HR service delivery usually encompasses a combination of on-site representation (face to face) and call centers for phone communications. However, more and more our self service sites are also playing a role in the service delivery mix. When we’re talking about on-line customer service as it applies to employee and manager self service, we need to understand that on-line customer service means more than a frequently asked questions (FAQ) page and a nice site-map to help users get where they want to go, and there are some important lessons that have already been learned from our operational partners in the eCommerce world.
- Know the Differences Between Online Customer Support and Traditional Methods Since the world of e-commerce is largely an impersonal culture—with virtually no face-to-face contact with customers—customer support enters a whole new dimension. Online, you must do things that you wouldn’t need to in the brick-and-mortar world.
- Understand the Advantages and Shortcomings of Online Customer Service Overall, the Internet allows you to make it easier for customers to do business with you because they can do it all right from their desktop any time of the day or night. While online customer support is certainly different than the traditional method, there are some distinct advantages. On the other hand, there are some shortcomings associated with virtual customer service that you should be aware of.
- Get Familiar with the Essential Components of Online Customer Service While every e-commerce site’s customer service plan is—and should be—different, there are some features that should be staples. ((Picozzi, L. (2006) Retrieved on November 28, 2006 from : http://www.score.org/s_cs_10.html))
Things like site design, a high degree of personalization, and the ability to track fulfillment on-line are all things we expect from sites like amazon.com. Why shouldn’t our HR customers expect the same from self service sites? It’s also entirely possible that some of the less urgent or critical employee needs will come through the web in e-mail or chat/IM conversations. While this frees up time, the fulfillment of these inquiries are also more likely to be tracked on-line than before.
You may want to utilize some web technologies such as on-line fulfillment of issue resolution, IM chats to minimize telephony costs and wait times, or simply deploying better and more intuitive site design. As we already know how face to face interactions are different than call center interactions, get familiar with how your customers are going to respond to web transactions and what their expectations will be.
Read the rest of Lisa Picozzi’s article here.
