Quality Customer service is what every company should strive to maintain. From the largest conglomerate to the smallest LLC or contractor, without customers there is no business.
Regardless of the product, customers want to be treated as if they are the only one dealing with the company. Buying a car, you want the full attention of the salesperson and want to walk out feeling you got the best deal. Sitting in a restaurant watching your server hover around another table while you can’t get more water frustrates you and you are likely to never return.
The digital online world is no different. You want your experience to be fast and pleasing. If you send a message or click on chat, you expect results. Likewise, if you sit with the chat box open for an hour with no response, or go days without an email response, you will probably choose to take your business elsewhere.
Serviceable Customers
As web developers, we experience similar issues from time to time. A company will make the decision they want a website, whether from scratch or a rebuild, and reach out to us to make it happen.
We immediately go into action gathering all the tidbits required to build the perfect site. We get the domain name, the hosting is set up and a theme is purchased. We build up the basic site and tell the customer we are ready for their content and ideas on what they want to see.
From there it can at times take days, weeks or months to get content and information. Occasionally, you never hear from them again.
Sometimes it’s an existing site that wants changes. We are ready to make the changes, but never hear what those changes are. It’s like going to that car dealer with the great and helpful salesperson but not telling them what kind of car you want.
All of this cost money to the company. The purchase of the domain, the purchase of the hosting plan, the purchase of the theme. All of this is money spent up front waiting for the customer to provide the rest.
Why Does This Happen?
Some companies don’t see the urgency in putting information on the web. Some treat it as printed material like a catalog or brochure. Sometimes, this mentality spills over to the website. They are concerned that once published, it can’t be changed.
There are also the ones that get a great idea to establish a web presence, but because of a change in focus they never follow through with their initial zeal.
Sometimes it’s just ignorance (not stupidity). Ignorance of how it all works is not necessarily bad. The word ignorance gets a bad reputation, but it simply means uneducated in an area. Ignorance can be overcome with education.
What Can We Do?
The best thing is to help the customer see a digital presence for what it is. A dynamic, ever-changing world.
If they are ignorant of how it works, teach them. If they are worried about the inability to change, show them how easy it is to change things. For those who lost their zeal, simple follow-ups can sometime re-kindle the interest.
Essentially – provide them with the support needed to get the information gathered together and publish it. Be understanding, but don’t ignore them. Gracious follow-up emails or calls are generally always welcome. After all, they are paying for a product, so it’s only right to give them that product.
Help your customers realize that only when they tell you what they want can you provide it. It makes the relationship much better and the product better quality.