A lot of companies talk about creating great customer experiences, but why is that so few of them actually do? From a customer's perspective, it really does make all the difference. An above and beyond experience is preferred, but even a little bit of courtesy goes a long way.
According to Jason Ross, the founder of the contemporary men's fashion SITE JACKTHREADS creating a positive customer experience is very important. However, he admits that it is challenging because customers can take so much into their own hands today with researching products and comparing prices. For this reason, Ross believes that retailers really need to step up their own efforts in order to make an impression on customers.
"When you get somebody to come in the door, you need to make sure that you have an extremely solid customer experience from front to back," said Ross.
He went on to say that customers need to be able to find products quickly. On the retailer's side, they need to have strong customer service and return policies to further enhance the customer's experience.
Ross's story is interesting since he started with a dream and an idea that he turned into reality. He grew his business organically, and after 2 years, was acquired by Thrillist a popular lifestyle website and newsletter geared toward professional men. He said this move is one of the best moves for the company.
As he explained, a strong customer service program has been a key factor for JackThreads both before and after the acquisition. Ross did point out that creating this positive experience is especially challenging for smaller retailers, such as with JackThreads, since companies like Amazon and Zappos are known for their high customer service. Even though these ecommerce giants set the bar high for the little guys, the smaller players also have an opportunity to jump in and provide a more personal touch with customers.
One way that JackThreads tries to do this is through its social media efforts. Ross told us that social media has proved to be an extremely powerful way to gather feedback from customers.
"It's an easy way to have an open dialogue and a place where they're spending time outside of our site," he said.
According to him, the customer experience should always be improving. His advice to other businesses is to find companies that have very solid customer service programs and emulate them.
How are you treating your customers?
No comments:
Post a Comment