Buying
Online
What
to do if problems arise.
An easy
to understand guide to help you achieve a positive outcome if an online
purchase becomes problematic.
by Stuart Livesey
Copy
Text Online
Now let
me 'fess up right at the start - I sell things online so you might
think that it is in my best interests to make this sound as slick
and easy as possible.
Of course
I want to encourage people to buy online and preferably buy from the
merchants that I promote online but I also recognise the fact that
the experience you have while shopping is important.
It's
important to you and it's important to me because if you feel you
got burned then you will not be so ready to shop online in the future
and that will eventually hit my bottom line.
So let
me give you some hints on what to do when a problem arises after you
have made a purchase online and that way we can all benefit.
Surfing
websites like this one can be a real wealth hazard. There are so many
cool things on offer that you can buy and have delivered direct to
your door with nothing more than a few key strokes and mouse clicks.
Of course we have all heard those horror stories that people like
to tell about purchases that have gone wrong or credit card details
that have been hijacked but all those nice things just waiting…
The fact
is that the horror stories are becoming more a matter of urban legend
than of fact. Purchasing online is becoming far safer than it once
was and more and more people are taking advantage of the ability to
purchase items that they can't find down at the local mall.
They
are making those purchases with confidence because they know that
more and more reputable merchants are coming online in an effort to
expand the reach of their business. People are also becoming aware
that there are safeguards built in to online purchases.
The card
companies are keen to ensure that their customer, the cardholder,
is treated right and so their influence impacts on the merchants.
Despite
all that there are still a very small percentage of online sales that
go sour. Perhaps the goods do not arrive, perhaps they don't quite
match the description that was given on the website. There can be
any number of reasons why problems may arise so if it should happen
to you what should you do?
The very
first step starts back before you even start entering your details
in the order form. Make sure that you understand clearly what the
terms of sale really are.
I once
handled the customer service desk for an online merchant who made
it plain on the website that shipping was not overnight. Yet so many
people complained because their order was not with them within 24
hours.
There
was nowhere on the site that indicated overnight delivery and it was
made clear that the items were shipped from Asia and yet easily 40%
of all purchasers assumed that the goods were shipped from within
the United States and would be delivered within 24 hours.
The next
step is to make sure that when you place your order you take a note
of the order number that is either emailed to you or displayed on
the thankyou screen. Many merchants receive and ship a large volume
of orders every day and it is almost impossible to trace an order
without the order number.
Obviously
when your order does not arrive or is not up to your expectations
then you are going to be upset. You are going to be angry and you
will often feel like biting someone but please don't pour out your
frustrations on the customer service operator at the other end of
the phone or the other end of the email. It's quite likely in this
modern age of outsourcing that the operator is not an employee of
the merchant.
Instead,
try to remain calm and set out your complaint in a polite but positive
manner. You are the customer and the customer is always right but
that does not mean that the person on the other end of the phone or
email is a thief, a cretin and someone who is only interested in maximising
his employer's profits.
That
may sound a little hard but a Southern Baptist minister once called
me all those things - but in a much more profane manner - when his
order had gone astray. As it turned out his order had not only gone
astray but it hadn't even been placed with the company that I was
doing the customer service work for.
Customer
service operators are human beings and all human beings respond positively
when they are treated in a similar manner. If you want a quick resolution
to your problem then be polite and pleasant and the response will
have more chance of being positive than if you emulated that lovely
Southern Baptist minister.
Just
now I suggested that you should be polite and positive and there is
another thing you should be and that is clear. Clearly set out the
problem and clearly indicate what you expect to be done to rectify
the problem.
At the
same time you should not have unreal expectations of the merchant.
If the item has been lost in transit then you are entitled to expect
either a refund or another shipment of the goods.
However,
if the item could not be shipped overnight originally then don't expect
the merchant to be able to ship the replacement item overnight. If
you ask for a refund don't expect it to appear on your statement the
very next day. If the original order did not appear on your card statement
the next day then it is unlikely that the refund would.
All that
may sound rather obvious but you would be amazed at just how many
consumers expect those things to happen and when they don't happen
it just proves to them that the customer service operator is a thief,
a cretin and … well you get my point.
If those
things could be done that quickly then you can be sure that the merchant
would do it. While the Internet has given merchants the chance to
take their business to the world it has also opened up every marketplace
to strong competition.
No merchant
wants to lose customers or even have less than happy customers so
you can be sure that most merchants will do their utmost to correct
problems in as short a time as possible.
The amount
of retail business that is being done online runs into the billions
of dollars every year and everyone from the card companies right down
to the merchants are aware of just how important it is to make their
customers' online shopping experiences positive and enjoyable.
The
percentage of purchases that will go sour is very, very small and
if it happens to you then these simple guidelines will help you achieve
a positive outcome.
A positive
outcome for you is a positive outcome for all of us.
The
author, Stuart Livesey has been involved in online marketing and
customer service for nearly 6 years. He is a self-confessed sensitive
new age marketer and common sense writer who would sell you the
shirt off his back if he thought you wanted it.
This
article is copyright 2004 and may not be produced in whole or in
part without the express permission of the author.
