It’s not Prime Day month yet, but Amazon already has a big gift to Prime Gaming members—15 free PC games! Its generosity, along with excellent customer service, is probably why customers continue to frequent the platform.
Speaking of customer service, we’re upping ours by dedicating today to helping you improve yours for the upcoming Prime Day.
- Hacks to handle Prime Day shoppers 💭
- A game-changing solution to reduce selling costs 🖱️
- Customer Service by Amazon 🛎️
- An honest review of CSBA ✍️
BIG IDEA
There are two key aspects that can make your Prime Day successful: attracting an influx of shoppers AND effectively handling the influx you attract. The latter might seem simpler than the former—but they can be equally challenging.
The key to having them both? Excellent customer service!
💡 To help you succeed, eDesk listed 9 customer service best practices to employ this Prime Day 2024:
- Hire enough staff to ensure you have enough hands on deck to handle the surge in customer service requests.
- Tip: Consider hiring seasonal workers or asking part-timers to clock in some extra hours.
- Set up multiple communication channels—phone, live chat, email—so customers can easily and quickly reach you.
- Tip: Test your communication channels beforehand to iron out any glitches.
- Clarify roles and responsibilities so every team member knows exactly what they need to do.
- Tip: Conduct role-playing exercises to prepare your team for various customer scenarios.
- Be upfront with customers about potential delays or issues. This transparency helps manage expectations and build trust.
- Tip: Create response templates for FAQs to cover potential Prime Day concerns.
- Respond to inquiriesas fast as possible, and make sure your answers are accurate and helpful. 💨
- Tip: Use canned responses for common inquiries to speed up response times.
- Ensure your team has access to all the information they need, from product details to sales stats.
- Tip: Create a centralized knowledge base to quickly access information.
- Leverage AI to automate routine tasks and speed up responses. This frees up your team to tackle more complex issues and provides timely, accurate answers to customers.
- Tip: Use chatbots for initial customer interactions. 🤖
- Remind your team to stay calm and friendly. Train them to handle high-stress situations gracefully and follow established guidelines.
- Tip: Encourage breaks and rotations to keep your team refreshed and focused.
- Monitor customer feedback and reviews during Prime Day to identify areas for improvement and show customers that you value their opinions.
- Tip: Set up alerts for negative feedback to address issues promptly.
🎇 Your Prime Day success awaits
Remember, covering all bases will help you secure your share of Prime Day sales. So, leave no stone unturned, particularly when it comes to your customer service efforts.
TOGETHER WITH EZ-COMMERCE
A game-changing solution to reduce Amazon selling costs
Almost everyone's telling you to sell on Amazon if you want to get rich. What they don't publicize is the initial costs you might shell out on your first year of selling.
So, we're here to tell you straight up what you need to prepare for financially.
- Product inventory: Initial inventory purchases can be expensive, particularly if you're ordering in bulk to get better pricing. It's recommended to canvas suppliers before signing a deal with them. Some manufacturers require a minimum order quantity (MOQ), and the number might be too high, especially if you're just starting. Don't be afraid to negotiate this with them!
- Price: Depends on the product, but you might need to invest at least $500-$1,000 just for stock.
- Amazon fees: Selling on Amazon comes with various fees, including referral, fulfillment, and storage fees. These can add up quickly and eat into your profit margins. For example, FBA fees cover the cost of storing, packing, and shipping your products, but they’re not insignificant.
- Price: The Individual Account costs you $0.99 per item sold, and the Professional Sellers Account is $39.99 per month.
- Marketing and advertising: To get your product noticed, you'll need to invest in marketing and advertising. Amazon PPC campaigns, social media advertising, and influencer partnerships can cost several thousand dollars annually.
- Price: This depends on your budget. But it’s best to start with a budget of at least $100 for a successful PPC campaign.
- Tools and services: Subscriptions to essential tools for product research, keyword optimization, and inventory management can add up. Additionally, hiring professionals for photography, graphic design, and copywriting to create compelling product listings can be a significant expense.
- Price: Depends on whether you’ll do all of these yourself or find someone reputable to handle this for you.
If you’re looking for reputable experts to do PPC management and listing optimization, EZ-commerce can do it for you!
Ez-commerce was established by Dvir Cohen, an eight-figure seller and the author of more than 100 children's Kindle ebooks. They help brands scale and transform to achieve real net success in the Amazon market.
Want to learn more? Click on the link below.
BITES OF THE WEEK
- 24/7 Assistance: DYK you can offer 24/7 real-time support with Amazon's Buy with Prime Assist?
- Serving Excellence: Here are some tips for meeting Prime Day shoppers’ expectations.
- Limited Coverage: Learn what FBA customer service can and cannot do.
SELLER REFRESHER
What exactly does Customer Service by Amazon offer?
Customer service isn't just a checkbox—it's the backbone of success. Amazon understands this well, which is why it launched Customer Service by Amazon (CSBA).
☎️ What’s CSBA?
CSBA a service that manages customer inquiries for your self-fulfilled orders. Aside from having a dedicated support team at your beck and call, Seller Assistant listed key reasons why you should consider this service this Prime Day:
- Efficiency. Save time and effort by letting Amazon handle customer inquiries for you. They're available 24/7, including weekends and holidays.
- Performance boost. CSBA can help you reduce A-to-Z Guarantee claims, Order Defect Rates (ODR), and negative reviews, thereby improving your reputation, sales, and metrics.
- Language support. Amazon serves your customers in their preferred language, eliminating language barriers and enhancing the overall customer experience.
Bonus: You can focus on scaling up your business knowing that the retail giant (and its vast infrastructure) has your back. 😉
Is CSBA right for you?
For full transparency, CSBA isn’t entirely free. This service operates on a fee structure tied to your customer service performance. The better your service, the lower your fees. 📊
But with round-the-clock support across multiple channels? It's a win-win for you and your customers!
Yet as always, you should weigh the cost and benefits to answer if CSBA is indeed the solution to your customer service woes.
HOT TOPIC
CSBA trial led to all-time low feedback ratings
In the spirit of fairness, we’d also like to share a not-so-satisfying experience of one seller who's tried CSBA. Here’s what they shared on Seller Central to educate those who plan on using the service:
📕 The seller's story
For over a decade, the seller maintained a stellar 98-99% positive feedback rate, even with half their sales under self-fulfillment. Their customer service philosophy? Handle each issue personally and resolve the unreasonable cases with care.
After experiencing substantial sales growth, they decided to try CSBA. But after the trial, they revealed a significant drop in feedback ratings—an all-time low. 🔻
- Most negative feedback they received was for issues unrelated to their products, and their appeals were often rejected by Amazon.
- Minor issues, like a few dented cans, triggered full refunds and significantly affected their bottom line.
- Submitting legitimate Safe-T claims became a futile exercise, despite clear service terms knowledge. Rejections piled up, leaving the seller frustrated and financially strained.
Seller's verdict: CSBA is not worth the risk. It threatened their profit margins, tarnished their reputation, and sapped their morale. 🙅♂️
Think twice
Like other services, CSBA doesn't guarantee specific outcomes. Despite this cautionary tale, the service still boasts 300,000+ seller patrons worldwide.
So again, think twice before embracing CSBA. It’s your call in the end, but don’t forget that the right call requires right and informed decisions.
