Providing Excellent Customer Support on a Small Budget

Written by Bill Platt


Continued from page 1

Facing this problem, it would seem wise to use a web-based email interface. Problem here is that you will have to constantly monitor a web-based email account for new inquiries. Can you imaginerepparttar pain of relying on web-based email forrepparttar 108996 operation of your business? Unless your web mail system contacts you immediately uponrepparttar 108997 arrival of new email, then you must maintain an open browser window to your web mail account and continually refreshrepparttar 108998 window to see if there is new email to answer.

Relying upon your web email account for your support inquiries can become very time consuming and inefficient.

The advantages of havingrepparttar 108999 ability to have one email account monitored by a number of people, and havingrepparttar 109000 ability to move some emails to different folders should weigh heavily in your consideration of using web-based email for your sales and support inquiries.

Web-based email had seemed likerepparttar 109001 perfect solution forrepparttar 109002 cost-aware business person, butrepparttar 109003 disadvantage ofrepparttar 109004 troubles of keeping an eye for incoming mail seem to eliminate this as a realistic solution to our problem, doesn't it?

I had argued with myself concerning how to solve this problem for many months. I needed an effective sales and support inquiries system without spending my entire budget to get it. But you know, if you stew over a problem long enough and keep your eye torepparttar 109005 horizon, a solution will present itself.

As it turned out, a piece of software I had on my system for quite some time figured intorepparttar 109006 solution I had been searching for. Withrepparttar 109007 last upgrade ofrepparttar 109008 ePrompter software, I suddenly realized thatrepparttar 109009 final piece ofrepparttar 109010 puzzle was within my reach.

ePrompter is a handy little application that has always permitted us to check multiple email accounts simultaneously and delete messages as we were finished with them. Withrepparttar 109011 last upgrade of ePrompter,repparttar 109012 makers enabled us to haverepparttar 109013 ability to respond to email inquiries also.

With this development, I have handed out copies ofrepparttar 109014 ePrompter to each of my support team members. ePrompter runs inrepparttar 109015 background and notifies us through an icon inrepparttar 109016 System Tray how many new messages are present in each ofrepparttar 109017 accounts we monitor. As we answer each email, we either delete it fromrepparttar 109018 server throughrepparttar 109019 ePrompter software, or if we need to storerepparttar 109020 messages for future reference, we log into repparttar 109021 web-based version ofrepparttar 109022 account and moverepparttar 109023 email in question torepparttar 109024 appropriate folders.

To get your copies ofrepparttar 109025 ePrompter software, visit http://www.eprompter.com . This software is free to download and use, and will be absolutely essential to your low-cost (free) sales and support system.

Bill Platt is co-owner of Double Eagle Business Center (DEBC). By providing an honest and well thought out MLM Opportunity, DEBC meets all the legal requirements for an online MLM plus offers products and services which can support any online business along with an innovative and a high percentage (75%) commission payout to Affiliates. http://PathTrax.com/x.pl/BP121,17


MOST ONLINE BUSINESSES DO NOT OFFER WHAT CONSUMERS DEMAND

Written by Bob McElwain


Continued from page 1

In selling products onrepparttar Web, all possible must be done to emulaterepparttar 108995 offline buying experience. Anticipate and answer completely all questions that may arise in a visitor's mind. There must be sufficient information for even a novice to make a good buy decision. While you likely won't show this to all visitors, it's got to be there. Possibly as an option onrepparttar 108996 more-info page.

Until this happens on your site, you will not sell much to people unaquainted with your products. And you will not attract many offline consumers. Further, until this becomesrepparttar 108997 norm for online businesses, don't expect any mass movement of offline consumers torepparttar 108998 Web.

But Hey, That's A Lot Of Work

You bet it is. And time-consuming as well. But I won't be buying a Palm until I find a site that cheerfully providesrepparttar 108999 answers I need. And what may matter more, responds promptly to an email.

Further, I want to feel confident I'm buying from a pro who can and will supportrepparttar 109000 product. Give me that stuff about hardware support is referred torepparttar 109001 manufacturer, and I'm gone.

But given a site with a solid business person behind it, then my question becomes simple. Which model should I buy? Likely I'll get good advice in this as well.

And price won't matter much. If I pay an extra $20 over some discount site, so what? Call it insurance, if you like. I know where to turn if I hit a snag. A bit extra means little in comparison. Andrepparttar 109002 same is true for lots and lots of people.

Forget Price Shoppers

Some businesses are concerned aboutrepparttar 109003 shopping bots, certain they'll get beat out on price on most any product in common demand. While there are those who shop price, I suggest you don't need this kind of business. You'll likely lose a sale on another item to a site with a price even lower than yours.

Build a site that satifies allrepparttar 109004 needs of a person brand new to a product, or one even new torepparttar 109005 Web. A site that also satisfiesrepparttar 109006 needs of experts. If you demonstrate your expertise and credibility, your visitors will buy without much concern for price. And what matters more, do this right, and they'll be back.

If you have a mechanic who takes great care of your car, one whom you've come to trust, chances are you drop your car off, explainrepparttar 109007 problem, ask him to fix it, and leave without more than a mild interest inrepparttar 109008 cost. Since he's never treated you unfairly inrepparttar 109009 past, it's unlikely he'll do so now.

Build this kind of reputation on your website, and you can safely ignore price shoppers. But above all, provide information to satisfyrepparttar 109010 needs of novices and experts, and all those in between. Since most don't do so, this may give you preciselyrepparttar 109011 competitive edge you need to beat your competition.

Bob McElwain, author of "Your Path To Success." How to build ANY business you want, just the way you want it, with only pocket money. Get ANSWERS. Subscribe to "STAT News" now! mailto:join-stat@lyris.dundee.net


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