The importance of providing excellent online customer support

We’ve all been there at some time or another. The website we’re visiting isn’t working as intended and we’re struggling to find what we want. Maybe we’ve already made a purchase and there’s an issue we need resolving, we’re not happy with the product or perhaps it hasn’t even arrived yet. Yes, it’s time for us to get in touch with customer support, but can they help?

In the growing world of online transactions, there’s arguably nothing more frustrating for clients than poor customer support. Interestingly, a recent study indicated that when companies say they take a “customer first” approach to offering support, only 12% of those responding suggested they believed it. Another 69% believed it with some scepticism, while 19% had no belief in such claims from companies.

This would appear to indicate that many online companies have a very long way to go, before being able to convince clients that the customer service they offer is actually helpful. The biggest frustration observed by the survey was a lack of simple communication, which in turn makes the client feel their custom is of value. Likewise, the survey highlighted that if treated well by responsive customer support, clients are more likely to respond with further business and greater loyalty.

While customer service has always been an important consideration, the proliferation of online review and comparison sites has meant that this metric is more vital than ever. For example, as an established online casino comparison site, Irishluck compares casino websites based on several key elements. This includes graphics, gameplay, bonuses and value, providing them with an overall percentage score. Additionally, there’s a “what’s hot” and “what’s not so hot” section, giving readers an at-a-glance overview of the best and worst elements at each site. Understandably, the quality of customer support offered is one of the most important aspects.

Such a level of detail when reviewing online gaming sites is highly valued by prospective clients, before choosing where to deposit their gaming funds, especially considering how competitive the online casino market is these days. Whenever a client needs help or advice, given they can now play games 24/7, limited opening hours at an online gaming site can be somewhat frustrating. Even more so if they have to wait several hours for a response.

Comparison sites focused on other areas of online business are taking the same approach, increasingly highlighting the quality of online customer support, then rating it for usefulness. As we continue turning to online vendors and services with more frequency, while our spending habits are changing in the digital age, we do retain some basic expectations akin to visiting traditional establishments. At a store or a brick-and-mortar location, we would always expect human interaction and interestingly, many people expect that online too.

That said, even when direct human-to-human interaction isn’t possible, at the very least, people tend to expect a basic level of online customer support, along with some indication their issue will be dealt with promptly. In a recent article published by Keap, an online marketing and e-commerce company, they stressed that customer support should be treated with the utmost priority. Indeed, offering clients a positive experience will keep them coming back, even if that includes responding quickly to basic questions and queries while prioritising cases when more urgent attention is needed.

These examples highlight that when done properly and in a timely fashion, clients feel much more confident in the overall service offered by a company. Swiftness of customer support should be regarded in the same way as attracting customers in the first place and treated with equal importance and emphasis. Good customer support not only encourages clients to stay, it increases word of mouth praise and is also a great marketing tool, in and of itself.