In the highly competitive fashion industry, every company is looking for an opportunity to be a step ahead of the rest. One of the most powerful resources that a company can use here is customer feedback.
Every business receives feedback; it is how they take, analyze, and act on it that makes the difference. In this article, we’ll learn how fashion brands use shopper feedback to create a customer-centered experience.
The Role of Shopper Feedback in Shaping the Fashion Customer Journey
Customer feedback offers valuable insights into what consumers like, dislike, or expect from a brand. Embracing feedback affects not only the current operations but also informs the long-term goals. Fashion companies collect shopper feedback from these sources:
- Product reviews on online shopping sites
- Social media
- Surveys
- Beta testers
- Shopping trends
The information collected will touch on different aspects of the outfits, such as quality, fit, comfort, style, color, durability, and so on. Whether positive or negative, customer feedback is essential in defining how fashion companies structure their products. Below, we examine some of the aspects that brands refine based on shopper reviews.
Product Development
What are the customers saying about your outfits? What are their preferences? What did they complain about? The data collected here will inform the company’s production decisions. They can produce more of the preferred styles, colors, fabrics, and sizes. They can also use this information to predict upcoming industry trends and prepare in advance.
If the shoppers were unhappy about certain aspects, it’s time to improve the designs or offer a wider variety. If the complaints are persistent and touch on fundamentals, such as the fabric quality, the company may need to restructure its production process. By accommodating customers’ views, the products will resonate with their needs and they’ll feel truly valued.
Customer Care
A fashion brand could be producing the most elegant outfits, but if the customer care is wanting, the overall customer experience will be below par.
Shoppers want their queries attended to quickly and accurately. Should complaints about the quality of customer care appear consistently in the client feedback, the company must put more emphasis on this area by taking these steps:
- Establish a comprehensive customer care policy
- Develop training programs
- Employ more customer care personnel
- Diversify feedback channels
- Automate common queries by using chatbots
Customers relate to your brand according to how you make them feel. By attending to their queries in a satisfactory manner, they will feel seen, heard, and valued, which will increase their loyalty in return.
E-Commerce Platforms
This process begins by collecting data on what customers were dissatisfied with. Customers may have complained about a slow website or app, difficulties in navigation, or poor mobile support. An effective fashion e-commerce platform should have the following:
- Product categories
- Allow filtering by price, size, color, etc
- Incorporate hover pop-ups for quick previews
- Offer detailed item descriptions
- Provide a size chart
- Allow diverse payment methods
With such features, shoppers end up buying much more than they came for. The seamless navigation subtly encourages impulse buying. The customer is happy, the company is happy; everybody wins.
Delivery
The shopping experience is not complete until the product is in the shoppers’ hands. The feedback will inform if the customers were happy with the delivery timelines and the condition of the items when received. Complaints about prolonged waiting time, damaged goods, or incorrect items should be a call to overhaul your delivery process.
If a significant number of customers have been returning items, which negatively affects revenues, the company needs to re-examine its return policy. A strong return policy should answer the following questions:
- What items are eligible for a return?
- What’s the time frame of returns?
- Can customers return slightly used items?
- What is the return process?
- Who covers the extra costs?
- What are the terms and conditions for refunds?
Return policies should favor both sides. Customers should be able to return items that do not meet the specifications. At the same time, the company should be protected from exploitation and losses that could arise from the return of used items. An efficient delivery process enhances customer satisfaction and cushions the company against unnecessary expenditure.
Conclusion
Shopper feedback lets you know not only how your company is doing but also how your competitors are doing. Customers are quick to compare. They will let you know why they prefer other brands. Maybe one took a Shein survey and earned a gift card, and they’ll let you hear about it.
Perhaps you can consider offering a similar incentive. Ultimately, listening to your customers fosters brand loyalty by making them feel understood and valued.