How to Grow Your DTC Business Without Compromising Customer Service

It’s estimated that 17% of goods will be bought online in 2021, almost double that of 2016. In 2020, many industries could barely stay afloat, yet the e-commerce industry saw more growth annually than in the past two decades. The digital shift we experienced in 2020 was explosive, and the pandemic accelerated it. Direct-to-consumer (DTC) businesses have been at the forefront of this e-commerce explosion. 

Why are DTC businesses thriving in today’s environment:

• All digital business model
• Meet where the consumers are: social media
• Complete control of the supply chain

Birchbox, the Dollar Shave Club, Bonobos, and Warby Parker are pioneers in this non-traditional retail space. They entered the market directly, providing tailored, convenient, data-driven, and authentic experiences to consumers without using a middle-man. The theme here isn’t what you sell; it’s how you sell and serve your audiences. BrandBastion’s DTC Customer Service Solution helps DTC brands sell their niche strategically, allowing brands to continue focusing on their growth by putting customer support into our hands. This way, your brand can ensure continued sales and customer satisfaction without needing to sacrifice internal resources.

A Major Challenge DTC Brands Face: 

Customer Service

It's not uncommon for DTC brands to go from 0 to millions in sales almost overnight due to Facebook's advertising power. Fast growth and high demand are ideal at the onset, but that needs to be met with innovative strategies across all teams to build sustainable, long-term businesses. DTC brands, therefore, need to ensure that as they scale, they take care of customer support.

Don’t Underestimate the Value of Customer Service

Top-notch customer service isn't something traditional businesses initially prioritize; it's challenging to measure the direct economic impact of a customer service strategy. However, DTC businesses don’t have the luxury of postponing a 360-degree customer service strategy. Why?

It’s likely that your DTC brand advertises, markets, and sells its products on social media. From the get-go, your customers perceive your DTC brand as accessible. In fact, the convenience and accessibility that DTC brands offer are part of what reels customers in and propels them to make purchases.

Your DTC brand, therefore, needs to ensure that as it scales, customer support is consistently delivered in emails, social media DMs, etc. Positive customer experiences build brand trust, loyalty, and fan community. BrandBastion's DTC Customer Service Solution turns positive situations into better ones, and negative situations into positive ones by communicating with your audience. We solve problems for your brand, and in record time.

Things to Consider when Scaling Customer Support:

Evolving Expectations

Much like your DTC brand, consumers play a role as disruptors in the industry. Their expectations are changing, and DTC brands must cater to these evolving needs and expectations. Consumers have grown accustomed to things that were luxuries just a couple of years ago, such as buying online and picking up in-store.

Changing Expectations:

1. Consumers expect a personalized 360-degree experience that incorporates connection, community, and consistency.

2. According to a Microsoft report, 54% of customers have higher expectations for customer service today compared to one year ago. This percentage jumps to 66% for consumers aged from 18 to 34 years old.

3. Consumers expect same-day responses and resolutions.

4. 76% of customers expect brands to know and understand their expectations. Source: Salesforce

According to Edelman's Trust Barometer 2021, the global pandemic also put trust to the test. 86% of respondents in the study indicated that they expect CEOs to lead on societal issues. This implies consumers will expect brands to start and support conversations online. DTC brands must cater to these evolving needs and expectations authentically and transparently.

If your brand is committed to taking a stand about things you believe in, you must be aware of the conversations in the comments section of your brand's social accounts. BrandBastion's Moderation + Alerts Solution protects your brand 24/7 from situations you consider sensitive and perceived threats to your brand's safety. Whether it's profanities deemed inappropriate by your brand or porn bots sneaking their way into your comments section, BrandBastion has them removed around the clock.

BRAND SPOTLIGHT: BONOBOS

Bonobos is more than a clothing brand; it's changed the way men shop. Bonobos shoppers buy their jeans online or at the store, and the store ships them to the customers' homes. Not only does the brand offer top-quality jeans and garments, but they aren't afraid of standing up and speaking about societal issues on social media. Most recently, the brand talked about the rise in hate crimes against Asians and provided resources to get educated.

Communication Style

Messaging and communication are critical for DTC businesses and must go beyond just transactional conversations. Consumers want to be a part of a community, and that community is built and maintained through consistent communication and a well-developed communication style. Your brand can foster meaningful two-way communication by responding to customer requests, inquiries, and questions across all channels using your signature tone of voice.

Responding to user emails, DMs, and comments in an engaging manner acknowledges the user’s experience, rewards them, and reinforces their decision to communicate while deepening brand loyalty. The key idea is to identify the user expectation relative to the message and to be able to deliver a brand response that matches the enthusiasm and effort of the user. Should your brand need a hand providing customized responses at scale, consider using BrandBastion’s Customer Engagement Solution.

BRAND SPOTLIGHT: DOLLAR SHAVE CLUB

The Dollar Shave Club is known for its very witty and very humorous communication style, one that connects deeply with its audience. As seen above, the Dollar Shave Club gets great customer feedback from its online community.

Response Rate

57% of customers prefer to contact companies via digital media such as email over voice-based customer support. In essence, more than half of your customers are likely to reach out with customer complaints and requests via social media through DMs or through email, where it’s fast and convenient. They are happy to connect on platforms they use daily. 

Recent research by HubSpot indicates that 90% of customers expect quick responses. It's therefore essential to show your customers are valued by respecting their time. BrandBastion DTC Customer Service Solution helps your brand reply to email messages, chats, and DMs and helps solve tickets, ensuring prompt and proactive customer support. A unique add-on BrandBastion can provide includes responses sent to complaints on public feeds. These conversations are then directed to a private channel to solve any issues.

BRAND SPOTLIGHT: BARK BOX

BarkBox is a monthly subscription service that offers a surprise of dog toys, treats, and goodies to your pet. The brand is great at providing thorough responses to FAQs in good time, which has led to a passionate and loyal fan community online.

Customer Service Made Easy With BrandBastion

BrandBastion solves the major challenge DTC brands face. We handle each ticket as it comes, solving escalated issues and providing personalized and engaging responses according to your brand’s parameters.

• BrandBastion addresses every Customer Support query, only escalating issues to the brand when necessary.
• BrandBastion responds to customer support inquiries based on preconfigured responses that maintain your brand voice. 
• BrandBastion provides trained Customer Service Agents that monitor and take action for customer requests.

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Improve Customer Service as a Growing DTC Brand