Online Customer Service

No matter what industry best classifies your company, we're all in the business of customer service. If we can't give our customers the appropriate information, response, or resolution in a reasonable time frame, it doesn't matter what your services or pricing are - you're toast.

The Web allows companies of all sizes a level playing field. This means if the stars are in alignment for you, you could get as many inquiries each day as Motorola or any other household name. They have a major customer service team, and if you don't have the manpower or womanpower to have such a team, make sure you put in a major customer service effort. First rule: Think big and act big. Make sure the support part of your web site or support e-mails are not made less important than e-mails from potential clients - satisfying current clients is just as vital to your business's success as winning new clients. Put aside an hour before lunch and one after lunch to read and respond to support e-mails.

Second rule: Archive. You can make supporting your customers a lot easier on you and your staff by providing them with heaps of online documentation. You may choose to turn your manuals or "fax back" documents into downloadable files. Make sure you familiarise yourself with Adobe's Acrobat software, which creates "PDF" files. The pdf is a wonderfully versatile format, and users only need to download the free reader to experience pdfs. Some of the major advatages to pdf's include:

1. a single file can be read on Windows, Mac, Unix, or OS2 platforms
2. your pdf file can be interactive - use links to jump from one page to a certain part of another
3. pdf files can also contain video and sound as well as forms for feedback or ordering
4. pdf files can be full-colour and any resolution, so they will print better than web pages
5. pdf files are compressed to decrease load time
6. Acrobat lets you catalog multiple pdf files to create your own searchable archive
7. those using the latest version of the free reader can get pdf files "streaming" (showing as they load) into their browser

Another way to present documentation online is to just get it online as web pages (database driven or not), and make sure people can navigate easily by category or by a full boolean text search. Something to keep away from is what GoldMine Software put on their site - I love the product, but the online help is of no help to me. They claim that their online support section contains the same information that their telephone support engineers use. I'm not a certified GoldMine service engineer. I had error codes written down and specific questions, and I couldn't find anything in their labyrinthic online support center. Try sorting through their Online Knowledge Base and see if you end up more confused than you began. The good news is that they also have newsgroups...

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