NFIB

Encourage Customers to Contact You by Email
04/ 15/ 2002


Have you noticed that most large companies have a "contact us" link on their corporate Web site, enabling web visitors to simply click and E-mail? This is more than a mere convenience, as described by Jeffrey Moses in today's Workshop.

Allowing web visitors to E-mail specific questions, problems, concerns, gripes, and random comments offers convenience. In addition, it is usually far more cost-effective for a company than allowing customers to call on a toll-free line. First, it saves the actual cost of the telephone connection. Second, responding to an E-mail usually takes far less time than speaking to a person directly on the phone. And it allows staff to respond more at their convenience, rather than when the customer is calling. These factors help a company save money.

On your company Web site you may also want to include E-mail addresses of specific staff members. These could include customer service reps, managers of specific departments (sales, accounting, delivery, communications, etc.), and any other staff you feel could more quickly and easily handle inquiries coming in by E-mail rather than by phone. To encouragecustomer E-mail usage, provide an underlined link for each person's name that offers point and click ease. Be sure to include each person's title so customers can easily determine the person who best suits their needs.

Make sure that all corporate literature includes the company's Web site and general E-mail address. All individual business cards should include the person's own E-mail address at the company.

If you have an on-hold telephone message for customers, include the company's general E-mail address. Inform telephone holders that E-mail inquiries are handled promptly.

This brings up a final point: when you begin encouraging such E-mails, your staff absolutely has to respond quickly. Your company will look bad if days go by without response. All employees should be instructed to examine their E-mails at least 2-3 times a day and to respond to E-mails within 24 hours. This is about the time frame that customers expect. Any longer can cause irritation.

A designated employee should read all general incoming E-mails, and should distribute messages to appropriate staff. Management should monitor the general E-mail because it may contain complaints or suggestions regarding E-mail response-time of staff members.

workshop.technology.thu
12.30.99

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