Out of stock email notification can be seen as a timely solution for online businesses every time there is an unexpected stockout. No matter how serious the event’s consequences are, this email alert can be a key to retain customers and rescue the revenue. In this article, we’ll give some common practices for out of stock email notifications that help maintain business growth, including when customers have placed an order and when they haven’t.
When your customers have made an order, but the product is out of stock
Apologize sincerely for the stockout
Once businesses cause any inconvenience for customers, it will affect the business image. But if customers feel the sincerity of the merchant’s apology, they will be sympathetic towards the merchant. Apologies shouldn’t be long-winded. Write politely as much as possible, show your regret and responsibility for the inconvenience.
By making a sincere apology, Little Dudes and Divas, a fashion brand, has gained their customers’ sympathy: “Please accept our apologies for this inconvenience.”
Notify customers of when it’s back-in-stock
Businesses can also utilize out of stock email notifications to inform customers promptly when a product becomes available again. Moreover, incorporating incentives for a key to retain customers and rescue the revenue. In this article, we’ll give some common practices for out of stock items can help maintain customer interest and loyalty. Whether through a modest discount or complimentary shipping, such gestures can significantly enhance customer satisfaction. Alternatively, providing a discount code or free shipping voucher for their next purchase serves as a token of appreciation and encourages continued patronage.
Offer a refund
For customers who have paid in advance but don’t want to wait any longer, offer them a refund. Make clear how and when people can get the refund. Thus, customers will know that the business highly appreciates credibility and always puts customers’ benefits first. Therefore, they will come back in the future. One more time, offering them a discount or free shipping for the next order will make them stay with the business.
When your customers want to buy a product, but it’s out of stock
Setup product page to register for back-in-stock notifications
When customers surf on the product page to find the item they are interested in, it’s a letdown to realize that it’s out of stock. In this case, set up the product page so that customers can easily register to get notifications of the restocked product by providing their email address if they wish. Businesses can send email notifications to customers as that product is back-in-stock. Don’t forget, the notifications need to be sent as soon as possible.
Send waitlist notification email
Unlocking the power of waitlist notification is a good way online businesses should apply to keep customers happy. Let customers add the a key to retain customers and rescue the revenue. In this article, we’ll give some common practices for out of stock product to their waitlist, and then send them a waitlist notification email. Note that the item they are seeking has been added to the waitlist, and when the item is restocked, they can continue to order.
Forever21, a fashion retailer, sent emails after their customers added an a key to retain customers and rescue the revenue. In this article, we’ll give some common practices for out of stock email notification product to the waitlist. The email was simple and got to the point: “We’re received your waitlist request and will buzz you as soon as it’s back in stock!”. Furthermore, they enclosed the notification with a product recommendation for their customers.
Recommend similar products
As mentioned in Forever21’s case, product recommendation is another effective way. Offering some related products makes more sense than just asking shoppers to wait. Enclosing a link to these products sometimes can lead customers to purchase that product if they don’t want to wait for too long. Another key is that, if shoppers don’t actually want to purchase their intended item, this similar product list can be helpful for them and might be preferred to the stockout one. Fortunately, when customers have found what they want, they won’t come to competitors.
By offering related products, Forever21 made their customers came back to the site and made purchases.
Recommend backorder
Backorder recommendation isn’t a bad choice and even better than other ways. Offer customers to place a backorder and deliver it when the product restocks. The pros of backorder are that businesses won’t lose revenue and customers won’t leave the store to buy from other competitors, customers can save their time as they needn’t take many steps to purchase the product. In this way, however, the merchants should try to manage the back-in-stock date to ensure customers don’t have to wait too long. BackOrder has helped many eCommerce businesses with out-of-stock issues and increased their customers’ experience.
Solve Your Out-of-Stock Challenges with BackOrder for BigCommerce
Inventory management is one of the most challenging aspects of running an online store, especially when dealing with out-of-stock items. Every out-of-stock product represents not only a lost sale but also a potential lost customer. With BigCommerce lacking native support for backorders, many merchants find themselves scrambling for workarounds that are time-consuming and inefficient.
Enter BackOrder, the game-changing app designed to automate your backorder process and keep your sales flowing smoothly. BackOrder automatically switches products to backorder status as soon as inventory hits zero, ensuring you never miss a sale. This seamless transition eliminates the need for manual updates or temporary fixes like pre-orders.
Not only does BackOrder handle stockouts effortlessly, but it also enhances the customer experience. Customizable notifications keep your customers informed about product availability and expected restock dates, reducing frustration and increasing satisfaction. Plus, our app integrates seamlessly with your existing IMS/ERP systems, maintaining a single source of truth for inventory management.
With BackOrder, you can set thresholds to control backorder quantities, plan incoming inventory, and keep customers in the loop, all while enjoying 24/7 professional support. If you’re struggling with lost revenue due to out-of-stock items, BackOrder is the solution you’ve been searching for.
Conclusion
In conclusion, implementing best practices for out of stock email notification is essential for maintaining customer satisfaction and managing inventory effectively. By utilizing out of stock email notifications, businesses can keep customers informed about product availability, reducing frustration and increasing the likelihood of future purchases. BigCommerce BackOrder emerges as an excellent solution in this regard, offering seamless integration and automation for managing backorders and notifying customers when items are back in stock. Incorporating such a system not only enhances customer experience but also streamlines inventory management processes, contributing to overall business success. Contact us now!
