In our humble opinion, customer service ranks even
higher than prices when looking for a Super Happy Shopping experience.
Supposing you pay a little more and the correct product is delivered on time
with no worry or bother. To us at Super Happy Shopper this is far more
important than having to go through the aggravation of dealing with an
unhelpful customer service department when something goes wrong with your
online order. By using our free service here at Super Happy Shopper you may
even get the cheapest price and well as the best possible customer service.
A clear and concise customer service policy describes
how and when a representative may be contacted and response times. Customer
services should be provided to enhance the shopping experience, including a
phone number, an e-mail address, and a physical address. Service should be
available for reasonably extensive hours (for example, 7 days a week for at
least 8 to 10 hours a day). A Help or Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
section should be available. Vendors should send an email confirmation of an
order and notification of when items will ship. Any fees for additional
services should be reasonable.
Good web sites:
- Offer 24/7 customer service on a toll-free
telephone number.
- Send an email confirmation of an order and
notification of when items will ship.
- Have extra services such as a live customer service
chat feature, a low-price guarantee, providing free batteries for products
needing them, and many other helpful features, such as online order
tracking.
a. Toll Free Number
Why should you have to pay to find out
about your order? You shouldn't. Find out long before placing the order
whether the customer service department has a toll free number for you to
call should you require information.
b. Response Time
Sure, they have a customer support
telephone number, or even a toll free number to call... but how long to you
have to wait before you get off the phone queue and get to talk to a human
being? We call the online shopping web site's customer support line before
you have to. With Super Happy Shopper you know what to expect.
c. Live Online Chat Help
Another handy feature, especially if you
are using a dialup Internet connection on your only phone line, is a live
online chat feature. You don't have to hang up your Internet connection to
use your telephone to call customer support; simply click on the live online
chat link and you are instant messaging with one of the customer support
people. You can browse their web site while you chat.
d. Hours Open
Indicates the hours that customer
services operates. Expect a human being to answer the customer service
telephone number during this time.
e. Languages Spoken
Super Happy Shopper does not assume
everyone in the world speaks English and either should a good online
shopping catalogue. After all, online means Internet and the Internet is
worldwide. To offer excellent customer service various language may have to
be spoken.
f. Warranty
Some online shopping web sites offer an additional
warranty on the products they sell on top of the manufacturer's warranty
that most likely comes with the product you have purchased from them. This
indicates that they firmly stand behind the products they sell and don't
merely refer you to the manufacturer should something be defective.
g. Return Policy
A clear and concise return policy includes all the
details of returning a product for a refund. A full refund, rather than just
a credit or an exchange, should be offered. The customer should not be
subject to restocking or additional handling fees. The merchant should pay
for return shipping if a wrong or a defective product was shipped by
mistake.
Good web sites:
- Allow products ordered online to be returned to
local retail stores, if possible.
- Meet or exceed industry standard for returns.
- Pay return shipping costs in all cases.
h. Price Guarantee
Often a good online shopping web site will offer a
price guarantee: if you can find an advertised price lower than their own,
they will meet or beat it. Usually some restrictions apply, but a price
guarantee can ensure you that you are getting a good deal. If a online
shopping web site does not offer a price guarantee it doesn't necessarily
get a poor rating from Super Happy Shopper; the web site may have unbeatable
low pricing.
i. Satisfaction Guarantee
There should be a 100% satisfaction guarantee that
allows customers to return any item for any reason (unless prohibited by
law) in a reasonable amount of time (a minimum of 30 days). If the industry
standard for returns is less than a complete 100% satisfaction guarantee and
has a reasonable basis (for example, music CDs and software can only be
returned unopened), then sites should at least meet the industry standard.
j. Sales Tax
Depending on where the product is sold from and where
you live, you may or may not get charged sales tax. Save money by using the
free service provided by Super Happy Shopper!
k. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)
Use the Internet and get your questions answered
instantly without having to wait on a phone queue or a return email by
reading the frequently asked questions posted on good online shopping web
sites. If you are asking the question the chances are that someone else has
already asked the same question. Diligent customer service staff post these
questions and answers for you to read online on their web site. Find out
before you buy from Super Happy Shopper.
See also:
Safety
Usability
Shopping System
Customer Service
Online Service or
Informational Web Sites
