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"Customer satisfaction has long been the Holy Grail for retailers. Social media now brings a whole new significance to customer satisfaction. Rants and raves reach friends, and friends of friends, and friends of friends of friends at an unprecedented scale. It\u2019s word-of-mouth on steroids. \nThe social web has also made customer support a collaborative effort, offering new online community tools that empower customers to find their own answers and help one another. While self-help and community forums can be an integral part of the total support package, online merchants should never overlook the power of direct engagement when it comes to happy and loyal customers. \nHere are some of the key ways an online store can look to increase satisfaction levels through customer support.\n\r\n1. Be Helpful\r\n\nThis first tip might seem obvious, but can be easily forgotten in customer service today. It\u2019s important to realize that being available does not equal being helpful. It\u2019s not enough to simply have a person on hand to answer a live chat or phone call. \nThe quality of each interaction counts. Modern consumers are busy, not to mention able to choose from thousands of other shopping alternatives. Customer support representatives should be driven to help customers, answer questions and solve problems, not merely focus on metrics such as wait time and turnover rate.  \nIt\u2019s also a great policy to proactively engage those customers who appear in need of assistance. For example, if someone is resting at the same checkout page longer than average, or a visitor keeps jumping across three product pages, savvy online sellers can initiate a conversation to help a customer when he needs it most. \n\r\n2. Be Honest\r\n\nTransparency is the calling card of the social web. Each customer support representative should strive to be open and honest in every conversation. If a mistake is made, customer support should feel comfortable admitting the error. If an answer isn\u2019t readily available, it\u2019s okay to say \"I don\u2019t know\" and create a well-defined action plan to find the answer. It\u2019s also okay to say no, for example, to a customer who has an unrealistic expectation about a shipping time. Over-promising will just result in disappointment, frustration and anger down the road. \n\r\n3. Over-Deliver\r\n\nCustomer service representatives should look to offer more than just a reply. Consider surprising your customers with an additional gift, a free shipping upgrade, insider discount, etc. A simple offer can go a long way toward resolving a customer issue and mending a damaged relationship. Of course, bonus gifts shouldn\u2019t just be reserved for unhappy customers. Surprise new and loyal customers with unexpected treats and they\u2019ll be more likely to spread the word about their great experience. \n\r\n4. Be an Expert\r\n\nEach customer support interaction is a chance for a company to be a friendly guide and advisor to its customers. If a customer walks into a brick and mortar shop, he can instantly discern the difference between a knowledgeable and an uninformed sales associate. This interaction often shapes the quality of the entire shopping experience. The same holds true in virtual storefronts. Each person tasked with answering the phone or live chatting for an online store should be current on the latest products and services. Each service representative should serve as an essential resource for customers.\n\r\n5. Keep it Simple\r\n\nAll aspects of your website and shopping process should be constructed around customer need. The less user-friendly your site, the less satisfied your customers will be. Make critical information like pricing, shipping and return policies easy to find. And above all, keep your website up-to-date to reflect exactly what the customer is about to receive. \n\r\n6. Offer Easy Returns\r\n\nAccording to StellaService, a company that monitors online customer experience, companies committed to an easy return policy got high marks from customers. Furthermore, a customer-friendly return policy enhances brand image without necessarily leading to an increased number of returns. \nOnline sellers can certainly boost customer satisfaction levels by easing the return process. Additionally, offering better pre-sales support (in the form of live chat and helpful product pages) can be instrumental to reducing the need for returns in the first place. \n\nWhile customer support has typically been viewed as a cost of doing business, a great customer experience strengthens the customer-brand bond and encourages repeat sales. Each satisfied customer and positive experience will ripple throughout the social web in the form of online reviews, happy tweets and excellent word-of-mouth referrals.\n\n\n\n\n\nImage courtesy of iStockphoto, Goldmund"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://mashable.com/2011/07/01/customer-support-online/>