Running an online business can be surprisingly easy. You can manage everything from the comfort of your home, and costs like rent are not necessary. Yet, there are still mistakes that can cause the business to fail. One of the most common issues is a lack of good customer service. Your customers are the lifeblood of your business, so it’s important to keep them happy. Here are four customer service tips for your online business.

Deliver Goods Undamaged

It’s very easy to focus on fast delivery and neglect the condition of the product. A huge part of customer service is delivering what your customers pay for and your customers will not be happy if they receive a damaged product.

Luckily, this can easily be ensured. The best way to ensure safe deliveries is to hire a professional freight unloading service to handle things. This way your products will arrive at their destination in one piece and without any damage.

Alternatively, you can also take some preventative measures yourself, such as packing the items securely and using a tracked shipping service.

Respond Quickly to Customer Inquiries

When a customer contacts you, they expect a quick response. If you take too long to get back to them, they may go to your competitor.

You can guarantee quick responses by:

• Using a chat robot. A chat robot can answer common questions quickly and efficiently.
• Hiring customer service representatives. This is a more expensive option, but it will ensure that someone is always available to answer customer inquiries.
• Automating responses. Similar to a chat robot, you can use an autoresponder to send a pre-written response to customer inquiries.

Keep Customers Informed

One underrated way to provide good customer service is by keeping your customers informed.

If you have a website or blog, make sure to post updates regularly so your customers know what’s going on with your business. You can also use social media to keep them updated, and to answer any questions they might have.

Or, you can send weekly or monthly newsletters to update them on new products, services, or deals you are offering.

Here are some communication tips:

• Make the writing personal, as if you are speaking to a close friend.
• Be clear and concise.
• Use a friendly, yet professional, tone.
• Avoid using jargon or technical terms.
• Make sure to proofread before sending.

Offer Discounts and Coupons

There are few things customers like more than a bargain, so offer discounts and coupons to sweeten the deal. You can promote these offers on your website and social media channels, or send them out via email to your subscribers.

Just be sure to make the terms and conditions clear, so there are no surprises down the line.

Some ideas include:

• First purchase discounts.
• Bulk purchase discounts.
• Loyalty program coupons.
• Seasonal promotions.
• Random giveaways.

Running an online business is no easy feat. There are a lot of moving parts, and you have to be able to wear many hats. But by following these four customer service tips, you can set yourself up for success by having customer service at least figured out.