Providing outstanding customer service is not a “nice-to-have” in today’s hyper competitive digital marketplace; it is a must. Consumers anticipate prompt, amiable, and precise assistance whenever they require it, day or night. Meeting these demands around the clock is a financial and logistical challenge for e-commerce companies. Ecommerce virtual assistant services can help to solve this challenge.
The smartest e-commerce companies are using ecommerce virtual assistants for smooth, round-the-clock customer service that keeps clients satisfied and companies expanding. Virtual assistants (VAs) are revolutionizing the way brands scale their operations and provide services, whether you’re managing a Shopify store or a product empire across Amazon, Walmart, and Etsy.
The rise of the always-on customer
Nowadays, consumers shop whenever they want. Nearly 30% of e-commerce purchases take place outside of regular business hours. Your store never truly closes because of online deal searches, time zone differences, and mobile shopping. However, you’re losing money and customer trust if your support staff leaves at 6 p.m.
A potential customer may leave their cart and shop elsewhere if they have a single unresolved question related to the product’s size, return policy, or shipping time. The cost of not being accessible around the clock quickly mounts when you multiply that by hundreds or thousands of visits per day.
Why 24/7 support is a game-changer
Astute e-commerce companies recognize that providing 24/7 customer service is a strategic advantage rather than merely a reactive one.
This is the reason:
- Consumers are more likely to buy from businesses that respond to their inquiries promptly. According to studies, 82% of customers anticipate receiving a response to their sales inquiry right away.
- Helpful and timely assistance builds trust. In a crowded market, a brand that “never sleeps” stands out.
- Proactively resolving issues can avoid misconceptions that result in unfavorable reviews or expensive returns.
- 24/7 service guarantees that you’re reachable in all time zones if you’re aiming to attract clients from abroad. This will save you from the trouble of hiring local staff in each area.
The e-commerce virtual assistant advantage
It is not affordable to hire internal personnel to provide round-the-clock assistance, particularly for small to mid-sized e-commerce companies. Over time, benefits, and rotating shifts are difficult and expensive to manage. For this reason, more companies are using ecommerce virtual assistant services to handle customer service. An ecommerce virtual assistant performs as a skilled worker. It performs a variety of customer service duties, such as
- Live chat assistance
- Order monitoring and status reports
- Answering questions about products
- Managing exchanges and returns
- Taking care of client emails and tickets
- Social media assistance
Virtual assistants are unique because of their scalability and flexibility. You can hire a virtual assistant who is capable of doing your entire team’s work alone.
Key benefits of virtual assistant services
1. Constant Accessibility
By working in shifts across time zones, virtual assistants allow your company to provide round-the-clock assistance without taxing your payroll or exhausting your local staff.
2. Economy of Cost
Outsourcing customer service to a virtual assistant can save labor costs compared to hiring full-time staff. There are no costs for office space, benefits, or training—you only pay for the hours that are worked.
3. Support for Multiple Channels
Customers of today interact on a variety of platforms, including your website, Facebook, Instagram, Amazon, and others. Ecommerce virtual assistants are prepared to handle customer service through all of these channels with ease.
4. Scalability
During back-to-school season, Cyber Monday, or Black Friday, do you need additional help? With the on-demand scalability that virtual assistants provide, you can modify your support staff in response to fluctuations in seasonal traffic.
5. Improved Experience for Customers
The majority of ecommerce virtual assistant services employ agents who are highly skilled in CRM training, product knowledge, and communication. Better customer interactions and greater satisfaction result from this.
How e-commerce brands are using VAs to grow smarter
Consider a direct-to-consumer (DTC) skincare company with headquarters in California. Their internal team had trouble answering consumer questions after 6 p.m. before employing virtual assistants. Overnight, a large number of support tickets would accumulate, resulting in irate clients and decreased revenue.
They added 24/7 live chat to their website and social media accounts after collaborating with an ecommerce virtual assistant service. Response times decreased from twelve hours to less than two minutes. As a result, there was a 40% decrease in returns and a 23% increase in conversion rate.
And there are a lot of success stories like that.
Ecommerce virtual assistants can help close the gap between your brand and your customers, day or night, whether you’re selling electronics, fashion, home decor, or handcrafted goods.
What to look for in an e-commerce virtual assistant partner
All VAs do not perform the same services. When selecting a partner for your online store, take into account the following things:
- Familiarity with e-commerce sites such as Amazon, eBay, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, and Shopify
- Knowledge of multiple customer support platforms such as Help Scout, Freshdesk, Gorgias, or Zendesk
- Multiple time zone availability for smooth, round-the-clock coverage
- Trained representatives who can mimic the tone and voice of your brand
- Compliance and data security to safeguard client information
Our specialty at EcommerceAlly is providing skilled, dependable ecommerce virtual assistant services to help online brands grow more quickly and intelligently. We tailor our services to meet your needs and budget, whether you require full-service customer support or assistance with channel management.
The world of e-commerce is changing quickly. Brands must offer 24/7 customer service if they hope to compete and succeed. Ecommerce virtual assistants are now a strategic decision that offers an unrivaled return on investment, improved customer retention, and the capacity to reach a worldwide audience.
Using an ecommerce virtual assistant could be the best investment you’ve ever made if you’re prepared to improve customer satisfaction and expand your brand by providing round-the-clock assistance.
If you’re looking for an e-commerce virtual assistant for your business, contact EcommerceAlly, and together, we can create a round-the-clock support system so you don’t have to.
