If you want to increase the retail sales for your business, it’s not enough to have great customer service in your brick and mortar store. You need to have great customer service online, too. These stories show the power of customer service skills as provided via computer screen.

The Power of Twitter

Social media can make or break your reputation as a retailer. Use it to your advantage whenever you get the chance. When you create a memorable customer experience on Twitter, the world is watching, for better or worse.

Take, for example, the woman who simply adored the clock radio in her hotel room. She was willing to buy her own, but when she couldn’t find it she took to Twitter to ask for more information. The Gaylord Opryland made her day when they presented her with her very own radio and a thank-you note for her loyalty in her hotel room.

Then there was the man sitting on an airplane craving steak who tweeted jokingly to his favorite steakhouse, Mortons, asking them to meet him at the airport with a steak. Much to his surprise, they did. And since such an act is tweet worthy, the man gave credit where credit was due… and the world watched.

Live Chats

When a Netflix customer was having trouble with a loop on an episode of his favorite TV show, he reached out to a customer service representative online. He had such an entertaining and enjoyable experience with the rep that he actually wished he had additional problems to convey. That’s a memorable online customer experience! And the world found out about it because someone posted the conversation on Reddit. The best and worst customer experiences seem to find their way to social media, where they quickly take on a life of their own.

Ecommerce

Ordering clothing online can be a hassle if what you order doesn’t fit properly. Zappos has managed to build an online business on customer service that makes returns easy. That’s one reason this lady searched Zappos to find shoes for her ailing mother. Two out of the six pair worked. When the elderly mother called the company to learn how to return the shoes, she carried on an extended conversation with the customer service representative who took the time to learn more about the woman’s health condition.

The conversation made the elderly lady’s day, but the flowers she received from the representative a couple of days later made her week! In addition to the flowers, the rep signed the woman and her two daughters up for the VIP program, giving them free expedited shipping on all their orders. That’s online business with a personal touch.

Good customer service skills build brand loyalty by simply making people’s day. It doesn’t matter if it happens in person or online. Kindness is memorable in all its forms.