Increasing Logistics Business Profits Through Customer Service
Consumer trust and loyalty must be one important aspect for the continuity of your business. Cooperation and two-way communication to consumers is important for you as a business owner to maintain good relations, this can be done through customer service.
Customer service improves logistics performance by making processes more transparent and adding more value to the customer experience. This service provides a thorough explanation to consumers about the reasons for receiving late orders for goods. This can reduce the likelihood of problems arising in the customer's ordering experience, especially when the customer encounters an unexpected bottleneck.
One of the good practices resulting from the collaboration between customer service and logistics is the delivery of updates. Today, most e-commerce will include an email or text message informing consumers when their order has been purchased or shipped.
The Importance of the Role of Customer Service in Operations
Proactive customer service can let consumers know when they can receive an order. If a problem arises, the company has a direct line to the consumer and can quickly provide the latest information.
Delivery updates are not the only reason customer service is important for logistics performance. Here are some other reasons to provide customer service and its important role for your company.
- Customer Service Creates Transparency
Consumers will be more than happy to know the latest news your business is aware of, especially with regard to purchase order information. If there is a delayed order, consumers want to know the cause so they can anticipate problems in the future.
In this case, the transparency of the customer service can be done better if it provides a lot of detail. That way, consumers will believe that your company is or has handled the problem.
- Consumers Want Fast Response
When the business logistics process is transparent then consumers are bound to have questions about their orders. When they do question it, it's important to answer quickly before consumers start asking again about returns, discounts, or refunds.
- Consumers Want Clear Information
It's best for a company to include a delivery time, such as “two days delivery” on a product. This provides clear information on delivery times and expectations of when consumers will receive their orders.
How to Improve Business Services Through Customer Service
As previously mentioned, customer service can improve the logistics performance of your company or business. Here are six ways that you can apply to improve your business services.
1. Providing Supply Chain Information
Transparency helps your business build trust with customers and prospects. The more they know about your business, the more they will feel comfortable working with or becoming regular customers of your business.
One way to build this relationship is through supply chain related information. This shows consumers every step of the way to build your product and has it delivered to their location.
Consumers know where and how products are made, how they are stored before buying, and what shipping methods are used. It is important to make the information accessible as it can show consumers the full story of your product.
2. Offers Real-Time Updates
It is important to inform the latest news about goods/services that have been purchased by consumers as a form of transparency to consumers. That way, consumers can see the delivery schedule for the ordered goods or get the latest information if there is a delay without having to ask first.
3. Become a Reliable and Consistent Company
Every time there are new customers, there will be doubts at the beginning about their purchase of the products/services you offer. This is common, especially in e-commerce, considering that consumers cannot see or physically touch goods.
This is the reason for the importance of a good brand reputation, especially in terms of logistics. If potential buyers see positive feedback from consumers regarding delivery time and product quality, they are more likely to use products from your business/company.
4. Using Software for Customer Service
Various kinds of software that focuses on customer service are now widely found. One of the things that can make the customer experience more enjoyable is the details about when they will receive the order, where the goods are made, whether their order is being prepared, to the option to provide ratings or reviews from consumers.
The interactive features in customer service software can enhance the customer experience because it shows that you are serious about handling the delivery process. Not only have you thought about how you will ship the product, but you have also adopted an automated system to communicate that process to consumers.
5. Looking for the Ideal Partnership
One way to reduce problems in the logistics process is to partner with other businesses that can assist your business in storing or distributing resources.
6. Collecting Feedback from Consumers
If you're not sure how to improve your business' logistics performance, a good place to start is gathering customer feedback. Ask consumers about their experiences with the buying process.
Ask them for input on how to improve your business. One way to gather feedback is to provide consumer surveys after the product is shipped.
Customer service is an important part of your business, especially to gain the trust of consumers and maintain the good name of the company. The existence of transparency will provide clear and straightforward information, both from consumers and your business.
If consumer feedback on your business is positive, this can minimize the doubts of potential customers so that your business profits will be even greater. Operational and non-operational managers can understand the Supply Chain Management program in order to take advantage of the role of customer service and link their functions within the overall business chain and network.