As you prepare to start your Product Launch (regardless of whether it’s a Seed Launch, Internal Launch ora JV Launch, one of your most important considerations is how are you going to handle a potential avalanche of customer support enquiries.
And while your customers don’t make decisions about your business based on the quality of your customer service alone, their decision about whether they’ll ask for a refund or whether they’ll continue to do business with you will often be based on their customer experience with your support desk.
That’s why people who receive a delicious meal but poor service at a restaurant don’t very often go back. And your customers are the same way – they might feel your product is awesome, but they’re unlikely to hang around or do repeat business with you if your customer service stinks.
So how do you provide a good customer service experience? You start by avoiding these common mistakes…
Mistake 1: Putting A Low Priority On Customer Service
Sometimes, and particularly during a hectic product launch, business owners look at customer service as a nuisance, so they end up putting it on a low priority. That’s a big mistake.
Without your customers, you have no business. That’s why you’ll want to be sure that everything from your web design to ordering process to customer care experience is your top priority so that your visitors walk away satisfied.
Mistake 2: Taking Too Long To Answer Customer Inquiries
Launching a product or service is a fast-paced activity, and if you don’t answer customer service inquiries quickly, your prospect will move on to something else that they feel is more urgent.
That’s why you want to make sure you answer inquiries the same day, and even within an hour or two if possible, especially during your open cart period when people are making their buying decision.
Mistake 3: Not Providing Anything Other Than An Email Address
The problem with handling all customer service strictly through email is that emails can and often do get lost or missed, either on your end or the customer’s end. And when they do get lost, the customer will assume you’re ignoring him or her. As you might expect, that’s going to be a bit problem.
The solution?
1. Use a help desk platform instead. Even if you use email, the help desk platform keeps a record of the entire conversation so replies never get lost.
2. Give people a phone number that WILL be answered by a real person 24 hours a day. With ecommerce being a global business, the odds are some of your potential customers will not be living in your time zone or even your country.
Giving people the option to have their questions answered right away (while they are excited and ready to order), or to have their orders processed on the phone has proven to increase conversions.
Mistake 4: Failing To Train Your Customer Service Reps
Another common mistake is to assume that your hired staff knows everything there is to know about providing good customer care. That’s not necessarily true, even if they are experienced.
That’s why you’ll want to lay out instructions for all your staff about how to handle customer service inquiries, including:
- Offering cut and paste answers for common inquiries.
- Providing training on how to incorporate your business branding into customer service replies, where applicable.
- General instruction about what you expect, such as how to address customers and prospects.
Next…
Mistake 5: Not Anticipating High-Volume
If you’re launching a product or even running a big sale, you must anticipate the increased demand for customer service on these higher-volume days and bring on more staff to handle the extra load.
It’s better to have people underworked for a few days during your open cart period than missing out on what could be a LOT of sales during your launch.
Conclusion
During your product launch, customers are the lifeblood of your business, so make sure you treat them right. That’s why it’s critical you do everything you can to avoid the five mistakes listed above, and Jeff looks at how to manage the large influx you’re going to get in your launch during his free Product Launch Masterclass.
PLUS: When you’re ready, here are 3 ways I can help you to grow your business using product launches:
1. How To Build A Profitable Launch List.
Building an email list is critical if you plan on doing a launch for your product, service or business. My 1-2-3 List Building Cheat Sheet will show you how to build a responsive list of prospects who are ready to buy from you during your launch. Click Here.
2. How To Create A Signature Product Out Of Thin Air In 72 Hours Or Less
Creating your product does not need to take weeks or months. My 72 Hour Product Creation Guide shows you how to build high value products or bonuses one after the other in 72 hours or less. Click Here.
3. How To Outsource Your Product Creation And Make It Hands Free.
Outsourcing the creation of some or all of your products and bonuses is a great way to save your time for the more important (and more fun) things you’d rather be doing. Grab my Hands Free Outsourcing Cheat Sheet to learn more. Click Here.
And don’t forget to check this out 🙂
Jeff Walker’s free Product Launch Formula training.
Disclaimer: If you purchase PLF through my affiliate link I may receive a referral fee from Jeff Walker, however you will pay no more to purchase the program through me than if you went directly to the Product Launch Formula website. If you would like my personal help as you create your first launch using the PLF process, check out my PLF Bonus offer here.