When Returning Products Demonstrates Confidence

Cyber Monday is coming back.  Only this time, it’s a Thursday.

Maybe you burnt a bridge with someone who you purchased a gift for, maybe whatever you ordered no longer fits because in addition to layering your clothes for cold weather, you’ve also been layering your meals with a block of cheddar cheese…or maybe you just flat out purchased in haste and made a mistake.  Whatever the reason, ‘Boomerang Thursday’ is in recognition of your mistakes.

Yesterday Bizreport.com announced that one in 20 people who purchased gifts on or around Cyber Monday expect to return at least one of their purchases prior to the Christmas holiday.  This coming Thursday, December 9th, is typically the kickoff day for those returns.  Hence the apropos ‘Boomerang Thursday.’

The high number of returns is no cause for alarm though, it actually demonstrates increased consumer confidence in online retailers’ ability to have consumers’ replacement items in stock and ready to be delivered prior to Christmas.  But just like Ebenezer Scrooge, your holiday mistakes could come back to bite you.  With wintry weather and the holiday season comes increased delivery time expectations as well as a high volume of consumers who may have made the same kinds of ordering mistakes you did (minus the gluttonous layering of cheese).

That being said, if you think that you may end up having to return a product that you ordered recently, it’s best to look for a retailer that has an easy to understand and clearly outlined returns policy.  It may also be best to look for one with free return shipping and affordable, speedy delivery rates.  If you’re on the lookout for retailers with excellent shipping and delivery policies and practices just in time for the holidays, look no further than our Holiday Guide.  These retailer’s policies will leave you so pleased that you’ll be returning from whence you came, just like…a planet in orbit?  a dog playing fetch?  a sailor returning to port?  Either way, you get the idea.

Soothing Voices

AFLAC!

Who doesn’t love that duck voice?

Ironically, the company known for its live duck mascot who creeps up at opportune times yelling “Aflac!” recently underwent a change in the voice of its automated customer service systems. As a result, Aflac reported a 7% increase in customer satisfaction according to The Wall Street Journal. Since calls with a live human cost $3-9 versus $.05-.07 for automated service, the company hopes a more homey, gentle voice will warm up the caller and sway he or she to get assistance through the automated systems instead of a live representative.

Obviously, customers prefer a relaxed, compassionate voice to a cold, overly-formal one. A few companies make the initial greeting more pleasant by making it consistent with the brand’s personality. For example, UnderArmour.com has an enthusiastic, “let’s go exercise!” energy to its answering recording.

He might answer your next call.

The recorded voice on GanderMountain.com has a southern twang to it that makes me picture a man decked out in full camouflage clutching a Remington 770 ready to discuss the finer points of skeet shooting.

And would you believe that John Boden (Founder/CEO of clothing company Boden) himself answers your call on BodenUSA.com? How can you not be soothed by his gentle voice that your call will be “held in the queue?”

These retailers differentiate themselves by having voices that echo the brand’s image. Is this effective as a homey, middle-aged woman voice used for Aflac? Not that Aflac has the option to use its beloved duck’s voice throughout its automated system!

Natural Is Always Better Than Fake

One month ago I composed a conglomeration of the funniest customer service representative pictures found on popular online retailers. Today, I realized there is a method to the madness of choosing these photos. Today, the Get Elastic Ecommerce blog summarized a few studies that tested the effect of pictures on users’ activity on the site-if it makes them purchase more, sign up for offers, call customer support, etc.

The results are summed up by the Get Elastic blog as such:

Showing pictures of smiling humans may make give off more happy vibes – but do they result in more site visitors taking action?

The answer is yes, no and maybe.

There are many interesting results mentioned in the Get Elastic article, but if there’s one main point I’ve taken away from it, it is that when illustrating customer service representatives on sites, feature real people, not shiny, sparkly, just-got-botox-looking folk. In tests with actual employees and CEO’s (and models looking at the featured product, making the illustration more “real-life”), conversion rates increased, while stock photos and disengaged models had the opposite effect. In other words, we need more Mikes and less Jamies (see below) in our online shopping experience if we are to be called to action and purchase more.

Customer, meet Mike. He looks trustworthy and helpful, but believes in "real talk." He might even beat you up.

Customer, meet Jamie. She's peppy, loves to smile, is sometimes silly, and can't wait to assist you!

Consumers Spread the Bitterness

Not only do customers abandon sites from which they have a poor experience, but they are very likely to tell their friends.

Harris Interactive poll released a study that showed 55% of consumers surveyed would pay 10% more for better customer service, and 10% would pay 25% more! This data echoes the study STELLAService commissioned Ovum and another by American Express that revealed consumers are willing to spend 9.7% more for excellent customer service.

But consumers are likely to blab about a negative experience too. The Harris report showed that 79% of consumers who had a poor experience told other people about it, while 66% went as far as to discourage others from doing business with the company. In today’s world where people vent their frustration via Twitter, blogs, or Facebook statuses, it is more vital now than ever before to provide first-rate service. Customers who experience otherwise are apt to infect the interwebs with disgruntled tales of their online shopping misfortunes.

With Cyber Monday (the Monday after Black Friday in which e-retailers see a huge jump in sales) a mere 31 days away, expect a flurry of online sales as well consumers’ “I didn’t get my package in time for the holidays! Rawrawrarrrr!” bitter tweet symphonies.

UPS Delivering More Than Just Packages

While walking through the never-ending, life-sucking subway tunnel from 7th to 8th ave, I noticed a plethora of heart-clad UPS signs advertising their new campaign “We Love Logistics.” The campaign was launched a month ago, and more recently their commercials have started popping up on nationwide television.

I researched to see what this is all about. Here’s the gist of the campaign-instill that they use the latest technology and logistics that make your packages arrive on time. All to the beat of a catchy tune that sounds like “That’s Amore.”

But the UPS’s amore is not just for the logistics that makes it speedy and successful. Betsy Wilson, advertising director at UPS, stresses the campaign’s focus on both technology and customers: “Big businesses and small businesses all need logistics; it all needs to work smoothly and serve their customers in a powerful way.”

Talk about serving customers-UPS has three Twitter accounts designed to help customers track and find packages. All of these accounts are incredibly responsive and give customers speedy and simple solutions to all of the “wahhh, where’s my packaaaage?” tweets.

Subway ad for UPS

UPS notes on their blog that they have more capabilities than people realize that go beyond the scope of being just a parcel delivery company, such as filling prescriptions for medical devices and providing services for online printing.

Like the cheery, happy song? Should’ve been in Chicago a few weeks ago-UPS did an improv dance prance performance of the “Logistics Song” in front of the Wrigley Building, which can be viewed on their Facebook page.

How can I not be enthusiastic a company that uses hearts as a foundation of its advertising campaign?

<3, STELLAshopper