Ultimate Online Customer Service Experience

Can your website offer the ultimate online customer service experience? Of course it can! The tips offered below can help you build a state of the art online customer service website.

"Just the facts Ma’am." Many of us are old enough to remember this famous line from Dragnet. The original line was, "We just want the facts Ma’am’". This is exactly what most customers want. In the web world, FAQ or frequently asked questions can be a great source of information for customers. Customers can find answers to common questions and a well developed F.A.Q. section on your site can also reduce staff time.

Offer downloadable product or service guides. These guides should be compiled in industry standard .pdf or flash paper formats so the majority of visitors to your site can read them. Offering guides on how to work with your products or services can be very helpful as well.

A contact form and or helpdesk is a must. Customers can submit help tickets or email you or your staff for answers to questions regarding your product or service. A quick response will elevate your position in customer’s eyes.

A media center can offer several benefits. If you send out press releases or if someone from your company does interviews with radio, tv or print, a media center provides a place for news releases, copies of recent articles and corporate information. Your media center should also include relevant pictures, corporate information and a press kit if appropriate. A link to or information regarding company media personnel should be included.

A calendar of events keeps people informed. If you do several home shows or the like, a calendar of where and when the shows take place can help customers find you. Media appearances or interviews should also be listed here.

Newsletters can be a great source for customer contact. Offer a newsletter sign-up on your site. Be sure to have a system for confirming sign-ups so you don't appear to be sending spam. A newsletter archive is nice if it is appropriate considering the content of your newsletter.

Contact information is a must. Provide clear concise contact information on every page of your website. Customers don't want to dig to find out how to contact you.

Use how to articles, tutorials and e-learning to enhance the use of your products and services. We all love free information so take advantage of your web space and offer your customers what they want. 

Follow these tips and customer service will be as easy as clicking a link to your website.