We’ve been stuck inside, so we’re scrolling through our favorite eCommerce sites, looking for a glimmer of joy. It’s a natural reaction to the current state of affairs.
But not expected. COVID’s surge in orders hit retailers and shipping companies worldwide. Supply chains halted, causing shortages of everything from toilet paper to paint.
Recent Customer Experience Trends
Due to the unprecedented demand, many companies struggled to meet consumer expectations.
The customer experience deteriorated. Customers were frustrated by backlogs and long shipping times, if orders were even fulfilled. Emails from customers piled up. Users tagged brands with stories of extreme delays on social media. The pandemic’s impact on business will be long-lasting.
The pandemic’s economic turmoil has exposed many supply chain vulnerabilities, but consumers’ expectations aren’t going to change to make business owners’ lives easier. They’ll probably keep rising.
So, how can you keep your customers happy as you adapt to the new retail landscape? It’s all in the message.
Provision of Solution With Email Marketing Automation
Just as we make extra efforts to soothe our loved ones during difficult times, retailers can ease their customers’ frustrations with supply shortages by communicating with them.
A human touch is important for small businesses, which often build customer relationships. Automated, personalized email campaigns can help eCommerce businesses smooth over any unavoidable pain points.
Supply shortages are beyond the control of marketers, but your team can help customers feel seen and understood. Email campaigns can inform subscribers of changes in average shipping times or remind them of their value. You can also use supply chain email marketing trends in your messaging.
Distract from supply issues with marketing campaigns that subtly guide your email list away from backordered inventory and toward new products or items with no supply issues.
Email Marketing Tips to Calm Customers
1. Make a live order tracker
An email will be sent to a new customer when their order is fulfilled. So they’ll never be left wondering if their order shipped, when it should arrive, or if it’s delayed (or coming early).
2. Offer in-stock options
A customer abandoning an online shopping cart due to a long delivery estimate can be emailed with suggestions of similar products that are currently in stock.
3. Thank customers for their patience
This can be in the form of a discount, as customers appreciate being recognized for their time’s worth, but it can also be in the form of extra reward points or free shipping. Your customers know they can shop around, so a little price incentive goes a long way to building and maintaining loyalty.
4. Remind them of their loyalty
What is it about your brand’s messaging that entices your clients? What keeps them opening your emails? Whatever it is that keeps your customers engaged, find a way to build on it and maintain your brand personality.
With 94 percent of Fortune 1000 companies experiencing supply chain issues, retailers and other businesses are worried about shortages. However, just because email marketing can’t solve physical inventory issues doesn’t mean it can’t keep customers happy.
Thanks to thoughtful content and effective email automation, your company can remind customers of its presence.