12 Posts of Christmas: Tip 11–Don’t Pass on Service in the Holiday Rush

Today’s Y!Store blog is a guest column by retailer/developer Rob Snell of Snell Brothers. Rob posts somewhat regularly in his blog about Yahoo! Store stuff, is the author of Starting a Yahoo! Business For Dummies, and is conducting some more free Yahoo! Store marketing and SEO webinars beginning in early 2007 (or as soon as he gets done with his holiday shopping).

You’ve almost made it! The mad rush of the online holiday shopping and shipping season is almost over. Here are a few last minute tips to keep your spirits bright so you can cross that year-end finish line with your own holiday joy still intact!

Remember, anything you can do that the Big Boys can’t do is a critical advantage that may make the difference between making it and not making it! While customer service is probably the biggest intangible in retail, that warm, fuzzy feeling your customer gets from your outstanding customer service is a big, big deal to most small businesses.

These days seems like almost everything is impersonal, or some pre-recorded operator is paying lip service to how “your business is important to us!” It really means a lot to many shoppers to know that their order puts food on your table, puts shoes on your kids’ feet, and makes the mortgage payment.

I know you know this, and I’m just reminding you, but taking extra special care of your customers isn’t just good manners, it’s good for your bottom line, too! Cultivating repeat business is the cheapest way to get more sales, and you know how much it costs you in pay-per-click advertising to get a sale in the first place. Happy customers are repeat customers, and those repeat orders trickle in throughout the year when it’s so much easier to ship them!

Want to know one of the most popular things we’ve ever done to make our own customers feel more appreciated? Simply writing “Thanks for your order!” on the customer’s ship ticket / invoice and then signing the note has been a smash hit! We get more comments about hand written notes than anything! How many times have you gotten a hand-written note from anyone who shipped you anything? How easy would it be to add a note to every order?

And I know that you’re in a hurry, but when a customer emails you a question or a comment, a little social lubrication goes a long way, especially in these last stressful shopping days of December. I’m amazed at how many goof-ups I’ve personally gotten out of by being nice or by simply apologizing when I make a mistake. “Thanks for your question about our returns policy…” or “Sorry I screwed up the apartment number on your order, but I’m glad the UPS driver caught it,” or “Sorry I sent you the wrong size collar, just keep it. The replacement shipped out today…”.

Also, make sure your staff knows how important your customers are! Set a good example talking to customers, and not only on the phone and via email, but also talking to your own staff! I’ve always thought how you treat your employees is how your employees end up treating your customers when you’re not around, so be careful not to chew too hard on staff these last shipping days! I know it’s not easy!

OK. You’re all done after you ship those last minute express orders! Now all you have to do is finish your own holiday shopping, and then look forward to dealing with product returns, mis-shipped orders, and do all that end of year inventory and tax stuff. No wonder Christmas is stressful for so many merchants. Y’all have a holly, jolly one!

Rob Snell
guest blogger for Yahoo! Small Business