of a tight-knit and exclusive community. Calling your previous customers VIPs helps make them feel special. After all, customer service is all about showing how much you value your customers.
After a customer has purchased from your store once, add them to your VIP list. Every now and then, host special events for your VIPs. You could host an exclusive sale that gets marketed to your VIP email list only instead of publicly on your social media. You can create unique discount codes reserved for VIP customers only.
2. Create video email responses
Most online retailers send canned responses. Boring! And you never get the answer you want either.
If you’re just starting out and want to personalize your customer service a bit, you can create personalized video response emails.
In these emails, you’ll want to address your customers by name, introduce that you’re an employee at the company, and respond to their exact question. It can take a bit more work but it adds a more personal element to customer inquiries that top retailers couldn’t do if they tried.
Plus, if customers need step by step instructions for a specific part showing a screencast video so they can clearly see the exact steps they need to follow.
3. Send out birthday cards or birthday offers
Each year, there are two times when people want to create special memories: the holidays and their birthday.
As people grow older their birthdays are often forgotten or neglected. This is your biggest opportunity to stand out. You can use a customer service app like Happy Birthday Email which collects your customers birthdays and sends an automated email out on their special day. You can offer a small free gift with each purchase through their birthday link using an app like Ultimate Special Offers. If you want to take their birthday to the next level, you can mail out birthday cards a few days prior to their birthday with a handwritten note wishing them a special day.
If you’ve been running your online store for a year, you can also send holiday cards to everyone who’s purchased from your store. A thoughtful message wishing them a happy holiday season and an amazing start to their new year can go a long way. You can also include a special discount code on a small business card which you include inside every card to help increase sales.
4. Fix issues with the most complaints
You know what your everyday complaints are. You probably get the same one or two angry complaints from your customers every day. But did you ever take action to solve the problem?
If customers are constantly emailing asking about shipping times, you should include shipping times or a tracking code immediately after purchase.
Maybe your customers keep complaining about the quality of the same product, so find a different supplier with better reviews.
Do customers keep bugging you about a lack of response on your end? Hire a part-time customer support rep or create an FAQ page answering the most common questions. If you want to run a successful business you need to be super responsive.
The best way to solve most customer complaints is to solve the customer’s problem before they know they have one.
5. Repost customer pictures on your social media accounts
Customers don't tag you in their photos because they’re trying to be nice. They’re doing it for their own self-serving purpose: they want your attention.
So to offer great customer service, give it to them.
If a customer is wearing your product or posting a picture with it, like their post and share it on your social accounts and tag them in the post.
Give them the praise they deserve. Not only did they like your store enough to buy from it but they took it to the next level by engaging with you post-purchase.
You can never have too many customer photos. Most people pay for social proof through influencer marketing but if you can get it for free, take advantage.
6. Teach your customers something new
Help your customers reach their goals by teaching them something new. If you own an outdoor equipment store, you can create content around how to set up tents or how to find north on your compass. If you own a fitness store, you might teach people how to do certain workouts correctly.
You can teach your customers something new in a few different ways. First, you can create video content on YouTube showing the exact steps in a visual way. Second, you can create blog content that educates customers in an engaging way.
By teaching your customers a new skill, you end up offering great customer service because your service isn’t only tied to a direct sale.
7. Automate your customer service with a loyalty program
The easiest way to provide great customer service is by creating a loyalty program. You can install a loyalty app on your store as a marketing automation tool.
Customers who sign up for your program can earn points to receive discounts and free gifts from your store.
You can encourage more engagement from your loyalty program by having days where you triple points on your collections to get more customers shopping.
Earning points can be addictive for your customers while giving them the incentives that keep them excited to shop on your store regularly.
8. Make a donation in your customer’s name
Does your brand donate to a specific charity every year? Take your customer service to the next level by adding every customer's name to the list of donors when you submit your donation.
Then, automate a personalized email to all your customers telling them that you donated to that specific charity in their name with proof. You can include a link or a screenshot with their names.
Avoid making political or controversial donations in someone else’s name. Stick to a charity that’s relevant to your niche that empowers others or betters society to avoid any backlash from this.
9. Send gift cards to them on Customer Appreciation Day
Customer Appreciation Day is celebrated every year on April 18. On this day, you can offer gift cards to customers to spend on your store. If your lowest product price is $40 and you offer a $10 gift card, it acts like an acquisition cost rather than a business loss.
10. Give swag as part of your customer service strategy
A great customer service idea is to give swag to certain customers. You can give swag as part of the loyalty program you offer or for customers who stand out.
You can give swag such as stickers, t-shirts, phone cases, USB chargers, reusable water bottles, branded sunglasses, or mugs. Pick a product type that makes sense for your niche. And that works within your budget.
You can give swag to customers who send customer photos or who spend a minimum purchase amount on their order. These little extra incentives can add an element of surprise to an unsuspecting customer which can help brighten their day.
Step up your customer service game today
Your customers are your business’ lifeline. Recognize the value they bring to your company everyday. Without them, you wouldn’t be the success you are. So take the extra step to thank them, put them in the spotlight and build a lifelong relationship with them. Consistently going above and beyond for your customers can make your brand more memorable and special.
Customer service ideas FAQ
What is customer service?
Customer service is the act of assisting customers before, during, and after a purchase. It's about creating positive experiences to build loyalty and trust in your brand.
Why is good customer service important for an online business?
Excellent customer service helps increase customer loyalty, boosts repeat business, and generates positive reviews and word-of-mouth promotion, which are crucial for business growth.
What are some creative ideas for customer service?
Creative ideas include inviting loyal customers to a VIP sale, sending personalized video responses, using a loyalty program, or even sending gift cards on Customer Appreciation Day.