…Is To Keep In Touch!

It can be very challenging to find an appropriate balance of communication with your customers. It seems like companies who ARE reaching out often reach out too much. Customers aren’t usually as interested in buying as you are in selling, thus the percieved surplus of marketing communications.  I’ve recently been made a little sour by a different scenario though: I’m not getting ANY communication from my seller.

I very rarely buy music online. I’m usually content just surfing myspace music pages. I came across one band last week though, and I just had to have thier stuff. They’re a small and obscure band, so I figured the only way to get their music playing in my car would be to buy their CD of their myspace page. I purchased the CD through Paypal and got the seller’s email address. After a few days without any kind of shipment confirmation, I emailed them and asked if the CD was on its way. No answer. I had to create a myspace account just so I could send them a myspace message. I’m still waiting for some response.
I’ve also recently ordered a hoodie from another band, and a birthday present for a friend. I got shipping confirmations, tracking numbers, everything. I don’t consider myself a nervous nancy when it comes to matters of the Internet, but it was very comforting to have these other sellers keeping me up to date.

The lesson here is this:  if you’re going to give customers some kind of purchasing option online, it will require more customer service than an in-person purchase. Make sure that you regularly monitor whatever kind of ordering system you have. Let customers know that you are working to fill their order, and provide them with periodic updates until the shipment is complete. Even if you’re completing the order, and everything arrives as it should, they probably wont be perfectly satisfied if you didn’t keep in touch. If nothing else, it helps build a relationship with your customer, which is always a good idea.
I’ll let you know if my CD ever comes.

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