RBizz Corporate Accountants - Resources #Customer Service

How to improve your customer experience as a retail business

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 15:30:45 +1100

How to improve your customer experience as a retail business

“Q: My online retail customers are disappearing thick and fast. What could be causing this drop in sales conversions?”

As a small retail business, you spend a significant amount on customer acquisition. But recent research from Inside Retail reveals that we have a major commitment problem.

Last year, 76% of shoppers walked away after one bad experience. This year, that number has climbed to 84%. Customers are no longer taking the traditional routes of complaining or filing tickets; they are simply disappearing and abandoning their carts.

“A: The real ‘breaking points’ are no longer happening at the checkout – they are happening after the buy button is hit.”

With online shopping such a central part of any retail strategy, customers abandoning baskets, or cancelling their purchases is a major headache.

But there are plenty of ways to improve your retail customer experience (CX) to mitigate these abandoned carts and the associated loss of sales:

Remove the barrier of shoppers needing a mandatory account:

Make it easy for shoppers to check out using a ‘guest account’. 34% of respondents say they abandoned a cart because of forced registration. Allow customers to create an account after the payment is complete, transforming a hurdle into post-purchase convenience.

Be totally transparent about the final price:

Show all shipping costs, taxes and fees up front when the customer first views the cart, rather than at the final payment step. Hidden costs are a major reason for abandonment, so providing a real-time shipping calculator prevents the potential price shock that can kill conversions.

Offer multiple payment options:

69% of shoppers may abandon carts that don’t offer their preferred payment methods. It’s sensible to include payment gateways such as PayPal, Apple Pay and Google Pay alongside the more traditional credit/debit card option. This increases the chance of your customer clicking through and paying.

Give the customer a good reason to trust you:

Place security badges, clear return policy links and live-chat icons directly within the checkout footer. Anxiety about data security or ‘what if it doesn't fit?’ worries peak at the moment of payment; these signals provide the final reassurance needed to click 'Confirm'.

Removing the barriers to cart abandonment and lost sales

With 14.3% of all Australian retail sales now being made online, removing these e-commerce customer experience barriers is a must for any small retail businesses.

Talk to our team about your e-commerce strategy and the key ways you can enhance your customer experience to reduce cart abandonment and unsatisfied customers.

Do Customers Still Want Human Customer Service?

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 10:42:54 +1100

Do Customers Still Want Human Customer Service?

“Q: Do customers still want good, old-fashioned customer service?”

Customer service has changed. We now have multiple options for automating our customer interactions or offering self-service options to our customer base. Customers can talk directly to AI agents or sort out a query with an automated chatbot. It’s fast, efficient and (from your viewpoint as an employer) highly cost-effective.

But is automated customer service always the best option? In an environment where your customers are surrounded by digital interactions, wouldn’t it be nice to offer a more human and personalised level of customer service? And does that mean hiring more staff?

“A: There’s still great value in personalised customer service.”

Fundamentally, customers are still seeking out the human element of customer service, amongst the sea of digital and online noise that we’re now surrounded by daily.

There are three core reasons why customers crave this more personal touch:

Trust and empathy: When dealing with complex or emotionally charged issues (like financial errors or faulty products), customers want to talk to a human agent who can demonstrate empathy and take ownership of the problem. Chatbots may be efficient, but they don’t deliver when it comes to customer empathy.

Context and recognition: Old-fashioned service means being recognised and having your history remembered. Customers expect the business to know their needs, history and preferences without forcing them to repeat this information. A human agent with access to a CRM system can deliver this recognition in a personalised and tailored way.

A need for exceptional service: A recent Australian survey found that 88% of consumers expressed satisfaction with customer service interactions that were managed mostly or fully by human agents. When customers have a good experience with a human agent, this increases their brand advocacy and can also generate positive word-of-mouth referrals (one of the best ways to attract new customers).

The impact of human-led customer service can be immense. AI agents and software automation can boost your overall efficiency for many simple tasks and customer interactions. But having the human touch drives customer loyalty, retention and your competitive advantage.

Hiring more customer service staff (and investing in their training) could be a way to find your own competitive advantage as a business.

Talk to Us About Your People Strategy

Finding the right balance between automation and human support can give your business a real competitive advantage. If you’d like to explore how your people strategy can improve customer service and business growth, book a time to talk with our team.

