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Julio González Regional Vice President Customer Success at Zendesk gives us a series of guidelines on what to improve in e-commerce in the midst of Hot Sale.
With the Hot Sale it is how various brands have taken advantage to carry out value strategies before the consumer in the market.
The activation of e-commerce strategies during the Hot Sale has become an action without disappointment, due to the results achieved with a successful campaign.
we are in full Hot Sale and the electronic commerce He has a series of adjustments at hand that, if the expected results are not recorded, can mean a significant benefit in both sales and the like during this season, as he confesses Julio GonzalezRegional Vice President Customer Success at Zendesk, in this exclusive interview with Merca2.0
Merca2.0 – What purchase scenarios have been foreseen or estimated on the Hot Sale of this year?
Julio González – As we know, the electronic commerce has multiplied exponentially in recent years, which represents a challenge for the companies participating in this event. For example, according to the results of the CX Trends 2022 report compiled by Zendesk, customer engagement has increased by 14 percent compared to last year. We can also mention the results of the study carried out by the Mexican Association of Online Sales (AMVO) whose results indicate that in Mexico the downloads of ecommerce applications have grown by up to 25 percent compared to last year.
These results are called to expand the digital spaces of commerce and generate more income, resulting in something beneficial if the potential buyer has a good user experience.
Merca2.0 – During the Hot Sale, how much investment do the average online stores require to prepare for the possible load of volume in visits?
JG – To talk about how much investment online stores require during this event, different variables must be taken into account, ranging from the sector to the positioning of each case, so it responds to a very particular profile. However, we can identify a common area where investment can be emphasized as a priority: customer service. Following the information that we are aware of thanks to the CX Trends report, although 61% of companies have sought to raise customer service standards, a scant 25% are seeking to increase the specific budget to improve the experience of their users.
It was also found that 71% of respondents from Latin America recognize the direct relationship between customer service and business performance and the positive impact it has on the company’s results, so it is essential that they are willing to commit. and rethink the approach to action not only to achieve sales but also to achieve customer retention. In this way, companies should start by asking themselves if they have access to the right tools for AI, automation and conversational services, since if they do not, they risk frustrating customers or, worse, undermine your ability to deliver the quality experiences that keep them coming back.
Merca2.0 – What errors prevent converting visits to online stores into sales and even more into consumer repurchase?
JG – During the most important e-commerce event of the year, many companies repair their online sales platforms and mobile applications and invest in promotion, but often neglect customer service strategies, which could make the difference between make a sale or lose it to the competition.
There are three frequent errors that prevent converting visits and full shopping carts into effective sales and even more in consumer repurchase:
Not knowing their needs: In addition to a monetary investment, it is necessary for companies to know the needs of their customers. This implies “putting ourselves in the shoes of the end user” before, during and after the purchase is made. The CX Trends 2022 report also notes that 77% of customers say they expect all customer service experiences to be personalized; 92% say a positive customer service experience makes them more likely to make another purchase; and 97% are willing to spend more with companies that personalize the customer service they offer.
Not offering different channels of communication: According to this same study, only 18% of businesses are satisfied with the customer service channels they offer online and a scant 21% rate it as “extremely easy” for buyers to interact with your company. In addition, it is mentioned that the volume of service requests increased during the last year in all channels: +10% Web form/email, +17% Chat, +24% Telephone, +32% Messaging through social networks, +370 % WhatsApp, +20% Social networks, +28% SMS. Therefore, it is clear that, in order to achieve better communication and a better experience with the end user, in addition to traditional methods such as email and telephone calls, there are innovative solutions such as chatbots, which are software applications that simulate conversations with people by providing previously established automatic responses to clarify doubts, solve problems or put the user in contact with customer service representatives.
Social networks are an important way to serve potential users, since according to AMVO, Facebook and Instagram are the platforms with the greatest reach during Hot Sale, and according to Zendesk’s CX Trends 2022 report, 40% of companies uses AI to interact with customers and demonstrate user compliance.
Not taking into account the time of customers: It is very common for companies that start with a digital transformation to use separate customer service tools. This error causes that, when contacted to follow up on a doubt or a clarification, the agents in charge are not aware if the user has already been contacted previously by another means, generating a loss of time for the client, as well as for the representative of the company.
Investing in strategies to effectively integrate customer service tools should not be viewed solely in terms of return on investment, but in terms of the retention potential it can offer to increase sales volume.
Within e-commerce there are essential activities, which with adequate adjustments can achieve a better result of Hot Sale.
Merca2.0 – How would you summarize a good customer service strategy on this important date?
JG – It is necessary to create reliable and efficient sales platforms, have secure payment methods for customers, and detailed product information. However, it is definitely essential for any company to also review customer service processes so that this Hot Sale is a pleasant experience. In the CX Trends study, Zendesk found that more than 74% of business leaders around the world say that the return on investment (ROI) of spending they have spent on customer service in the last 12 months has been positive . However, only 30% strongly agree that this spending has kept pace with the company’s growth.
At this point, going above and beyond the bare minimum is of the utmost importance because meeting these expectations gives businesses, both large and small, an opportunity to attract a growing customer base that prioritizes customer service. to the customer with every purchase.