Sponsored by IBM Small Business Online customer service is more than merely a stopgap for addressing problems such as insufficient product information on your Web site, technical or performance errors, or shipping difficulties. It is more than the extra effort you provide when something about your Web site does not inspire customer confidence to transact business online. Since the 1999 holiday shopping season and the Wall Street market correction of spring 2000, and the increased integration of the Internet with traditional retailers, customer service has become a central concern of every online retail company. Get the PDF file.
Customer service is the most resource-intensive part of any business, traditional or otherwise.
Customer service comprises not just the ability to respond to customers when they have questions, but also the ability to make it convenient and desirable to shop at your store. The same types of issues exist online in slightly different form. No traditional retailer would last long without the facilities, policies, and staffing to deliver a high level of service to customers. Yet in online retail, Web technology has bred a false confidence and led some businesses to neglect fundamental retailing rules. That can be a costly mistake.