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Customer Service Information |
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5 Golden Online/Offline Business Rules To LIVE Or DIE By
Whether online or off, if you plan on running or maintaining any type of credibility within your business, there are some guidelines that are safe to say any existing or potential customer expects if they are to do immediate or future business with you. As an online entrepreneur for over 3 years I have found that even though I don't have the pleasure of meeting face-to-face with my customers, ones perception of you and your business can be viewed as good or bad all depending on the way you handle questions or comments posted by people interested in your product. Here is a list of 5 MUST DO'S that any one customer will come to expect if they are to do business with you. (1) Be Prompt - although it may be an exhausting task to keep up with all the general inquiries or questions about any one product that your visitors have, be sure to respond as soon as possible because the more time it takes for your reply, the more likely a prospect will go elsewhere to do business. A great way to resolve many questions without having to physically type a letter each and every time is to provide a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page for a potential prospect to view for quick reference. Sometimes a potential customer may ask questions just to make sure there is a live person ready to assist if there is a need to do so. (2) Be Polite - for the online business people, even though your not looking at the person who is requesting information, it is wise to act as if they are standing right in front of you. The way you word your messages can impact the way you make people feel. If someone was to send a letter stating that they really didn't like the product they purchased and would like a refund (and sometimes you can tell if they are upset), be sure to promptly honor that refund and just say your sorry that they were unhappy with the purchase. Being polite can lead to no hard feelings and even produce more sales from this person in the future because they are happy with the way you handled their problem. If sending a letter, it is good practice to start it with a "Hello" or "Greetings" followed by the customers name and end every letter with a "Thank You", "Sincerely", "Warm Wishes", or "Best Regards" followed by your name. (3) Be Helpful - the reason why you are being contacted by an actual or potential customer is because they probably desire something and you'll need to provide a solution for their problem. After answering a customer question, it never hurts to ask them if there is anything else you can assist them with. By doing this it shows you are there for them and that you really want them to be happy with the services you provide. (4) Be Sincere - when answering question people may have about your products or if your just sending a "thank you" letter, make it sound as if you really mean it (and you should). This will give people a sense of connection with you and will be less nervous to do business with you. (5) Be Honest - of all the golden rules presented to you within this article, this by far may be the most determining factor whether or not your business thrives or suffers a grueling demise. By being honest about the product or service you offer and what they can expect from such a service, you'll show people you're a straightforward businessperson and someone who really does care about helping others. This will lead your customers not only to feel comfortable dealing with you now, but most likely in the future also. The Bottom Line Is...... The way you treat your customers can be more satisfying to them than the actual item your selling. And remember, with all the competition and choices available these days, you now have the opportunity to stand out from the crowd. Dan Preston has been in the ebook business for over 3 years and has enjoyed every moment of it. His website "The Online Book Store" offers a variety of ebooks big enough to answer almost anyone's how-to questions. http://online-book-store.net
MORE RESOURCES: AI Chatbots Are Ready to Talk to Customers. Sort of. The Wall Street Journal Pricing, AI, DPA, Customer Service Tools; Bill Emerson Interview; Training This Week; STRATMOR CD Workshop Mortgage News Daily Samsung Electronics Canada Customer Service Wins Bronze in ‘Best Use of Omni Channel' at International CX Awards 2024 Yahoo Finance Qme secures $3M funding to streamline customer service across Africa Techpoint Africa Building Competitive Advantage in Customer Care Through AI The Business of Fashion 311 Customer Service Center City and County of San Francisco FTC Finalizes Order with H&R Block Requiring Them to Pay $7 Million and Overhaul Advertising and Customer Service Practices for 2025 and 2026 Tax Seasons Federal Trade Commission News Ikea expands integration with assembly services platform Chain Store Age JEA is inviting bids for 19-story downtown tower that used to be its headquarters The Florida Times-Union Consumers Demand Enterprises Modernize to Improve Ailing Customer Experience, Says Research Business Wire American Lamprecht Enhances Visibility for Air and Ocean Shipments Using Descartes Solution Supply Chain Dive Women in Fintech: A Conversation About Loyalty Ecosystems in Financial Services with Becky Hill Finovate Neterra Enhances Its Customer Service Monitoring System Total Telecom Gladly Named a Leader in Constellation ShortList™ for Digital Customer Service and Support PR Newswire QueueKiosk™: Saving Thousands of Active-Duty Man Hours & Improving Customer Service at the MPF Office Kiosk Marketplace Finally, hard data on a real-world AI business use case: It’s huge for customer service Sherwood News Liverpool reinvents customer service through digital platform ComputerWeekly.com CSPI & Nutrition Action Customer Service CSPI Newsroom Firm to expand customer service in Yorkshire with new service centre Golf Business News Textron Aviation to Open New Service Facility at Essendon Fields Airport, Expanding Capabilities in Australia Pittsburg Morning Sun Help Department of Taxation and Finance Six Game-Changing AI Customer Service and CX Strategies Hospitality Net Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP) New York State Department of Health Cigna's customer-centric strategy could ripple across the sector Modern Healthcare Major AI Success Story: Giftify Achieves 40% Faster Customer Response Times with Enterprise AI StockTitan How banks can build consumer confidence with stellar customer service Insights by Samsung Contact Us About Your Bill myclearwater.com Customer Service Center apps.tampagov.net 311 - Birmingham’s Customer Service Center City of Birmingham (.gov) DESCO's meeting held to enhance customer service and power reliability The Business Standard Palm Coast Utility Department Celebrated for Enhanced Customer Service City of Palm Coast 70% of customer service to rely on AI by 2028: Gartner Outsource Accelerator Customer Service & Support Hillsborough County (.gov) My experience as a Customer Service and Sales Intern Toby Shapiro's Experience at A.D. Sutton and Sons Chapman University 3 Ways To Quickly Make $50 GOBankingRates Delta’s annual profit-sharing day spotlights ‘people first’ strategy The Atlanta Journal Constitution Welcome to Riverside Public Utilities City of Riverside (.gov) Celebrate Customer Service Week City of Riverside (.gov) Which companies have the best customer service? Amazon, Shein, Costco among top-rated brands USA TODAY Con Edison Proposes Investments to Meet Growing Demand for Clean Energy, Enhance Customer Support T&D World Contact Reverb Support Reverb Charter Names Robyn Tolva Senior Vice President, Customer Service Reliability | Charter Charter Communications America's Best Customer Service 2025 Newsweek 8 strategies for using AI for customer service in 2025 Sprout Social Attorney General Bonta Demands Better Customer Service for Californians California Department of Justice AI for Customer Service Market worth $47.82 Billion by 2030 - Exclusive Report by MarketsandMarkets™ PR Newswire Can artificial intelligence rescue customer service? The Economist Permits–customer services King County Lifeline Support for Affordable Communications Federal Communications Commission Department of Transportation Governor Tom Wolf President Biden Announces New Customer Service Actions, Targets Subscriptions and ‘Doom Loops’ CX Today 11 key elements of excellent customer service Business.com Launch of New Districtwide Customer Service Platform The School District of Philadelphia Shep Hyken, HPU Customer Service Expert, Mentors Students and Staff High Point University Summer EBT | Department of Human Services Governor Tom Wolf Video Quick Take: Intercom’s Brian Donahue on How AI Agents Can Be Your First Tier of Customer Service Support HBR.org Daily |
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