Help Ecommerce Customers Thank You

Were you watching what happened when the cashier handed change back to that customer in the store? Did you notice how the customer said “Thanks” to the cashier? Did this expression of gratitude make sense to you? The change wasn’t a gift. It belonged to the customer. What sort of favor was the cashier doing that deserved a thanks?
     Okay, the truth is the “Thanks” probably was a subconscious reflex. But it wasn’t empty of meaning. It had some significance: Customers wish to deal with retailers who help them out, and one way customers express this wish is to say thanks to store staff.
     Research findings from University of Maryland and Yale University together suggest that giving the customer an opportunity to express gratitude to one or more store staff facilitates loyalty to the retailer. And research at Trinity College, College of Charleston, and University of Toronto indicates this is especially true for elderly consumers.
     Creating opportunities to say thanks is easier for you to accomplish with in-store transactions than with ecommerce transactions, though. Where are the opportunities for the purchaser to say thanks to a salesperson or cashier when online? On some sites, the answer comes with “click to chat online” features.
     My advice to ecommerce retailers: Allow time for the customer to say thanks. Script the online helper to finish up with an open-ended question like, “What else may I help you with?,” and lastly, with a closed-ended question like, “Have I answered everything you wanted to ask for now?”
     At that point, the thank you is bound to come—as long as you and your staff have worked to earn the gratitude. When it does come, be sure to acknowledge the thanks with a personal touch.

For your profitability: Sell Well: What Really Moves Your Shoppers

Click below for more:
Go for Customer Gratitude and Guilt
Emphasize Emotions with Older Customers
Use Closed-Ended Questions Selectively