Mastering Customer Experience: An Entrepreneur’s Top Tips

Adrian Alfieri

Apr 17, 2025

If you talk to Shopify brand owners about how they achieved success, you’ll likely notice a recurring theme: customer experience. More than product selection, more than ads, more than influencer deals — many founders attribute their brand’s upward trajectory to stellar support and meaningful relationships with their buyers. That’s certainly the story of Ben Davenport, founder of Skull Riderz, who managed to grow his motorcycle apparel brand from a niche business to a success story he eventually sold for an all-cash exit to OpenStore.

But Ben’s approach to customer experience wasn’t just about kindness or courtesy. It was a systematic process that balanced efficiency in operations with genuine human touchpoints. Whether you’re an early-stage Shopify entrepreneur or a seasoned seller planning to exit your business, there’s plenty to learn from Ben’s strategies — and from the modern tools that can help you replicate (and even improve upon) his results.

Below, we’ll explore how Ben built his brand around impeccable customer service, the tactics that helped Skull Riderz achieve a 4.9/5 user rating on Facebook, and why great support can make your business more profitable and valuable. We’ll also share the actionable steps you can take to either scale your brand or prepare it for a swift, rewarding exit if you're ready to pursue your next great idea.

Meet Ben Davenport, a customer experience pro

Ben Davenport had been selling within the motorcycle niche for about half a decade before launching Skull Riderz. Initially, he was dropshipping products from China, focusing more on quick wins than brand-building.

As a repeat founder, Ben knew dropshipping could be lucrative when done right. And with his experience in the niche, he learned which products clicked (and which tanked) with consumers.

But as competition intensified and customer expectations skyrocketed, Ben realized he needed to prioritize customer service if he wanted to stand out. These days, users have grown accustomed to every digital merchant offering near-instant fulfillment. They can also publicly weigh in on shipping times, customer service, and final product quality. Business owners need other ways to differentiate themselves.

‍Why does this matter to you? Because Ben’s story isn’t just about selling clothing online. It’s about delivering a smooth, personalized shopping experience for a discerning audience (bikers) who are known for telling it like it is. If he could delight a crowd that demands authenticity, any Shopify entrepreneur can adopt similar principles to thrive in their own niche.

The foundation of success: Prioritizing customer support early

From day one, Ben believed that if he could keep his customers happy, the rest — repeat purchases, positive reviews, and organic social proof — would follow. That might sound obvious, but many Shopify entrepreneurs spend all their energy on paid ads or influencer deals, leaving customer support as an afterthought. In a world where a single negative comment can go viral, that’s a risky gamble.

Why customer expectations are sky-high

Modern shoppers have come to expect near-instant communication and fast shipping. If those expectations aren’t met, they’ll quickly vent their frustration online. Some data even suggests that 80% of customers will abandon a brand after just a few poor experiences.

As a founder, you can’t afford to wait until you’re “big enough” to care about support. The earlier you establish top-notch customer experience standards, the more robust your brand’s foundation becomes — and the less likely you’ll be blindsided by negative feedback when scaling up.

Ben was aware of how precarious online reviews made his gig. One bad public comment and his sales could plummet. In response, he resolved to win as many positive reviews as possible by prioritizing the customer experience.

To streamline fulfillment, Ben upgraded from ePacket to DHL Express for shipping.

User wait times dropped from 4–6 weeks to 4–6 days. While DHL isn’t the most reliable express option, it’s far cheaper than your standard FedEx or UPS.

Shoppers were clearly happy about this. Within a year, 20% of Skull Riderz’s total customer base were returning buyers.

Balancing scale and personalization: Rethinking customer service outsourcing

Even as Skull Riderz reached the point of generating $200,000 to $300,000 per month in sales, Ben still kept all of Skull Riderz’s customer service mechanisms internal. He’d simply sit down with his morning coffee and respond to as many emails as possible.

Many founders consider outsourcing for a quick fix — handing off daily emails and chats to someone else, often an external call center. But Ben made a different choice: He managed customer support himself.‍

By keeping support in-house, Ben stayed intimately aware of how his products were performing, where customers were having friction, and what new features or items people were requesting. That deep involvement helped him maintain a 4.9/5 user rating on Facebook, since every inquiry was addressed with empathy and a personal touch.

Of course, not everyone has the bandwidth to handle support themselves — especially at higher volumes. Rather than default to outsourcing, a more modern approach is leveraging smart support tools. Platforms like OpenDesk enable you to automate repetitive tasks (like sending shipping updates or answering FAQs) while retaining the human touch for complex or sensitive cases. You get the best of both worlds: scale without sacrificing personalization.

‍Key takeaway: If you have the inclination, going the “Ben route” of direct, in-house support can be a game-changer. But if that doesn’t fit your style or your bandwidth, you don’t have to jump straight to a call center. Automated support solutions like OpenDesk let you stay in control of your brand’s voice and authenticity without drowning in a sea of tickets.

Tips for turning complaints into happy customers

It’s inevitable: if you sell online, you’ll receive complaints. The difference between brands that succeed and those that sink often comes down to how these complaints are handled. Ben offers this advice to other founders:

1. Empathize with their frustration. Always start on a friendly note, acknowledging the inconvenience your customer faced. An empathetic tone helps diffuse tension right away. If you’re using an automated system, make sure your templates open with something kind and understanding, like: “We’re sorry to hear that your experience wasn’t perfect. Let’s see how we can fix this for you.”

