Call me old-fashioned if you like - I believe it's impossible to have a conversation by electronic data exchange, that is, by email or text messaging. With those media, you can exchange information only; a conversation requires an active two-way interchange of ideas, thoughts, emotions, and information. The bare words are less than 10% of the import in a typical conversation.

To me, few things are more aggravating than to run into some technical issue with which I need help, and when I click the "Contact us" tab, I find only an email form to fill out. So I send a description of my issue, and 8 hours or two days later, when my mind is totally focused elsewhere, I get an answer which may or may not address my concern. Even if it does, it takes a few minutes or hours to get my mind re-focused on where I was in the process when the issue cropped up. If the answer doesn't address the issue, or if tech support needs more background information to provide help, then we must reiterate the hours- or days-long exchange. In most cases, a 10-minute, or possibly 1-2 hour, conversation would have cleared the slate. A "Chat Room" can improve the timeliness of the interchange; however, the issue of bare words vs. total communication remains.

It may be that the arms-length data exchange results in somewhat more organized or "efficient" use of support staff. My question is, at what cost does this approach to "customer service" come?

So, we come back to my title question - are you serious about customer service? What do you aim to accomplish with your customer service? In most organizations, I would suggest that the goal of customer service is to resolve issues to the point where the customer is as happy as if the problem hadn't occurred. Often, if a complaint is resolved with careful attention to the customer's needs and wants, it can elevate the customer's opinion of the company when the transaction is concluded. It is highly unlikely that, after a drawn-out electronic "conversation", the customer's attitude is any better than mildly frustrated...and likely, he or she is far more annoyed than that. Plus, you've used his or her time very selfishly. What does that mean for your ongoing relationship with them and, more importantly, what they're telling other current or potential customers of yours?

Now, let me share an example of how great customer service works. A few weeks ago I ordered a long list of clothing items from Duluth Trading Company. A few days later, when the package arrived, I found two pairs of pants had smaller waist sizes than I thought I had ordered. (you'll note that I'm not mentioning numbers - even if the smaller ones fit, I'm not particularly proud of the sizes I'm wearing these days!). Well, the smaller ones didn't fit so I called the customer service phone number and explained the situation to the very pleasant lady on the other end of the line, and said I wasn't sure if I'd mis-ordered or they'd mis-picked. "Well" she said, "obviously your intent was to order the size pants that matched the other items. We'll just send you the correct size pants, along with a prepaid label to ship the others back to us." That's exactly what happened, and here I am singing their praises. If the same transaction had taken place by email, it would have taken far more time and effort on my part. I wouldn't have had the pleasant conversation with a human being whose obvious priority was my best interest. I'm pretty sure, even if the outcome had been the same, that I wouldn't have found the incident noteworthy, as I do now.

Your business' most valuable assets are your customers. (Next most important are your employees - I plan a future segment on employee care). Taking care of those customers, especially when they may be frustrated by a problem they can't resolve by themselves, should be "Job One" for you. How better to invest your customer-care budget than turning a frustrated customer into a champion of your company? Wouldn't it be great to have your customers telling stories about you like I am about Duluth?

Weare, NH

Office and cell phone: 814-590-3854

Fax: 603-529-8474

In Argentina: +54 9 386 845 9586

Email:   John@UnityConsultingSolutions.com

             jstevens@gsinet.net

Skype:  johnbstevens1943