Online Customer Service
As with customer service at a brick and mortar store, online customer service can make or break your online business. Sadly, many who start an online business think that there isn't much to online customer service. Offer a product, the customer buys it, and that's all there is to it. It's obvious to anyone who has run a business before, nothing could be further from the truth. Be sure to check out the Barnes Internet Marketer's Resource Guide for tools you can use in your efforts to provide outstanding online customer service.
Online customer service has to be better than service in the offline world.
This is a critical concept to grasp because in many cases, you've only got one chance to shine online, where with a brick and mortar store, people are more likely to return because there is a live person there to handle their concerns. The level of online customer service you provide to the customers of your website is one of the most influential factors in determining if a customer will return to your site or not.
Customers in an online environment depend on your to give them as much information about the products you offer so that they can make an immediate buying decision, which is often the biggest reason they are shopping online. Where they can't pick up and look at the products you are offering, you've simply got to provide them with outstanding online customer service. If ou don't, they will click away from your site in a New York second.
Providing outstanding online customer service is easy!
With today's technology, there is simply no reason why you can't offer top flight online customer service. It takes a strong commitment, but as far as cost goes, it's not going to break the bank. Let's take a look at the top three ways you can provide that outstanding online customer service.
1. Email
This is the easiest way of all to provide your customers and potential customers with information about your products, or to answer questions they may have. Be sure to post your email address on all pages on your site - don't make people hunt around with a way to contact you! Outstanding online customer service dictates making it as easy as possible for your customers to reach you and to receive a timely answer to their questions. Make it your policy to answer emails as quickly as possible - within 24 hours at the longest. But those who provide outstanding online customer service respond MUCH quicker than that - generally within a few minutes during normal business hours. I always make it a point to get back with people within 10 minutes. I'm able to do this because I'm generally on the computer 18 hours a day.
2. Phone
Another great way to provide superior online customer service is by posting a direct phone number on all the pages of your site. If you are running your business out of your home, do yourself a favor and get a VOIP phone system with a toll free number and voice mail for people to call you. Yes, this is an additional cost, but you'll easily make it up in additional sales. I've run businesses in the past where the cost of the additional phone lines is made in one call. If you get to the point where you simply can't handle all of the inbound phone calls, you can move to contracting this out. I ended up hiring three customers from around the US to help me with online customer service - both with pre sale and support questions. Doing this was well, well worth the cost. Customers will be far more likely to buy from you when they can speak with a person on the phone - especially when it's a high cost item you are selling.
3. Live Chat
A third great way to provide stellar online customer service is via an online chat system. This set up will provide instant gratification to the customer who wants to speak with someone immediately without having to email or telephone. Live Chat systems can show a message when you or your representatives are not available. But, don't let this be a crutch. Those who use live chat during normal business hours, even when those hours end up being all the hours you are online during the day, end up being far more successful than those who use it once in a while. When your customers see a live chat icon on your site, you are providing them with the expectation of superior online customer service. Don't let them down. Be sure to check out our recommendations in live chat providers in the Barnes Internet Marketer's Resource Guide.
With today's available technology, there is absolutely no reason why you can't get a leg up on your competition by providing far superior online customer service.
