Better Customer Service -- That doesn't cost you a cent !
Okay, you're thinking there has to be a catch. Well take a few minutes to read this page because this situation may apply to your business.....
An Example Small Business Situation:
Not long ago, I was talking with a friend about a website. He told me
"Bob, I'm not sure that a website will help my business, but I sure could use business email."
Naturally, this got my interest, so we talked about his situation.
He runs a 5-person office that send out over 30 letter every day to residential customers. Of these, about 20 are routine forms like: confirmation of payment, change of address, quotes for new services, renewal reminders, etc. During July and August things are slow, and they pretty much shut down Christmas week for vacation and end of year stuff.
The main reason he wanted email was that many customers want this information right away and it takes 2-3 days for the letters to
arrive. In particular, he wanted the quote requests to be in their hands the same day they call, while they are interested and ready to make a decision on services.
He also thinks most of his customers have email.
He then told me
"I don't want to use my home email for this. I spend a lot of money building the company name. I want to reinforce the name, keep a professional image, and not look like
some cheap operation. And I have 4 people working for me that need to be able to use this too."
Then he asked me "Can you help with this? And how much will it cost?"
The answer? "We can have it done in about a week. It is not free, but it won't cost you anything."
Why Doesn't It Cost Anything?
Here is a quick review of why a website that is not free still does not
end up costing you anything.
Using the example above, let's just look at the 20 daily letters that are routine. Suppose that just HALF of these can be replaced with email. That is 10 letters/day for 5 days a week for 42 weeks/year (skip July, August and 2 weeks in December) for a total of:
10 x 5 x 42 = 2,100 letters a year.
Just the postage (37 cent first class stamp) on this mail comes to $ 777.00/year. Compare this to the annual cost of running a website with your own email accounts in the range of $300/year.
This results in a SAVINGS of $ 477/year,
plus the cost of the paper, envelopes, printer ink, and employee time to print, stuff, seal, and post the letters.
(The time to write the letters should be about the same.)
But the savings is only part of the picture. The best part is better customer service.
How Is Customer Service Better?
Everyone knows how competitive business is today. The successful businesses build relationships with their customers that go beyond a single sale. This means:
communicating why they should be your customer in the first place (to win new
customers); then keeping them informed on the product or service you provided; letting them find out what they need to know when they have
questions; telling them about maintenance; scheduling appointments; and telling them about new products or services that fit their needs.
A custom website with email capability can be an effective tool in building this relationship. You can send routine
correspondence with email forms, and include links to specific pages on your website with the detailed reference information. This can be very effective and affordable support, even for a business that is entirely off-line!
Say you run a hair salon, how does this apply to you?
When customers are paying, you can ask them their email address. Maybe you give them a free bottle of shampoo in exchange, or just take the information from those who are willing to give it. Now, when you have a promotion on the type of shampoo they like, you can email them a notice. Or you can send them a coupon for a free style/cut with any referral. And when busy seasons approach, you can send them a reminder like this:
"Dear Mary,
Since you are such a good customer, we just want to remind you that we get very busy during the Christmas party season. If you have special plans, why not call us now so we can be sure to give you an appointment when you need it. Or reply to this email with the time you would like and we will send you a reply tomorrow.
Warmest regards,
Sharon K.
Your Hair Style
555-1212
www.yourhairstyle.com"
While some of your customers may ask not to get these notices (and it is
VERY important that you let them opt-out!), most will see it for what it
is--an honest effort to provide them better, more customized service.
This is likely to set you apart from your competitors and will strengthen your
relationship with them.
Not only did you provide an extra service to your customer, you will
probably get more business. In the case above, if only one-tenth of the
customers end up booking their appointment, that would be 20 more appointments
for a small mailing list of 200 customers. Not bad for half-an-hour's
work?
The email above also used return email as a reply method. While this
seems simple, it can be a convenient way for your customers to contact you,
especially if they are busy during the day and forget to call for appointments.
It lets them "hire you" even when you are not at work!
Why not take advantage of this technology today?
