We don't have to wait for someone to ask us for help. If that were to happen, the simplest online activity could become a lot more chatty and interactive. But the question remains whether consumers would be comfortable with the idea they they might not be shopping in complete anonymity, that powerful software was profiling their buying habits, ranking them as customers and starting digital dialogues with them. On the other hand, people are willing to surrender it in the right conditions. Mr. Hughes said that if online customer service systems clearly explain to potential users what they are doing and if the service proves useful, people are likely to embrace it.
People like to feel part of a group.
Karen Gier is a vice president at Ask Jeeves, an online question and answer service. You need to be sensitive to breaking into someone's experience when they are just surfing. You may run into some issues. Mr. Christie said that having a Net representative start an online conversation with a shopper is not very different from having a good salesman approach a repeat shopper in a traditional store. Shoppers who say they do not require help are left alone.