Hi OzBargainers,
Like many small business operators there are ups and downs. Recently I have had a couple of "run ins" with OzBargainers (clients) as a rep. When broken down into the most simplest form of criticism, it's basically about my poor customer service. I don't proclaim to be perfect and my blood can boil faster than the average punter, but I need to remember (as many other retail workers or retail store owners know), the customer is at the end of the day always the customer - so their views and opinions are very important and even if I don't always agree, they are the customer, without customers there is no retailer.
If I were honest, if I were to rank my customer service level to OzBargainers (pharmacysavings) it has some room to improve.
I ship promptly 7 days, I don't rip people off - if I stuff up I fix the problem, I replace freight lost items, I try my best to respond to most messages and emails within a couple of days (including weekends)
BUT …
Clients who enquire about slow delivery (if they enquire before the snail speed 10 working day typical Aust Post delivery date) usually get a brisk answer.
Clients who are even a little bit rude in their emails/messages (even if not intended) usually get my blood pressure boiling and get both barrels back.
Clients who blame our website for "over charging them" (when they forget to apply a voucher code) aren't always treated consistently (varies depending on how polite they are and if they try to blame me for the issue, which is about 75% of the time)
Clients who ring the store complaining about slow delivery - usually get a sympathetic ear from someone else on the phone, while I yell out "tell them to send an email" in the background.
Generally self reflecting, I think 99% of customers are happy or accepting, 1% are not happy - but now I have tens of thousands of customers - 1% of unhappy customers, really isn't good enough (ie/ Based on the number of newsletter subs we have if 1:100 aren't happy means 300 people out there think I stink).
For the last month or so I've been thinking what if we just raise our prices slightly……
Then…..
We get less orders, but we make the same money (i'm not talking about gouging i'm talking $1-2-3 per order, we'll still be the cheapest in Oz - but I usually try and provide deals to OzBargainers based on the lowest price I can sell for without making a loss, I don't charge what I think the highest price the market will bear). As we have less orders to process, we have more time to spend more politely dealing with customers. With the additional revenue we can put money aside to allow us to be more generous when customers complain. ie/ Send replacement items without making clients wait XX days for Aust Post, if someone makes a genuine error (like forgetting to put in their unit number or uses the wrong post code) we just resend the item vs. telling them "well we can only send to the address we are provided" type answers. I can possibly even pay someone to pack and send items for me, and I can use the time to better engage with clients, answer questions be more helpful - rather than just type out a 5 word 1 line email to replies being a direct as I can so as not to start email conversations I dont have time for etc.
The simple answer is - give better service and don't raise prices - but I can say hand on heart I simply can't worker harder or longer - something has to change in order to provide a higher level of customer service in our little business.
The only other alternative I have thought of is to only sell larger bundles (say around $50) and then include free satchel shipping with tracking on every order - this would eliminate 90% of complaints immediately as every article posted would be insured and have tracking - but this would pretty much burn 95% of OzBargain sales, as OzBargainers have a much much lower basket size when compared to our average client. (ie Many OzBargainers wouldnt buy from us if our entry price was >$50)
So I'm putting the question out there as my first ever poll - Would you pay more for better service (in the context of pharmacysavings) as an OzBargainer ?
To be clear, this would mean:
- Guaranteed delivery time frame of say 10 working days or your item is resent at my cost (I simply reship and ask the client to return the original item if/when it arrives)
- Guaranteed re-shipping if you as the client provide the wrong address (I take a punt the item will be returned, or simply wear the loss)
- Friendly amazon'esk style responses where I literally take responsibility for matters outside of my control (ie where a buyer buys the wrong item, wrong size, forgets to use a code, complains the medication doesn't work well for them - I fold without defence - as the business position then is - to keep the customer happy as a goal etc)
- Friendly, longer email replies to queries where I demonstrate as an owner I care about my clients, currently by my own admission some of my emails are terse and wouldn't be acceptable in my day job (where I work for others).
- Our website subscribing to a bulk SMS plan, so we can broadcast dispatch and delivery updates via SMS (I think this would cost us 40c or so per sale)
Is this worth paying more for ?
ozbargainers are the worst customer group you want. just look at them when their free item gets cancelled.