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Youtopia Beauty CEO, Nnenna itemizes secrets of good online customer service

CEO of Youtopia Beauty, Nnenna Okoye has said good customer service in online beauty retail is the secret so many entrepreneurs are yet to tap into.
The beauty enthusiast who specializes in selling hard to find beauty products mainly for the African skin said some of the success secrets in her line of business is good customer relation. Nnenna said, “Customer feedback enables us to fix issues and improve our products. When customers provide feedback, we are able to save money, time as well as improve relationships with customers. It is very important to know what your customers want. Not being in tune with your customers can be detrimental to a business. Feedback creates congruence between the way you think your customers feel about your product and what they really think about the product. Dissatisfied customers will always spread the word about their bad experience. This is very harmful for a business as it affects the company’s reputation and has an effect on market share and profits.
“Customer service is the center of every business and is definitely the most important part of any business. It means creating a relationship of trust and loyalty beyond initial interaction. It is important for businesses to always put customers first; ensuring that we provide products and services that our customers need which ultimately enhances their daily lives.
“So if they hear someone else talking about a particular service that a company offers, they are more likely to recommend the company with the best customer service and this has been the success story for Youtopia Beauty.”
The qualified beauty merchant who graduated from one of the most renowned beauty academies in London was of the opinion that customer relations can be improved greatly mostly in Nigeria because, he had noticed that the lower down the ladder businesses go, the worse it gets. Most business owners are more concerned with aesthetics and tend to overlook personnel development, forgetting that certain attitudes add to the general ambience of their work environment. Training one’s staff to understand the language of customer service is a need that cannot be overemphasized because it could very much affect the bottom line of a company.
The sexy beautician said, “Most of the products displayed and sold on Youtopia Beauty have been tried and tested by my team. It is very important that we know what works and what doesn’t. Customers deserve the best quality and only trusted products make the cut. Also, good customer service sets Youtopia Beauty apart from other businesses. Customer service is key in sustaining business growth especially knowing that a high percentage of consumers will always pay more for better customer experience. Our online platform also ensures that orders are processed correctly, transactions occur smoothly and customers are asked for feedback regarding purchased items.”
On why ‘youtopia beauty’ leads other online beauty stores, Nnenna said, “When customers patronize Youtopia Beauty, they have so much choice and are guaranteed genuine products. We also have multiple sales and distribution channels; a customer can order online or come into the store. Again, we make life easy for our customers.
“Moreover, the online beauty store also offers a Free online Virtual Consultation. I introduced the skincare consultation service to help as many people as possible suffering with skin problems like acne, hyperpigmentation and others. Severe skin problems lead to low self-esteem and lack of confidence. Therefore, the aim of the online consultation is to reach a broader audience; enabling people from different parts of Nigeria and Africa as a whole, connect with Youtopia Beauty.
“I do a lot of Research because it helps me determine whether my services will satisfy my customers’ needs. It is important for online retail businesses to carry out research. It helps the business gain more insight about competitors, economic shifts and current beauty trends. I know exactly what I am looking for in a product and once I see the one with the right combination of ingredients, I simply go for it. I also attend a lot of beauty trade shows as it helps me discover new products and I get to meet top manufacturers and distributors in the beauty industry. It’s important for me to get the best products for our Skin.”
This, however, has come with a lot of challenges as she said; “When Youtopia Beauty launched last year, I realized that some customers prefer the in-store experience. They require the advice of sales assistants. These shoppers want to touch, see, and test products personally; they want to be sure of what they are buying, they want more than product descriptions. Unfortunately, online shopping is not able to allow them do that. In order to serve these customers, a physical store was opened in Lagos Nigeria.
“Moreover, one of the biggest challenges we are currently facing is the devaluation of the Naira and constant fluctuations of foreign exchange. Most of our products are sourced abroad which means our costs have significantly increased and our margins reduced. However, we had to increase the prices on our products to enable us manage the situation. We have also used this “opportunity” to discover more Nigerian brands and we are currently in contact with some local companies, who are creating products that can compete with household international brands.”

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