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I Need Help Right Now
By Bob McElwain
Many business have gone to the elevator-music mode in answering
their support tines. You dial, get a recording, and get to guess
which is the best button to push. Guess wrong, and you get to
hear mare music. You may get a recording: Our average wait time
is 20 minutes." This shows you what they think of your time.
Is this a good business practce?
Lots of companies must believe
so, for many have implemented such a system with a vengeance.
They appear to be doing all possible to avoid dealing with customer
support. They seem to believe the name of the game is more sales.
Period. They continue to erect ever greater barriers to block
out unwanted pleas for help.
The Online Parallel
Online, the situation is often worse.
As a customer, email may be the only contact you have. If a
company representative hits the Delete key to avoid a reply,
you're dead. Then there are filters. A company I had been doing
business with for three years apparently took offense to a couple
of questions I asked, and filtered out my email address. There
is no longer a mailing address or phone number on the site.
The impact of such strategies on
large companies may be uncertain, but they will quickly kill
a small one. Web surfers are getting smarter. And while each
day brings a flood of newcomers, they leam fast.
Go For The Gold
There is an enormous potential
in all this for small businesses. Simply by providing truly
great support, you can improve your position effectively and
generate a much greater flow of repeat business.
Email
Answer it quickly, completely,
but succinctly. As with product, over-deliver. That is, seek
to anticipate subsequent questions and include the necessary
information right now. And do it all cheerfully, while demonstrating
strong interest in the needs of your customer. If you are working
a day job or simply haven't time for this, hire someone to do
it.
Spam will disappear for you. Requests
for information or directions will be handled appropriately.
And you will receive only key messages that require your personal
response.
Before discarding this idea as nonsense,
give it a try. When you are able to get an answer to a customer
thirty minutes after their message was sent, you are at some
point going to get a prompt reply that begins with, "Wow. That
was quick." You will become a believer when an order follows
minutes later.
An 800 Number Is A Must
An 800 number for orders has been required
for years. One for support is not common in small businesses.
The mode seems to be to let the customer pay if they want help.
It's a bad move. Use your 800 order number for support as well.
If you need to keep the order line available, add a second 800
number. Either way, make sure a real live person answers promptly.
Again, if you work a day job, hire
someone to take calls. A professional service is not required.
Check with your neighbors and friends. Look for someone who
would like to make a few extra bucks without leaving home.
Provide 24-Hour Support
People shop the Web at all hours,
if for no other reason than differing time zones. Your 800 support
number should be available on every page, particularly your
order form.
If you are just getting started, you
won't have many calls. Consider taking the off-hours calls yourself.
Even let the late night calls ring through into your bedroom.
This may seem a step too far, but it will demonstrate the need
for this level of support. In time you will decide to hire out
this service.
Q&As Help
A great way to cut down on support
requests is to create and maintain an up to date Q&As section
on your website. ~Miile many sites have such a page, it is often
inadequate and/or old stuff. A support page that is well organized
and easy to navigate is a real plus. Many visitors prefer to
find answers themselves, rather than make a call or send an
email.
Every support question becomes
a candidate for a Q&A. Given even one repeat, get it up
there.
Shopping Guidance
If you offer a variety of products,
visitors may become confused. Set up a page of suggestions,
and comparisons if appropriate. And include that 800 number
with good answers when the phone is picked up.
Shipping:
Offer at least UPS. Many are turning
against the US Post Office. Priority Mail boxes often arrive
squished. More and more people now live in housing developments
in which they must go to a central site to pick up their mail.
A package too large means a trip to the post office. The same
is so for rural delivery. If it wont fit in the curb-side mail
box, I get that ominous little bit of yellow paper and get to
drive eleven miles to pickup the package. UPS comes to my door,
and does so even with a foot of snow on the mile-long driveway
Guarantee:
Youve got to give one,
and deliver as promised, else the dreaded chargeback. So make
it a good one. 90 days at least.
If you ship product, consider including
a USP return voucher. It costs you very little unless the product
is returned. And if you are getting many returns, something
is wrong elsewhere, as in over-selling, under-delivering, and
so forth.
Sure It Costs
Price does not sell. You probably
can safely raise prices to cover costs of support. But increased
sales of themselves are likely to cover any additional costs.
Include the benefits of such support in the first fold on your
home page. And remind of it throughout the site, as in posting
that 800 number.
When a customer demands help right now,
provide it. If you don't, chances are someone else will do so.
They'll get the sale, and the customer. You lose.
Written By Bob McElwain
Web marketing and consulting since 1993
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