Do Customers Still Want Personal Customer Service?

Mon, 19 Jan 2026 14:06:45 +1100

Do Customers Still Want Personal Customer Service?

“Q: Do customers still want good, old-fashioned customer service?”

“A: There’s still great value in personalised customer service.”

Fundamentally, customers are still seeking out the human element of customer service, amongst the sea of digital and online noise that we’re now surrounded by daily.

There are three core reasons why customers crave this more personal touch:

Hiring more customer service staff (and investing in their training) could be a way to find your own competitive advantage as a business.

If you want to talk through your people strategy, please do book some time with our team.

5 tips for controlling your cashflow

Mon, 19 Jan 2026 14:06:21 +1100

5 tips for controlling your cashflow

Is your cashflow position keeping you awake at night? Don’t worry, we have five simple tips to improve your cashflow management and achieve a positive cash position.

1. Give your accounts receivable a boost

Invoice your client as soon as the job is completed, or consider invoicing in instalments once key milestones are reached. Also, make sure you have strict payment terms in place.

2. Negotiate longer payment terms

Talk to your suppliers to negotiate 30 or 60-day payment terms. This delays payment for your most common overheads, helping you spread the cost over a longer period.

3. Always have a cash reserve in place

Putting surplus profits into a cash reserve gives you a buffer to draw on when cashflow is challenging. This can be a great way to get through quiet periods or cover unexpected costs.

4. Make the most of your cashflow forecasting tools

Use the cashflow tools in your accounting software or forecasting app to create a rolling cashflow forecast. This helps you spot the potential cash shortfalls and budget accordingly.

5. Keep a close eye on inventory levels

Review your inventory levels and warehouse stock to make sure capital is not tied up in slow-moving stock. Think about a leaner approach that reduces your costs.

More helpful advice on managing your cashflow

If your current cashflow position is worrying you, come and talk to our team. We’ll give you tailored advice on how to boost your cash inflows and reduce your cash outflows.

The value of old-fashioned customer service: getting data insights

Tue, 23 Sep 2025 12:30:44 +1000

The value of old-fashioned customer service: getting data insights

In a world where so many of your customer touch points take place online, there’s still a place for good, old-fashioned customer service.

Personal, tailored and (crucially) human interactions are what make your business unique. But how can you learn from your customer data to make this bespoke approach more effective?

We’ve highlighted four ways to use data analytics to improve your online customer service

1. Personalise your communications and experiences
Your CRM and e-commerce systems are full of useful customer data.
By diving into data points like customers’ purchase history or browsing behaviour, you can offer each customer a more personalised experience. This could include tailored product recommendations, relevant content from your blog or discounts on their favourite product. Knowing what a customer loves about your brand, or your product, shows you understand their needs – and that’s great for building stronger relationships and brand loyalty.
2. Make customer support more targeted
Sifting through your customer service data to find the common pain points can be revealing.
Analyse your data relating to customer feedback, product issues or common complaints. This helps you build up a detailed picture of the everyday issues experienced by your customers. Based on these insights, you can deliver relevant training for your customer support team, leading to faster, more-effective resolutions. The same data can also inform your self-service features, making it easier for customers to autonomously find the resolutions they need.
3. Resolve any potential issues fast!
The faster you can react to customer feedback, the more valued your customers will feel.
Monitor data for signs of customer frustration or churn risk. Data points to look for include low engagement, or a sudden drop in purchases. By looking out for these potential problems early, you can reach out quickly with proactive support and special offers – before real damage is done and the customer decides to leave and disengage from your brand.
4. Improve your products and services
You can improve your products/services by factoring in the most common customer complaints and making changes based on this feedback.
Collect and analyse your customer feedback from surveys and reviews to pinpoint specific areas for improvement – and factor these into your product design and development. Acting on your customers’ feedback doesn’t just show you’re listening; it shows that you designed your products specifically for their needs. This is a great way to make customers feel valued.

Let’s get analytical with your customer data

The secrets to delivering these unique, personalised customer interactions lie in the data that’s already in your customer digital systems. Talk to our team and we’ll help you come up with a strategy for reviewing, analysing and classifying your customer data.