When Customer Contact was simple

In an earlier time, small business owners simply needed to hand out leaflets in their localities or make sure that their business was listed in the relevant directory. The telephone was the primary means of contact with customers. With the growth of the internet, small business owners now feel pressurized to keep up with different media channels.

The Multiplicity of Mediums

Customers may discuss your product on forums and communities, blog about it, e-mail you through your website or call in. While all of these are opportunities, they also need time. Similarly, the technology options available to businesses have also boomed. Should I offer live chat on my website or provide a separate forum for users? Should I invest in a larger CSR team or will my FAQ page take care of most queries?

How to choose the right Technology for your business

Small businesses sometimes have a hard time making sense of the multiple options available. The number of options available also creates a fear that more time is being spent on ‘superfluous’ decisions rather than on the core business.

In such a situation, it makes sense to remember the three key objectives that any customer support system should meet:

1. Delight customers with the quality and immediacy of responses
2. Eliminate redundancy and save time for the business team
3. Make the process cost competitive and prevent cost escalation