Does “Out of Stock” mean Out of Luck for Customers?
It doesn’t have to be! This is a very frustrating situation for e-Commerce merchants or retailers of any kind. You managed to get the customer all the way through the hoops, they want the product, but alas, it’s out of stock. You may have lost another customer. Sometimes the “out of stock” situation is dealt with taking the customer’s order regardless. However, as not all e-Commerce solutions have reliable integration, it’s not immediately seen that the item is out of stock. This ends up disappointing the customer when orders are ultimately left unfulfilled. If you do nothing and send it to them when it comes back in stock with no communications whatsoever, you can still end up with unhappy customers because deliveries are incredibly delayed. What are ways to salvage this sale when you have “out of stock” items on your website?
It must be said: Never hide the item because it becomes confusing and misleading. While some may think it’s a bad idea to display an item that a customer clearly cannot get which would then result in disappointment, transparency is key to better customer service. It can lead a customer to think that the item is permanently out of stock and never coming back, which can have major repercussions.
How do we combat this negative situation?
Availability Alerts – Alerts will automatically email the customer whenever the item comes back in stock. There is no need for them to constantly come back and check on an item’s status. This feature also presents opportunities for smart email marketing, whether it be promotions, an apology, or any other way to improve customer experience.
Cross Sell – Are there similar products that the customer may be interested in? This method captures the interest of the customer who wants the problem solved. If there are other items that can solve their problem and they’re not too fussed on the details, you can save the sale.
Offer a Coupon – After a customer has signed up for an alert, send them a special coupon code as a little apology. This feature can be more than just a sales tactic but one that fosters better customer service; it shows your understanding that this is a problem but you’re doing your best to fix it.
Digital Vantage Point cares about both business user and customer experience, Nav-to-Net™ has plenty of options so it fits your strategy and how you approach customers. We’re all about helping you exceed the expectations of your customers and improve experience even during very common and (let’s face it, usually negative) scenarios like out of stock items.