Why Internet Customer Service

SucksAn Internet Marketing Tutorial by

Palmer Web Marketing.com

Imagine walking into a brick-and-mortar store, asking an employee a

question, and being outright ignored…

How about asking a specific, well-thought out question to a store clerk, then watching the employee thumb through a procedure manual, and read you a canned answer that

completely misses your question.

Sounds ridiculous, but these are everyday occurrences in the land online customer service,

where too many e-tailers hide behind the anonymity of eCommerce. Email responses take too long, contain pat,

irrelevant answers, or even worse, never come.

The novelty internet shopping has faded. No longer does the

convenience of “anytime anywhere” shopping trump service. As the

internet landscape matures, I believe companies will need to differentiate

themselves using more ways, including service.

Join Feedback Loops: Feedback loops allow you to see who is marking your email as spam (so you can remove them). Some ISPs, like AOL, provide an easy way to join the feeback loop. For other ISPs, you may need to contact your email service provider to see if they can provide you with this information.

Why Is Online Service More Important than Offline?

1) Because Competition Is Closer: No longer is your competitor across town or down the street, they’re just a click away. Customers are becoming more sophisticated, and they demand better service online.

2) Because Negative PR Spreads Like a Virus: Consumer advocate groups such as Consumer Affairs and Complaints.com give customers easy avenues to express their discontent about the service they received. Just ask Dell, who is still reeling from negative publicity about its failed customer service practices.

3) Because Competing only on Price and Selection is Bad Business: Now that there’s a plethora of bargain basement priced e-tailers in nearly every niche, low prices are no longer a justification for bad service. Smart retailers, especially smaller businesses, will differentiate themselves with service, knowing that service is harder to emulate.

Is Customer Service A Cost Center or Profit Center?

Customer service has traditionally been viewed as a cost-center, having relatively nothing to do

with increases or decreases in sales, customer longevity, and brand loyalty. I believe this is

especially true with eCommerce, where the lack of face to face interaction creates a disconnect between customers and eCommerce managers.

In the brick and mortar world, it’s not uncommon for managers to work the sales floor once in a while in order to keep a finger on the pulse of their customers. I wonder how many eCommerce directors know or care what their

customers think.

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