delivering the goods - electronic commerce and inventory management

Black Enterprise, June, 2001 by Holly Aguirre

3. Respond promptly to customer inquiries or complaints. "Don't let them hang out there in cyberspace," Hall warns. "If you had a storefront, you wouldn't have customers standing around for days waiting for someone to assist them. Handle your Net business with the same commitment to quality service as you would if it were a walk-in business."

4. Do what you say you will. Don't make promises on your Website that you can't keep. If you run into a shortage of a hot item, make sure you notify customers immediately.

5. Make returns and refunds problem-free. Don't make customers jump through hoops if they aren't satisfied.

According to a recent study on customer service conducted by Jupiter Media Metrix, problems arise when an online business is unable to handle high volumes of site visitors and buyers. While Jupiter estimates that many of the more popular e-commerce sites average 58,000 transactions per day, the sites' behind-the-scenes disorganization puts a strain on customer service.

The problem is simple. The more customers a merchant has, the higher the number of customer complaints, questions, and problems that will need to be addressed. Without a good fulfillment system to handle the high volume of online transactions, customer service will bear the brunt of the customers' dissatisfaction, the study notes.

"So many times, I received e-mails from individuals who are clueless when it comes to finding someone to contact at a company," says Hall. "Some companies, even large ones, that should know better, will have a neat Website with lots of cool graphics, but no information on how to contact them."

Jupiter advocates a "multichannel" automated customer-service strategy, which it says only 37% of Websites currently employ. Possibilities include live chat rooms, tollfree phone lines for customers needing to hear a reassuring voice, and e-mail for simple, easy to answer questions that do not need instant attention. Additionally, a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) list should be part of a company's customer-service plan.

"Don't forget the freebies," suggests Hall. "Amazon.com is great about that." Hall says she loves buying books from Amazon because she receives a free bookmark with every order and a coffee mug after a certain number of purchases. "I think of [the company] every time I use the mug."

Hall follows the same practice. She sends each customer a free the Bight Answer ruler with the purchase of her newsletter or workbooks, T-shirts, and mugs. "People love getting something extra," she adds.

What's more, good customer services could keep you from running afoul of the Mail Order Rule. "My best advice to businesses is to spend the time and money necessary to set up mechanisms that ensure compliance," Swanson says. "If you think about it, it makes perfect sense. Compliant businesses will not face monetary penalties, and will have customer order fulfillment mechanisms in place that maximize efficient and timely transactions, thus leading to happy, returning customers." Which is the goal of an e-commerce venture, right?