Can Technology Save Online Customer Service?

Customer service is the key to an effective online shopping experience for most people. Without excellent customer service, the effectiveness of a site can begin to break down. Once people log on and have a negative experience, it's tough to get them back. This can lead to reduced conversion rates and a loss of sales.

Some companies have begun to deploy advanced customer service tools that can filter and sort e-mail, provide a sophisticated knowledgebase and FAQ section and provide customers with online chat help. The latter can allow a customer to chat with a customer service rep online or click a button in the browser and receive a call back within seconds. Some live chat softwares also allow a customer service rep to synchronize browsers and then walk a person through a site by pushing Web pages to them.

This is dramatically changing the way customers and retailers act and interact online. It is no longer necessary to stop browsing online to begin talking. Customers with dial-up connections and a single phone line can continue their session while they receive help from knowledgeable customer service rep.

Live chat software provides a better level of service while significantly reducing customer service costs and reducing interaction costs. The right mix of live chat software and online customer service tools and solutions can help customers find answers quickly and painlessly--while converting more visitors to buyers for you. Live chat software allows you to lower the cost of customer service without sacrificing quality.

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