Guest Post: 5 eCommerce Customer Service Must-Haves

Nicholas Ruggieri

Reduce Chargebacks with these 5 Customer Service Must-Haves

If you’re an ecommerce company and a customer has a complaint, you want them coming to you, not the bank. Banks can hit you with chargeback fees, fines and the possible loss of credit card privileges. These five customer service must-haves will give customers reasons to rectify issues with you, not banks.

Immediate chat availability

In a store, you might wait in a customer service line for help with a purchase. Internet buyers generally don’t have that kind of patience. Give customers a chat button, you give customers another reason to talk to you, rather than complain to a credit card issuer.

A Customer Service Phone Number

Yes, we live in a digital age, but some people would rather just pick up the phone and talk to someone. A phone number also gives customers confidence that there’s someone on the other end of the line to help. It’s one more reason to call you, not the bank. Be sure to include this information within your billing descriptor as well for maximum exposure.

Scheduled Staff

Chat button and customer service numbers are nice to have, but it’s just as important that someone be there to take the inquiry. Even if 24/7 customer service isn’t feasible, scheduled customers service times are. Assign staff to customer service shifts and insist that staff be available during those hours.

Online Review Monitoring

All reviews need to be recognized. If it’s positive, thank the customer, maybe even try to get a testimonial. If it’s negative, reach out to the customer to rectify the situation. It can turn a bad review into a good one and save you a chargeback.

A Friction-Free Refund Policy

People hate to call customer service and ask for refunds. Sometimes they’d rather just go to the credit card companies and hit you with a chargeback. A clear and flexible refund policy can be the difference between the two. Let customers know that you stand behind your products and that your staff is willing to work with them in the event they have an issue.

Nicholas Ruggieri is Co-Founder and Chief Sales Officer of Pinpoint Intelligence. Nicholas is accountable for the overall global sales performance of the organization, overseeing all revenue generating functions and growing all merchant direct and channel partner sales efforts on behalf of Pinpoint. Nicholas is a fraud and chargeback expert and an active member of the Electronic Transactions Association.

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