By Alex Bard
But what happens? Your email bounces back with a rude reply: Sorry, you cannot get service that way. This is an an unmonitored "do not reply" email address.
How can a company that can charge my credit card in 30 different languages not respond to my email replies? It's like the products are version 2.0 and support is still in beta!
Customers have made it clear: They want to be able to reach you at their convenience, not yours. You may consider yourself to be customer-focused, but have you walked in your customers' shoes? Can they reach you on Twitter? Can they reply to all your emails? Can they post your Facebook wall and get a response? Or do pick and choose the ways you deliver support, hoping the customer will accommodate you?
The Internet has changed the game. "Online" is now a way of life for everyone-- and it makes sense that if this is where people are spending time, this is where support has to be. The fact that we're all on multiple channels is no longer a surprise, so why do some companies circle the wagons and distance themselves from their customers?
The good news is this: Customer service as a brand differentiator is an attainable prize for online companies. They simply need to begin thinking of customer service as an opportunity rather than cost center.
Take for example Assistly customer Brickhouse Security, an online retailer of home security products. Brickhouse has a worldwide customer base and has outmaneuvered much larger e-commerce companies by doing what others have resisted: they found a way to use technology to their advantage, using Assistly to make it easy for customers to get service in any way they can imagine: via social media, chat, phone and email.
And, of course, if you reply to a Brickhouse Security email receipt you get a response from a customer service agent. Brickhouse Security has banned the "do not reply" email address: "If you want to be in the business of ignoring your customers, you'd better be in a monopoly business," says Todd Morris, CEO subscribes to the theory that it's easy to get first-time customers, but it is very difficult to win repeat customers. "You have to enhance lifetime value for customers," he says.
The best way to insure a steady supply of new customers, retain existing customers, and breed advocacy is by providing consistent and awesomely responsive customer service. Fortunately, innovative customer service management software (like Assistly) exists to help manage the flow, making agents more productive--and personalized customer service more efficient and cost-effective.
In today's world, success is built on repeat purchases and positive word of mouth. I believe that company-wide focus on delivering awesome customer service is a key differentiator, profit generator, and a disruptive game-changer. Online companies are ahead of the curve on so many fronts. It's time for more of them to provide truly customer-focused service that helps customers solve problems and become brand evangelists.
Alex Bard is the CEO of Assistly, an all-in-one social CRM and customer support cloud solution.