Let me share how I spent about $100.00 of my time on a $5.00 item and how a business should not to do it. Recently, I purchased a subscription for a link building service. The communication was acceptable but slow and the correspondence received had nothing to do with my order or my problems. There was no ticket system for tracking customer service questions or issues so the responses were inadequate or non-existent. You had to start over with every e-mail sent because there was no paper trail. By the time I was refunded on PayPal I bet it cost me more than $100 of my time and I had to issue a request via PayPal before the company provided the refund. I became agitated and could not believe how this person survived on-line. I even started to wonder if I should go into competition with this business …if others were experiencing similar issues my customer service would blow them away and I would easily earn their business. I did not pursue this but sure was tempted… my question why do people waste time sending irrelevant e-mails when they can simply respond to the issue or complete a refund in the same time it takes them to send a flowery response?

Some managers are unwilling to delegate and they try to run their business independently and with out-dated systems or technology. Other mistakes often made are they are afraid to invest in software or client management tools to help them deliver a higher quality service level. Customer retention should be your #1 priority and responding with flowery e-mails on how busy you are is a total waste of time. Your auto responder should show action and that the user is getting one step closer to a resolution. People are busy and a response should have some meat to it. If you are going to provide a refund why not just do so rather than pen numerous e-mails saying what you are going to do. Instead of e-mailing the client and saying you going to e-mail a refund just do it. Wow, can never understand that…the seller wasted 2 minutes telling you they will refund you instead of just completing the task which would have saved everyone time and frustration.

Customer service is important to your on-line clients. Use an automated response to let the buyer know status of orders or refunds. Acknowledge payments quickly. Ship immediately, and inform the customer when the product is in transit or shipped. Customer service strategies include providing a tracking link to the product whenever possible.

Let’s recap — customer service strategies for your on-line clients are not any different than traditional on-line stores. Make sure the product is as good as you say it is, don’t inflate shipping and handling, ship quickly, and have a liberal return policy. Always keep the client in the loop with relevant facts relating specifically to their order. This is the best method to ensure customer retention, to achieve high customer satisfaction and grow your business.

Even the most conscious individuals can find themselves squandering 30 minutes reviewing an extended sales pitch and yanking out their charge card at the conclusion to take advantage of the time sensitive offer.

Initially, I too was enticed by well written copy or those well written sales or squeeze pages …. Especially felt pressured or challenged  when presented with a DEADLINE.

They give you a time frame which a special offer will come to an end and interestingly enough it’s just a couple of hours away or for a limited time only! It provides you with a sense of urgency like you might miss out if you don’t buy it NOW! Sometimes there’s even a clock countdown.

They insert this Pressure Cooker FAKE DEADLINE once you have sifted over the Sales Funnel. You have studied testimonials, they have tugged at your heart strings and you barely have any reservations remaining concerning the merchandise …. Then WHAM!

“This 50% discount offer is only valid for a limited time”

“Buy at this special discounted price only available until midnight tonight”

“We are going back to our original price when current stock runs out”

The perception is you are receiving a bargain, when in fact it was never priced at the excessively high price anyway. At this time the best thing to do is take a step back and contemplate whether it is a WANT or a NEED! Ever wonder why gum and candy bars are at the grocery store checkout? They are looking for compulsive buyers and know many will grab a little something extra when waiting to pay. Marketing 101. Okay back to compulsive spend… Keep in mind you are in control of the situation. It’s your cash and you have worked hard for it, so don’t separate yourself from it!

When I initially became suspicious about this technique I did something they do not want you to do. I added the website to my favorites and returned at another time …. And you know what? The Pressure Cooker FAKE DEADLINE was still there. I tested it again and again with the same results.

Do you follow the slap chop guy…buy one and get second one free so buy now cause we cannot do this all day blah blah…that commercial has been running for two years!

When shopping we have to control our urge to emotionally spend, so if I really want something I ask the sales assistant to hold it for an hour. If I return for it, then I know I truly need or want it. If I don’t then I know it might have been an EMOTIONAL purchase.

There are many other sneaky things marketers do to entice you into purchasing their products or services. You can find out more in my future posts, but until then remain aware of your wants and needs. Be prudent!