2. Focus on fast resolution. Delays kill trust. If there’s a defective product, offer a quick replacement or a refund. If shipping is late, provide tracking updates and a timeline for resolution. This is where automation truly shines. You can automatically send shipping details as soon as a complaint about delivery arises, while still allowing more personalized responses for escalated issues.

3. Maintain professional boundaries. Some customers may push the boundaries, demanding freebies or venting rudely. It’s crucial to keep a professional tone while enforcing transparent policies. Automation can help by giving your team or system clear guidelines on what to escalate and what to solve immediately. Ben notes that it's important to be firm — don't let people push you around or take advantage.

Customer experience tactics from a repeat founder

So how did Ben handle the day-to-day beyond shipping upgrades and personal responses? Here are some additional strategies that propelled Skull Riderz forward — principles any Shopify entrepreneur can adopt.

1. Listen to feedback and implement changes

While scaling, Ben paid close attention to customer comments — both positive and negative. In other words, dedicate yourself to solving whatever issue your customer has, even if they’ve just insulted you in their last email.

You should also prioritize accordingly when handling different types of complaints:

• If there's a product issue, sort it out immediately

• If there’s a shipping issue, take down their carrier claim number before proceeding

Having a feedback loop in place means you’re not just selling more of the same flawed items; you’re iterating toward a better product line.

Pro tip: Use a tool like OpenDesk to categorize complaints (e.g., shipping, sizing, quality) and track which issues pop up most often. Then, make systematic changes to fix those issues at the root.

2. Optimize fulfillment

When you’re competing online, fulfillment matters more than ever. Surveys often show that over half of online shoppers will abandon a brand after multiple shipping delays. For Ben, switching carriers and offering near-instant delivery options created a positive first impression that extended into repeat business.

3. Continuously improve product offerings

Beyond shipping, consider other ways to stand out — like adding unique product variations, improving materials, or offering bundles. By closely monitoring feedback on each version of a product, you can see which additions delight customers and which changes they barely notice. Data-driven decisions lead to a leaner, more successful product lineup.

Fueling paid acquisition with reviews and insights

Customer satisfaction doesn’t just prevent churn — it also amplifies your marketing. Ben used Google and Facebook ads to drive brand awareness, leaning heavily on positive reviews to stand out. When potential buyers see thousands of glowing testimonials, they’re more likely to trust your ads and convert quickly.

Ben's Google and Facebook strategies

1. Highlight hero products: If a specific item was performing well, Ben would create dedicated campaigns around it.

2. Showcase reviews: Linking his website’s reviews to Google Shopping gave him an edge. Shoppers easily notice the difference between 2,000 reviews at 4.7 stars and 25 reviews at 4.0 stars.

3. Don't sleep on image SEO: Ben discovered that your rank improves significantly if you add the right keywords to your image data.

4. Leverage organic social proof: While he didn’t invest in influencer marketing, Ben cultivated an organic Instagram following of 22,000+ followers. He found sending free products to bikers he admired organically generated user-generated content, which he repurposed as ads.

Insight from your support channels

Support messages can guide your ad strategies, too. If certain product variations get consistently positive feedback, double down on ads for those items. Or if you notice lots of shipping questions from a particular region, optimize your shipping options or ad targeting to address that region’s concerns. Data isn’t just for analytics dashboards — it should inform how you market and where you allocate ad spend.

Next steps: Plan your exit or supercharge your customer support

Ben Davenport’s journey highlights a core truth: Mastering customer experience pays off. Whether you want to scale your Shopify brand to new heights or eventually exit, investing in great support is a win-win.

Option 1: Explore an exit with OpenStore

If you’re eyeing a sale, consider following Ben’s path: He sold his business by engaging with OpenStore. Our quick acquisition process might be the right move if you’re looking to capitalize on the brand equity you’ve built. Wondering how much your brand might be worth? Get a free valuation and see if selling is your best next step.

Option 2: Level up with OpenDesk

Not ready to let go of your brand but looking to turbocharge your support? OpenDesk can automate routine customer interactions without losing the personal edge that sets you apart. By integrating with Shopify, OpenDesk helps you respond faster, categorize common complaints, and generate actionable insights — giving you more time to focus on growth.

How OpenDesk helps:‍

• Easily track how often customers need help relative to sales volume — a key health indicator.

• Speed up resolutions by automating responses to common queries, but keep humans in the loop for trickier issues.

• Grow your ticket capacity in step with your sales, without overburdening your team.

You hold the key to long-term success

By now, you’ve seen how Ben Davenport combined empathy, efficiency, and strategic decision-making to build Skull Riderz into a thriving brand. His recipe for success wasn’t complex: Focus on customers, respond quickly, iterate on feedback, and keep building trust.

But this formula only works if you commit to it wholeheartedly. For Shopify entrepreneurs, the choice is yours: Bolster your business with advanced support tools like OpenDesk, or take a leap and explore a sale to a reputable buyer like OpenStore. Either way, the foundation is the same — customer experience. Do that right, and your brand will be well on its way to profitability, loyalty, and high-value growth.

Ready to explore your next step?

• Get a valuation to see if selling your brand is right for you.

• Or sign up for a free trial of OpenDesk to transform your support into a strategic growth engine.

In the end, it all comes back to how you treat customers. When they leave your business feeling valued and well-served, they’ll happily come back — and bring their friends along.