What are some of your favorite internet memes?
I myself am a sucker for anything dog-related posts. Funny Reels comes second.
And, of course, heartwarming and excellent customer service stories come next.
I know you know the reason why these kinds of stories go viral online...
Yes, they are uplifting and inspiring. It also means that the brands gave excellent customer service... to the point that their customers sing the businesses' praises.
For smart eCommerce brand owners like you, customer service experiences can bring a great deal of success to your business.
Hear me out:
Consumers always look for excellent customer service. You see, 93% of customers are more likely to repeatedly purchase from brands that offer great customer service.
Plus, when they read stories about YOUR great customer service... You will boost customer loyalty from previous customers and create brand advocates from happy customers.
That's better word-of-mouth marketing for your brand!
The question remains: How do you get great customer service stories out of your customers?
Well, keep reading as we go through...
- Best customer service stories from different eCommerce brands
- How your business can create your own great customer service stories
- What makes a great service from a business
Let's get right into it...
7 Best Customer Service Stories From eCommerce Businesses
Many businesses have good customer service stories they have to tell. I've chosen some of the stories that have gone viral because of good customer feedback. Let's start with...
1. Zappos
How long will you be able to talk to a customer through a phone call?
You might say half an hour is more than enough to deliver good customer service. But can you talk on the phone for 10 hours?
Such is the case for a Zappos customer support rep. One of their employees received a phone call that lasted for 10 hours and 29 minutes!
So, what did they talk about?
They mostly discussed what it's like living in the Las Vegas area. They also talked about clothes and shoes. And the conversation led to Zappos selling a pair of Ugg boots.
Talk about a unique and dedicated support team!
As you can see, this online shoe and clothing retailer went beyond their customer's expectations.
Once the story was published on different media outlets, they reassured customers that their core value is "to deliver wow through service."
Another customer service story you need to hear about is...
2. Chewy
Chewy is an online retail store for everything pet-related.
And they are not known for their good customer service, but their AMAZING customer service.
Here is a great example of going beyond customer satisfaction.
A customer, Anna Brose, had a dog who passed away. To make it worse, she had to return an unopened bag of dog food after Gus, her dog, died.
Not only did Chewy give her a full refund and told her to just donate the dog food to a shelter, but they also delivered flowers to her... with a personal gift note from the employees she talked to!
It was not surprising at all when the heartening story went viral.
In effect, users on the social media platform see how Chewy cares for their customers, earning their trust.
And that's not the only time Chewy went above and beyond with their customer service.
Previous customers are also sharing their amazing experiences with the store.
Because of their continuous and consistent service, they enjoy countless social proof in return.
Want to hear about a unique customer service story?
Let me tell you about...
3. Warby Parker
For people who need to wear glasses just to see, it's the most annoying thing when you lose your reading glasses.
And that happened to the traveling passenger Michael John Mathis. He accidentally left this Warby Parker reading glasses while riding the train.
He thought he had lost it for good. So, he replaced his glasses the next day.
A few days later, he received an unexpected package.
It was his lost pair of glasses!
Well... not exactly. Here is what happened.
By chance, the GC of Warby Parker found the pair of glasses. Since the glasses' style and prescription are unique, she found the rightful owner right away.
And that's how Warby Parker gained a customer for life.
Obviously, creating an awesome customer experience is not limited to their employees. Senior executives try to walk the talk for their employees to follow, too.
The next story features a business stepping up during hard times...
4. Airbnb
In 2015, Airbnb hosted its annual Airbnb Open. It's when hosts can connect and hang out with each other. Other than the hosts, journalists also attended, as well as Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky.
Then, terror struck Paris. Parisians had to stay strong in the face of terrorist attacks all over the city.
Airbnb swiftly took action to make sure that the attendees were safe. They reached out to them, asking them if they were safe. All of the events were canceled.
The CEO encouraged the guests to communicate through their website's Community center. Anyone who needed a place to stay can tweet them with the hashtag #AOHelp.
They also asked individuals who want to open their homes for people who are seeking shelter. And they all did it for free.
Airbnb opened up their customer service with different digital channels.
Their actions during a crisis became a game-changer for how businesses can help during hard times.
Speaking of hard times, this past year has not been easy, either.
But a good example of an online company stepping up is...
5. Google
eCommerce businesses can learn a lot from Google's actions during the pandemic.
As COVID-19 started spreading worldwide, Google introduced alert pages so users could immediately see updates about the virus. They also created dedicated results for any updates.
Plus, this online giant used their massive platform to raise awareness. They shared information about symptoms, techniques for coping, vaccination updates, etc.
They also made sure that the content they were sharing was factual and free from misinformation. They took information from reliable sources such as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO).
All of their efforts makes for great customer journey and stories.
During the pandemic, companies scrambled to keep their customers satisfied.
The next business had a brilliant idea to better the customer journey...
6. Ralph Lauren
Since we were forced to stay home and practice social distancing, physical stores experienced reduced footfall.
To cheer up their customers during the holiday season, Ralph Lauren created the RL Virtual Store Experience.
This digital approach allowed their customers to virtual shop in their iconic stores around the world.
You can shop in New York, Paris, Hong Kong, Beverly Hills, Moscow... right from the comfort of your own home!
Customers can move around and choose the products they want to buy.
Here's more.
They are also launching a virtual gaming experience. Along with that are customizable products that are on-demand.
And this customer approach worked!
Their desire to create a better experience for their customers gained them $783 million in profit.
More often, customer service usually entails putting out fires for customers.
The next business somehow puts out the fire before there's even a smoke...
7. Adobe
Technology sometimes fails. Adobe happened to experience an outage because of some technical issues.
And before they receive customer complaints, they already tweeted about the issue.
To lighten the mood, they included a video of a puppy stampede on their tweet. While there are comments asking for an update, most of them are reacting to the puppies.
With their swift response (even before the complaints!) and lighthearted tweet, Adobe delivered well for their customer service.
Now, don't these stories just make you want to create the best customer experience?
To do so, here are some takeaways on...
How Do You Create Your Own Great Customer Service Stories?
- Go Above And Beyond. It's better to exceed customers' expectations than to deliver a mediocre service. So, make sure that your team is free to overdeliver.
- Build On Empathy. It's a skill to validate each customer's concerns and feelings. Developing this skill will turn any negative experience into an uplifting one.
- Quickly Respond. Customers can become frustrated when there is a long response time. The faster you respond, the better their experience will be.
- Offer Self-Service Options. Customers may want to help themselves. An FAQ page or blog posts can immediately help them.
And that's how you...
Offer Customer Experience That Makes Them Go "Wow!"
I hope these brilliant eCommerce customer stories inspire you to create and tell your own.
Remember...
As an online business, you don't have to spend big bucks to give your customers a satisfying experience. Even a simple Tweet reply or an Instagram repost can make them feel special.
Let me tell you another way you can give the BEST customer experience...
When your eCommerce site is super fast, aesthetically pleasing, and enjoyable to shop on.
So choose Debutify!
This all-in-one Shopify theme can easily create the customer experience you want for your online business.
With over 50 Add-Ons, you can improve your conversions and increase profits. It's the perfect Profit Optimization Partner!
Don't miss out and...
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Ricky Hayes
