Over the next year, half of all online vendors will switch from simple Q&A; call centers to multipurpose contact centers. Businesses also are looking at technologies such as assisted chat, e-mail or self-help features.Chat Online With Customers: A company that can use trained personnel to chat online with customers while they are browsing through the online catalog has an incredibly persuasive sales tool – particularly when the technology can literally usher the customer through the catalog. Representatives talk the customer through the shopping and buying process from beginning to end via a pop-up text window.
Lands' End Live is a good example. In addition to making company contact easier for shoppers, says Lands' End's former Internet business analyst Tracy Schmit, "Human contact and collaboration allow us to push pages to the customer, and live chat allows us to suggest products."
The benefit of this tool is that, like the telephone, users can have the page or item in front of them as they ask questions. The customers' needs are met immediately, which is especially helpful for those with only one phone line.
Chat services grew in the early part of 2000, but it's not as widespread as the call center, according to Donna Fluss, CRM research director for Gartner Group (IT) . While it has gained popularity in recent months, too often the technology is misused, with all attendants busy at the time of customer inquiry or with insufficiently trained workers who are unable to address the customer's concerns.
"If you're gonna offer that button, make certain you have the staff to answer it," says Fluss.
Make E-Mail a Good Thing: E-mail has had similarly mixed results. Only about one in three e-mail inquiries about a company's product or policies gets a response. However, if used properly and taken more seriously, e-mail can be a cost-effective vehicle for detailed explanations. Rather than the ubiquitous Web-based form, it's better to let customers send messages through their own software program. They can then track the correspondence and save the address they're writing to for later reference without having to return to the site.
A company that uses e-mail can increase its efficiency by listing several e-mail addresses and asking the customer to focus his or her inquiry. Pets.com (IPET) does a good job of listing the distinctive contact information for different types of consumer assistance. "[It] gives the customers everything they need at their fingertips and makes it so they don't have to get on the phone and call," says Diane Hourany, the company's VP of customer service.
Though response isn't immediate with e-mail, some consumers prefer its fast and easy access, and it's a good alternative to the phone. It should always be available, and an initial response to e-mail should be sent immediately, even if it's prefabricated, just to let the customer know that the company is aware of contact.
Help Customers Help Themselves: Self-service help is an affordable option available to everyone, and at least 90 percent of all retail sites offer it, adds Gartner's Fluss. The ubiquitous frequently-asked-question file is not a great solution, but it's the most prominent and has come to be expected by consumers. It's often the first point of contact for self-service customer care.
The FAQ is inefficient and unfriendly, but it's easy and inexpensive to produce. It's cumbersome because it forces the customer to scroll through a list of unrelated information for a single response. Surfers looking for data on product returns have to sift through unwanted, unrequested information on company history, shipping fees and a host of other off-topic text.
To boost the effectiveness and speed of a common FAQ, sites should add a search capability to send customers exactly where they want to go. This will save time and frustration and prove that the customer's best interests come first. The FAQ must also be well-organized and well-written to truly reach its potential.
Gear.com does a good job of presenting its FAQ prominently and of separating the information into categories. Apple Computer (AAPL) 's support page and tech library make an earnest effort to make information searchable and browsable. And L.L.Bean's site offers its FAQ in five languages. "We recognize the need to help our international customers facilitate the order-taking process," says L.L.Bean spokesman Rich Donaldson.
