Forget online, and spend some time on your offline operation!

[darren atkinson]

Hi all,

I have added this recent blog post to my site, it deals with the offline aspects of running an ecommerce website.

http://www.darrenatkinson.co.uk/blog/offline-ecommerce-business-solutions/

Hopefully it might make some of you re-think how you run the offline aspect of your website. If not then it might be an interesting read anyway.

Thanks

Darren

[Pete Williams]

Interesting article Darren, thanks for posting it, we do try to have a handle on our customer service in terms of response times and we always dispatch same day where we can.

So on these aspects I can concur, I have a number of customers that use me not because I am the cheapest but simply because I answer the phone and emails!

[iLove]

Darren, you make a great point - i've just forwarded another of your articles (seo vs Ppc) to a former client of mine (i used to work as a retail consultant). The key is customer service. The internet allows much great freedom for customers to vent their anger. One customer can kick start a debate that seriously damages your sales by posting on a forum somewhere. Customer service is absolutely key. in my experience people accept taht things go wrong, but if you don't answer the phone and deal with the problem they get P**sed off.

The internet is effectively just about marketing. Marketing is all about reputation, so maintaining a good online perception is crucial.

[frockery]

Really good article, Darren. If 'bells and whistles' ecommerce sites don't come up to scratch in the customer services department, it rather defeats the purpose of all the bells and whistles in the first place!

I must confess to being a bit scared of technology going wrong and took some time to move on from my 'slate and chalk' method of record keeping and general Luddite mentality. However, having been sympathetically talked through the relevant techie bits by a skilled and very customer focused IT consultant, the raw fear has receded somewhat, although the frustration remains at not fully understanding how everything works. Delegation has never been my strong point. :)

In automated ecommerce operations, it is all too easy to look at customers as simply numbers (of orders). Certainly in my own business, I have found that investing time and effort in 'human to human' contact translates into more orders and that all important customer loyalty in what is a highly competitive marketplace.

Best regards
Alison

[Hedgie]

Really good article, Darren. If 'bells and whistles' ecommerce sites don't come up to scratch in the customer services department, it rather defeats the purpose of all the bells and whistles in the first place!


Exactly!! If the customer service fails then the business will struggle to gain a reputation. Who knows, one day you could mess up a potentialy large client order and end up losing out for future orders. Not to say that we are all perfect, things do go wrong occasionally but it is how you deal with problems when they arise that affets how a customer views your business.