Customer Service

Most people have at least more than two favorite stores in the real world that they would like to visit because the sales staff recognize them and sometimes are even familiar with their buying preferences.Many Web analysts predict that the most successful Web stores will be those that can duplicate this personal shopping experience—only online，and for many more customers than can possibly be served from a brick and mortar store.The key component will be customer service，or E-service.E-service is defined as the methods that a company uses to provide customer service directly from its Web site.

Personal Interaction

Web surfing is an intensely personal activity.We are alone in front of our monitor with only our mouse to keep us company.We arrive at a Web site，see a product that interests us，and then follow links to learn more.Suddenly，we have a question about the product.In the real world store，we could find a sales clerk and hopefully，have our question answered within minutes.As a Web surfer，we have become accustomed to finding out information for ourselves，but when we can't find it immediately，what do we do?Chances are good that we click away.The implication for online businesses is that they must provide as many ways as possible to satisfy customer queries immediately.

Customer Service Activities

Figure 1 lists a selection of activities that contribute to excellent customer service.An online business needs to find ways of engaging in these activities from its Web site.For example，how can the Web site make personal recommendations，reward loyal customers，and provide help?In the real world，procedures are already in place for these activities.In the cyberworld，new procedures need to be developed.For example，a Web site might incorporate live online help，or login procedures to identify returning customers.A customer should be required to provide identifying information only once—whether on the Web site，during an in-store visit，or from contact with a sales representative.

Figure 1:Customer service activities

Relationship Building

The goal of all customer service is to build a one-on-one relationship with each individual customer.When they are ready，online customers want instant access to customer help that makes them feel as if personal attention is being paid to them.All customers want their lives made easier，and online shoppers appreciate Web sites that achieve that goal.

Personalization

Many companies are developing personalization strategies to make customers feel at home on a Web site.Cookies，Web bugs，and logins are used to collect information about surfers so that they can be greeted upon arrival at a Web site，and so that the ads they see and the products that are highlighted relate to their particular interests.

Customer Support Options

Customer support options can be divided into two categories—online customer support and offline customer support.

1.Online Customer Support　Online customer support is provided directly from the company's Web site.For customers who connect to the Internet via a phone line，online customer disconnect from the Internet.The least expensive online customer support option usually directs customers to information on the Web site.This information is presented as a FAQ page.Other online customer support options include e-mail，customer discussion forums，chat rooms，and live help.Many analysts predict that the live help option will become extremely popular as more online customers start expecting customer service from real people 24 hours a day.

2.Offline Customer Support　The telephone is the most popular medium for providing offline customer support，since e-mail has all but replaced traditional letter writing(snail mail).Although expensive，telephone support will likely continue to be an attractive option—at least to consumers who appreciate the connection with a real person.The challenge for online companies is to make telephone support profitable. Many companies outsource telephone support to call centers that can provide 24-hour support at a reasonable cost.

Notes

1.cookie:A small text file that contains information for a specific Web site such as a password and username;these text files are stored on the user's computer.

2.FAQ:frequently asked questions.

3.customer discussion forum:the online area that allows people to read，post and respond to message.

4.call centre:handles incoming telephone calls from both online and offline customers.

Further Exploration

In E-Commerce Times，Paul Greenberg once said，“People still need people.Sites with no possibility of human contact for the customer are at a disadvantage.Shoppers want to be able to talk to a real person in real time.Toll-free numbers are big winners.”

Do you agree?Have you ever got excellent customer support service?Can you use English to describe your experience to your classmates?