TulipTools Internet Business Owners and Online Sellers Community

Quote: One bad customer service experience and a customer could stop shopping a retailer for life. Customer service is that crucial. What’s more, customer service can be a key differentiator among competing merchants. For in contrast to one bad experience, customer service that routinely excels can keep a customer shopping a retailer for life.

Today in Internet retailing, merchants have much more to attend to in the realm of customer service. It’s no longer simply staffing a bank of phones.

“The Internet has changed the shopping behavior of most consumers. They do not feel like they need to shop on retailers’ terms anymore. They expect to shop on their own terms, how they want,” says Greg Fettes, CEO of 24-7 INtouch, a customer service technology and services vendor. About 60% of the company’s clients are web retailers. “Consequently, businesses are moving beyond call centers. An incredibly high percentage of retailers now are looking for live chat and e-mail response functionalities as a result of shoppers wanting to shop on their own terms. Plus, customer self-service is becoming a big piece of the puzzle.”...