It is amazing how somebody’s opinion can change due to the smallest factor. In an online business, this could be virtual assistant customer service. Customer service can literally make or break an online business venture. The way you handle this can determine how you are viewed compared to your peers and it can make you really stand out, in a good way or a bad way. You have the potential to build a significant feeling of trust here, with visitors, customers or those who are still deciding.

What is Customer Service?

Take a moment and consider these points carefully. A reader signs up for newsletters or your affiliate program. Days go by before they receive a confirmation of your receipt of their request or they receive any information at all. That reader will then decide to take back their request as they don’t want anything to do with you.

It is vitally important, at the very least, to make sure that you follow through with everyone to whom you have made an offer, whether they are customers, or readers. This is why they came to you first. Doing your part helps them make the decision to stay, and this action is essential, for any real chance at success.

Imagine if you were in a store, you wouldn’t want to wait aimlessly without somebody helping you. If you have to ask for help you then the point has been missed. It is the primary function of the business owner to be available, in case help is needed.

How Good Customer Service is Provided

Now, of course it would be totally unrealistic to think that you will sit at your computer 24/7 waiting for a reader to ask a random question. What you can do however is put processes in place so that someone, such as a virtual assistance provider, or something automatic for that matter, is there 24/7 to be available for any eventuality.

Here are some suggestions:

• Messages sent via autoresponder
• Scheduled newsletter delivery
• FAQ page that is always updated
• An easily navigable website, with user-friendly tabs, links and site map
• An answering service
• Virtual assistant

Keep in mind that even when you can’t be available personally, you know that your readers and customers are taken care of. Example: If you have an affiliate program, include enough links and information for readers to understand what you are all about and how they can sign up. The sign-up form should only include a request for the information that you really need, so they are as easy as possible to fill in.

In due course, you should go through the e-mail messages you have received to find those where a question didn’t correlate to one of the categories you included on your “contact us” page. The auto-responder message for them gives you an additional 24 to get back to the reader with the information requested.

Any expert virtual assistants will tell you that prompt service tells people that you are seriously concerned about their business. You value their action and want to ensure that they are quite pleased with their choice. Customer service is a big part of building a healthy long-lasting relationship with your readers, and it’s a detail that if left unattended, could mean the loss of an otherwise great online investment.

Tags: internet marketing, online business

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 11th, 2011 at 8:12 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.