Forum Moderators: phranque
Cheers,
Patrick
<picked up two customers with quick and timely responses to their initial emails>
Operating a web business is in some respects more difficult, because you never see a customer face to face and get to shake his/her hand.
Your customer service has to be BETTER than every one else's - period. The web means instant communication. You can't sit on emails. Your customer wants an answer NOW. If you don't give it to them, your competitor will.
The rules of success in business haven't changed just because you put a .com after your name.
Customer satisfaction is JOB ONE!
- Pity many high profile Dot coms never learnt that before they went bust
I don't remember which still-in-business .com did this, but once they got going put a big sign on the wall in the office:
Revenue - Expenses = Profit!
Just to remind everyone of the basic principal.
Customer service *is* an expense.
I might host you and hold your hand for $5,000.00 per month, but I'm sure not doing it for $5.00 per month.
In some businesses, there are customers or clients that you probably don't want. Sometimes, those customers are ones that require excessive service. Increased customer count does not always equal increased profit.
Yes, and there will be customers who really make you earn their payment.
But if you don't know how to handle that kind of customer, you open yourself up for all kinds of problems. Someone like that is probably vocal and will tell lots of people how bad your company is, even though we both know he was the problem.
Bottom line - you need customers or you are not in business. And you had better treat them right.
I used to own a small factory making duffle bags. I advertised a five-year unconditional guarantee. Sure, there were some who would bring in a tattered bag just before the 5 years and expect a new one. I would gladly give one - I'd rather have that person tell 20 people how he scammed me than have him tell 40 people what a jerk I was.
We also work hard on our customer service, and our experience is that many spam filters dump our e-mail replies before the person ever sees it and as far as they are concerned "you didn't send it".
Primarily because in most situations, especially for a hosting company, all of the relevant info for their services are already publicly posted. If the customer doesn't bother to review the info we've already made easily accessible, it's a pretty good sign that this is likely to be one of those projects that we'll never turn a profit on.
I have an estimate form on our site in which someone looking for site development can fill out and submit. I used to pore over these emails, detailing all the wonderful things we could do for these prospective customers, and they seldom replied. Which means either my response was awful, or they're just fishing.
Like I said, it's a thin line to walk, sorting out the lookie-loo's and those who would take up untold hours of your time just to go somewhere else to save a dollar.
That's the difference between success and failure.
Successful companies realize that to fish you need drop lines in the water all day long, and not every line will snag a fish. Successful companies know how to convert fishers to customers.
I get dozens of fishers as well, and always respond promptly and politely. I'll even put a token in the mail. Sometimes they respond, sometimes they don't. Enough do.
And for those who complain about users who can't find the information on your site, you probably have something wrong with your site. For every person who takes the time to email or call you up with a problem, there are hundreds that just go to your compeditor.
Just to recap the math . . .
If you ignore one person who emails or calls (which will cost you, lets say $5 to help them and fix your page) it will cost you on average $185 to get a new customer. Now multiply that by the other 99 people who are just a click away from your compeditor and you have to spend $18,500 to replace them.
Maybe you just know who to ignore, maybe you have a undersaturated industry. Whatever the case tell me what you do and let me set up shop. There is money to be made!
