Tahoe Web Service

 Do you treat people with whom you do business with correct? Tahoe Web Service thought we would come up with a few things that might help you out when it comes to customer service when launching your business online. Many times people forget about customer service when dealing with sales online. The online sales world is so automated we forget that one is dealing with real people. Does your customer service create fans or does it send people into the lost world of online sales, never to be heard from again, minus the back feed back they may leave you via Ebay, Etsy, or some list about a company to not do business with?

What is the real price one pays as an online business owner for customer service? The real price is word of mouth advertising. If your customers likes the way you handle things, he or she will tell maybe 20 other people. However, if he or she feels they were treated poorly or better yet in an unfair way, they will tell thousands of people.

To help you with your online customer service, here are a few tips you might want to consider.

1.      Let’s walk in your customers shoes for a second. Would you want to be treated the way you might be treating your customers? If the things you are doing to your customers is upsetting you and keeping you up at night, that is your instinct shouting at you that what your are doing is not correct.

2. Make it simple to do business with you. We all have seen the never ending TOS (terms of service) pages on websites. Keep yours straight to the point and worded in ways that customers do not need to be a Harvard law professor to read. I have found out that customers just want to take a quick look at a TOS to see the rules on shipping and returns all the other information I have found they bypass (of course I’m not saying to not include all the other mumbo jumbo). Just make the most important regulations stand out and have them right at the start.

3. Make It Easy to Contact You.  Do not make your customers only form of contact with you done via email or contact forms. Many times business emails are captured into a spam filter, thus your customer is going to send you a message and chances are your reply is going to get stuck in their spam filter, leaving your customer wondering “hey they never got back to me”. You are going to want to list your phone numbers, address and any other form of contact you can think of. Customers feel safe when they know they can contact you at any time in re-guards to their orders.

You can try a few of these things listed below.

-         Set up a FAQ page on your website. Include some questions that you think your customers might ask you.

-         Try listing your AIM, Yahoo, or MSN Messenger for a way customers can contact you as well. I have been running across several websites over the past few months that are listing these services. You can even list the hours you may be on these messenger services.

-         List your phone numbers. I know you may not want to list your home phone number or your cell phone number (hey we do like to keep some things private) so either install a second business line via your local phone company or you can use a virtual phone. You can find tons of 800 numbers that offer voicemail and or find me follow me transfers, these are great for customers as when they call you! These services will ring a few phone numbers that you have listed and send you the caller’s information, giving you the option of either speaking with your customers or sending them to voicemail. You can try a few of these businesses that I have used in the past. One Box  or J2 Global.

-         Try Ventrilo. We offer Ventrilo (VoIP) that will allow you to speak with your customer’s right over the computer like a phone. This is an easy to use feature; however it will require a small download (free of charge) for your customers. This service is also great if you would like to conduct business meetings or would just like to chat with friends or family.

4. Ask your customer what they would like done. If you and your customer can not reach a happy resolution to the problem! Then ask them what they think will be a good resolution. Be prepared to hear that they would like a full refund, want you to bend over backwards, etc. Do this and do not forget what I said above!! They will tell many people what great customer service you have, you have just entered word of mouth advertising and that is the best. This will end things on a positive note.

With the above said. We hope this may help you out some with your new business. Of course it is your business and you can choose on your own how you should do customer service! However do not forget you can either have tons of repeat business or you can make just one sale and move onto the next customer.

We know who we are, what we do, and why we do it. We deliver our message on a daily basis knowing full well that people are not going to purchase our service or buy into what I have to say, but the ones that do purchase our service are happy clients. As for as the ones that pass us by, the world offers loads upon loads of business and we know we are not going to get it all. Even though we would like to think our service is something everyone wants.

You have to know who you are and what you do when you venture into the World Wide Web for business. You have to understand that six million people are thinking of the exact same thing that you are (maybe they even are a step further then you). Having a plan of attack is a key solution to having your website or your business a success.

Is Entrepreneurship For You? In business, no one has a guarantee. There is just no way to eliminate risks people take when they are starting out a business, however you can improve your chances with good planning and preparation. One should always start out looking into the strengths and weakness. You need to look into a few things when you consider starting out.

Are you a self starter? Keep this in mind as the start of your business lays all on your shoulders, it is up to you to manage your time, develop projects that will help your business, follow through on details. If you find your self thinking you can take time to hit the golf course when ever you want! Well then starting your own business is something that is just not going to be for you as you will fail if you do things like this.

Do you get along with people? As a new business owner you are going to be dealing with many different personalities in people. Sure you can sit back as the owner of your company and tell a customer to take a hike! However do not forget that this customer you just told to take a hike could have been a returning customer or a customer that would have told 100 people positive things about your business. If you take the back seat approach to business and things! Well then once again you are going to fail. You need to deal with everything that is brought to your attention and you have to do this in a positive way.

Are you good at making decisions? I’m hear to tell you as a small business owner or a large business owner, you are going to be faced with making decisions constantly – often quickly, independently, and under an extreme amount of pressure at times. These decisions that you may be faced with can make or break you and your business. You need to keep a level head at all times. If this is something you can not do, well again a business is not for you. Be like fonzey calm, cool and collective at all times.

Do you have the stamina to run a business? Get ready as the start of your business is going to force you to work six or seven days a week, 12-15 hours a day. This at times is going to cause havoc in your family life, personal life, etc. it is going to effect a lot of people around you. However if you are a success this will all pay off in the end for you. If you are not prepared to do this and only put in a few hours a day! Your new business is either going to fail or it is going to take you years and years to make your business worth anything.

How well do you plan things out? Research has proven that poor planning is a major resource for failed business. Good planning of financial records, inventory, production, etc. can help you prevent major business pitfalls. By not having good planning for your new business you are going to fail.

Are you positive? You have to remain strong, you have dreamed up an idea so you should not allow a few bumps in the road prevent this dream of yours coming true. Remaining strong and motivated will help you get past these bumps, slow times, income loss, etc. You have to push yourself above and beyond. If you can not do this kiss your dream good buy and you need to head back to your old job.

Tahoe Web Service