Chapter Five Use Friendly Web Sites and Electronic Communication

Customer Service, 5e Paul R. Timm 2 © 2011, 2008, 2005, 2001 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Objectives 1. Describe the importance of Web-based customer service and the four categories of such service. 2. Acknowledge the cost advantages of “Webifying” customer service. 3. Recognize the key disadvantages of e-service. 4. Identify some tools and approaches organizations can use to make the most of the service potential of the Web. 5. Apply five action tips for avoiding e-service problems. 6. Utilize five action tips for evaluating and growing your e- service effectiveness.

Customer Service, 5e Paul R. Timm 3 © 2011, 2008, 2005, 2001 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. What is Web-Based Customer Service? Customers expect businesses to have a Web site FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions Delayed Answers Web chat: Live Answers Blogs Personalized Self-serve Answers

Customer Service, 5e Paul R. Timm 4 © 2011, 2008, 2005, 2001 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Recognize Disadvantages of Web-Based Service NOT a substitute for handling all customer contact Use “in addition” to other channels of communication

Five Action Tips for Avoiding E-Service Problems

Customer Service, 5e Paul R. Timm 6 © 2011, 2008, 2005, 2001 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Be There and Be Quick

Customer Service, 5e Paul R. Timm 7 © 2011, 2008, 2005, 2001 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Make Site Navigation Simple

Customer Service, 5e Paul R. Timm 8 © 2011, 2008, 2005, 2001 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Respond Quickly

Customer Service, 5e Paul R. Timm 9 © 2011, 2008, 2005, 2001 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Provide Communication Alternatives

Customer Service, 5e Paul R. Timm 10 © 2011, 2008, 2005, 2001 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Pay Attention to Form and Function

Five Action Tips for Evaluating and Growing E-Service Effectiveness

Customer Service, 5e Paul R. Timm 12 © 2011, 2008, 2005, 2001 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Track Customer Traffic Web analytics: the measurement, collection, analysis, and reporting of Internet data for purposes of understanding and optimizing Web usage Click path: the customer took to get to the site and whether the customer is a first-time visitor

Customer Service, 5e Paul R. Timm 13 © 2011, 2008, 2005, 2001 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Benchmark Service Levels Benchmarking: keeping careful statistics about existing service levels Can be used to set targets for the future

Customer Service, 5e Paul R. Timm 14 © 2011, 2008, 2005, 2001 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Teach Your Site to Learn What doesn’t work and what content is missing What click paths end in dissatisfied customers What new questions your customers are asking

Customer Service, 5e Paul R. Timm 15 © 2011, 2008, 2005, 2001 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. Build an Ongoing E-Relationship

Customer Service, 5e Paul R. Timm 16 © 2011, 2008, 2005, 2001 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved. End High for Better Loyalty Apologize for any inconvenience Solve the problem Offer a peace token