I have been a part of customer experience ever since the day I started my first job many years ago and most of those years have been spent as a part of e-commerce companies handling customer support and building customer experience. Having worked with companies big and small has given me varied customer interactions and some very key lessons about what customers expect from the online shopping world .

Sandpuppy is a brand that I have worked with since its very early days .I remember the day Sandpuppy launched its first product . A complex product which required the end user to be as tech savvy as the engineers who designed it! Since then, the journey has been one of continuous learning and improvements . Today with an offering of over a dozen products we have come a long way In really understanding our customers and making our products something  that the users can embrace easily and wholeheartedly . We have made a difference to the everyday life of some of these customers and hearing about those experiences really reminds of why I love talking to customers so much !

Having spoken to over three thousand online SandPuppy shoppers, here is my take on a few key things that I think matter to a customer during his decision on choosing a particular brand/product over the others .

A product that makes life easy.                                         – 

At SandPuppy, we deal with Pain relief and our products are expected to do just that in the easiest and simplest manner possible. Simple to understand , simple to use. Remember  the Fill it , shut it , forget it tagline? Very apt for what I am trying to convey here . Keeping the product clean, simple, uncomplicated and complete is what makes the product a useful one to our users. 

Multipurpose/multi-functional is a BIG draw: Our most popular products seem to be the ones that can be multi-functional – tha is, useful for multiple issues like back pain, knee pain, neck or shoulder pain, so it can be used by multiple people in the family. Does not necessarily mean he needs it ,but having the option of using it for varied purposes, tilts the decision and he chooses this over a simpler may be less expensive but single use product. Is he looking for value for money here or is he looking to just have fewer gadgets and achieve more ? I think a bit of both . 

Price is NOT a barrier I find that the consumer today doesn’t really hesitate or think much about spending money on products that he wants . Of course a lot depends on how the product is positioned. Good content and rich images go a long way in achieving this.

There may be other options that don’t cost as much but if I can convince a customer that the product I have is the best fit for his needs through my content then there is a mighty good chance of a sale there. 

Customers love a brand that wants to learn and improve : There are times that despite best efforts we have not been able to get some things right. Maybe a product that doesn’t work, may be a wrong delivery or may be just a gap in terms of how we communicate about what our product does for the user. I am always surprised by the customers who have given me multiple chances to get it right ! And they don’t give up on the product or the service. They are happy to give feedback and work with me .

No canned customer service What contributes to this process is also the fact that we have a direct SandPuppy customer line ay +91 77678 13666 – whenever they want to speak to customer support as opposed to a call centre.  There are no standard canned responses that we give. Every call is a real conversation between our users and me. Reminds the customer that it’s not just a product but a bunch of people working behind the product . Probably makes them a little more forgiving ☺ And the users become much more than another ticket to resolve for me .

Returns /Exchange policy  Another thing that can really influence a buying decision . A product that cannot be returned will not succeed. I have seen brands of seemingly good products have terrible ratings because a customer is unable to figure out how or where to return it . Now the reasons for return could be anything from a faulty product to the fact that it didn’t meet expectations but a customer is always willing to revisit the brand if the process of return/replacement is simple/ fast and hassle free.