Why is customer service still such a problem?
Not for the first time, we are hearing of results of a survey that higlights the lack of adquate attention to customer service amongst online retailers. Whether it be lack of prompt response to e-mail or telephonic calls from customers or prospects, impersonal / indifferent communication with customers, the complaints always remain the same. Is it that online retailers have become too complacent and indifferent considering the continuous boom in e-commerce? One would think that in an era of ‘activist’ users, user-generated content, viral / word-of-mouth marketing and online reputation management, companies would be more cautious and diligent about raising their levels of customer service. At least on the surface, the consequences of not doing so would seem disastrous.
As an affiliate, such a situation is worrying. Merchants are extremely alert and quick (rightfully so, I might add) to monitor the performance of affilaites– the traffic and the results they generate as well as the methods they employ to achieve the results they do. They would be a lot better off if they could spend a little bit more time on setting their house in order and improving the things only they can control– such as ensuring their website is fully functional, the content is informative and the quality of customer service is great. Affiliates don’t control these aspects other than passing on this feedback to the concerned merchant. The only other option an affiliate has is to walk out on the merchant; but if you are a large affiliate publisher with an established user base, you may be doing your own reputation some serous damage and risk alienating customers. Betterl not to get into a relationship with a such a merchant beforehand rather than let your users educate you.
On the topic of complacence amongst online retailers, they might better be forewarned — for the first time, seems that entertainment sites in the UK are attracting more traffic than online shopping sites. Hopefully, this was an aberration and that online shopping would be back to its rising best sooner rather than later, but retailers should ignore any of these exceptions at their own peril.
July 5th, 2007 at 12:06 am
Yes, customer service can be better in a lot of cases, but why do you give so much credence to that survey? Why make blanket assumptions about “complacent” online retailers, in the same way that one retailer recently made a blanket statement about affiliates being “grubby”
I wouldn’t mind betting there are as many online retailers offering brilliant customer service as there are offerin poor customer service.