Just finished reading "Delivering Happiness" by Tony Hsieh (CEO of Zappos.com - the world's most successful shoes etailer), ok, or more accurately, the world's top service company just happened to sell shoes online as a start. :)
It's an Entertaining Read, and it makes you reflect on your life. It got me thinking about my 3P - Pleasure, Passion, and the ultimate Higher Purpose, in search for my sustained happiness.
If there's only one book you are going to read this year, let this be the one. After all, no matter what path we were pursuing, isn't it supposedly lead us and people we love to Happiness? If not, why bother?
Tony said E-commerce, is actually like "Delivering Happiness-in-a-box". Hmm... as an online shopper, isn't one of the great excitement of buying online, is always at receiving and unwrapping the package !?
There's only 2 responses when your customers unwrap your packages.
Apparently the first one you must do everything to avoid, as they can easily thrash you nowadays via Yelp, Complaintsboard, Facebook, Twitter.
Technology, as it turns out, can be a real nightmare for mediocre business.
For most businesses, the profit is build on repeat purchases. If you make your customers happy, they will tell everyone about it and you will get more business as a result. A positive Word-of-Mouth (WOM) from a friend is so powerful that it will basically erode the skepticism they have when it comes shopping at your webstore.
So How do we deliver happiness via Ecommerce?
1) Make sure you deliver exactly what the clients has ordered - This one sounds like a no-brainer, but to do this at scale (meaning when you serve a few thousands order or more per day) is real hard. A solid system and processes must be at the core.
2) Surprise Them - First impression lasts forever, It's how you make them feel that will make you stand out! Throw in small gifts, discount voucher, or something complimentary. Little thing counts in building long lasting relationship.
3) Set expectation, then exceed it - Average delivery day is 3~5 days, but they receive it on the next day or even same-day delivery if they order before 12pm! Do something out of their expectation (in a good way, of course)!
4) Quality of Goods - Need to say more? You deliver crap, you will get word-of-mouth too, albeit a negative one.
The toughest hurdle for e-commerce, is always about customer confidence. It stands true no matter which part of the world you look at.
Imagine the psychological hurdles a consumer need to overcome, just to place an order with you (the no-branded small merchants, especially) online. They are afraid of being cheated, the are afraid of handling their credit card details over the Internet, they are afraid that their packages will never arrive at the door steps, and even if it did arrive, they are afraid you send the wrong things to them! Now this is tough...
Now you wonder why China E-commerce is geared up by Cash On Delivery? 70% of the online orders is placed on COD method.
And this is why it's so important for online merchants, to dedicate full efforts in making sure the customers get the best shopping experience - Get them to WoW when unwrapping the package.
Deliver Happpiness in your box, and they shall come back again!
