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Hello_Hello_Is_There_Anybody_Out_There
| Hello? Hello? Is There Anybody Out There?
I read recently about a survey of major consumer companies with
Web sites. The survey was looking at how well the Web sites
received and responded to customer comments. According to the
survey, more than half of their Web sites either had no way for
people to make an enquiry on-line or - if they did have such a
method - they didn't bother responding within ten working days.
Ten days? Ten days?? Ten days???
Don't they realise that Internet users expect instant
gratification? And if not instant, at least within a reasonable
time frame (Hint: Think ten hours and you're in the right
ballpark).
Waiting ten days is worse than poor customer service - it's an
insult.
Who are these companies? Well, I'm not going to mention any
names, so as not to embarrass AMP, ANZ Bank, Australia Post,
Ford, Greater Union, Nestle, Optus, Qantas, Pizza Hut, Ray
White, Singapore Airlines, Sony, Visa and Vodaphone ... just to
not mention a few ...
But wait! There's some good news ...
The good news is this: You can do it better. Maybe you can't
compete with these retail giants when it comes to advertising
campaigns, outlets in every suburb, range of products, or their
opening hours. So what? You can provide a much better experience
for your Web site visitors.
And guess what? The big companies are so bad, that it's so easy
to out-do them. And it doesn't require a fancy automated
customer service system. All it takes is your e-mail program, a
few words on your Web site, and the right attitude.
Here's how:
1. On your Web site, encourage people to e-mail you. Just write
some friendly words, saying that you welcome their comments.
2. Set their expectations by telling them when they can expect a
reply. For example, you could say that all e-mails are answered
within two working days.
3. Create a special e-mail address for handling these comments,
and publish that address on your Web site. For example, if your
Web site address is www.example.com, you might set up the e-mail
address service@example.com or comments@example.com.
4. Set up your e-mail program to recognise these messages as
they come in so that you can read them right away to decide what
action to take. Modern e-mail programs can check for e-mail sent
to a certain address and mark it as high priority, forward it to
somebody else, or file it in a special place.
5. When you reply, make it a personal reply. In other words, the
reply comes from a person, not a nameless, faceless "Customer
Service Department".
6. Thank the person for their comments. It's even worth looking
for a way to send them a small gift. Remember that their
feedback is valuable: They took the time to reply, while others
who had a problem might have silently given up on you.
7. Make a note to yourself to send a follow-up e-mail to the
customer to check that the issue really has been resolved.
Easy, huh? OK, the exact process might be slightly different for
you, but I'm sure you get the point.
About the author:
Gihan Perera is the author of "Make More Money From Your Web
Site". Visit http://www.firststep.com.au and get your free
e-book "The Seven Fatal Mistakes That Almost Every Business
Owner Makes on Their Web Site" - PLUS free resale rights.
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