Blog Posts Why You Need to Set Expectations for Subscription Box Customers
As the subscription box industry grows more and more competitive, subscription-based companies need to provide an outstanding customer experience in order to stand out from the crowd. What’s the best way to satisfy subscribers? Manage their expectations.
While subscription customers welcome the element of surprise when it comes to the contents of their subscription box, they want to have a basic understanding of how their subscription works. As Saddle Creek’s Director of Fulfillment Nicole Lee explains in her latest blog for MultiChannel Merchant, educating subscribers about the fulfillment process is critical.
Following is an excerpt from the blog…
Be Prepared for These 5 Questions from Subscription Box Customers
A traditional batch subscription program requires a consistent cadence – whether it’s monthly, quarterly or according to another schedule. It is important that subscribers understand what to expect at each step along the way. This helps to improve the customer experience, preempt a flood of questions to your customer care center, and ensure that fulfillment operations keep running smoothly.
It can be beneficial to anticipate the following questions:
- When will I be billed? For many programs, billing is the first touch point after customers sign up for a subscription. Let them know how your billing cycle works. Will they be billed immediately or on a scheduled cycle such as the first of the month? If they will not be billed right away, assure them that their order has been received and is being processed to alleviate potential concerns.
- When will my subscription order ship? Provide a clear timeline for each subscription cycle, so subscribers know when to expect their orders. To account for fluctuations in transit time, many companies provide a delivery window for when orders will arrive. It is recommended to hold tracking numbers until the shipment is in transit to minimize the perceived wait time and reduce customer questions around why their tracking number might not have movement in the first few shipping days.
- When can I cancel, pause or change my order? Establishing deadlines for changes up front not only manages customer expectations; it also gives your warehouse operations a realistic view of what lies ahead. Best practices vary by company, depending on when they run their optimizations, process their payments, etc. Those who have a solid understanding of their business can give customers more time to make changes. Those who are less advanced may want to establish an earlier cutoff, so they have sufficient time to adjust operations if needed.
To be ready for more commonly asked questions about subscriptions, read the full article.