Customer Service Leading the Way in Technology

Just the mere mention of the word “internet” can sometimes be very intimidating to people. It's been known to give off the impression that it's to highly technical and confusing for any of us to understand. Unless we've had years of experience, or some sort of college degree, we certainly shouldn't attempt it; and worse case scenario is that we hit the wrong key and give our computer a “virus”.

Well I have good news; the answer is customer service. Yes that's right, just like we have at our local department stores, or who we contact over the phone if we have a problem with our service or order we've placed. Customer service is all over the internet; actually just about every web site you can go to has some type of service or help link for assistance. If someone just initially logs into the internet, know matter what page first comes up on the screen, there's a help tab in the upper right hand corner of the page. If this box is clicked on, a drop down menu will appear, opening up all different types of options for help regarding whatever you're looking for or need to do.

The internet is actually an amazing thing; it's your eyes into the world right from the comforts of your home or office. The second half of the good news is that you don't have to be a technological guru to travel into the internet world. Virtually all things you may want to do on the internet have access to assistance.

Although, each customer service link may be set up differently, depending on their hours of business. Sometimes the service departments can be contacted right away for an immediate response using an eight-hundred number, or instant messaging; while others may take a little longer, using the internet e-mail system that they provide for you. When using the internet e-mail, the response time is usually less than twenty- four hours. Generally all the businesses over the internet are very good about responding to a customer, otherwise it would reflect very badly upon them, possibly causing them to lose money in the future. Also these businesses realize that the best form of advertisement is by word of mouth, and they don't want a bad review from anyone.

It's also good to remember while using the internet, any website that doesn't provide contact information, could possibly be trying to run a scam, or fraudulent site.

Customer service is all about pin pointing the problem, or issue and trying to come up with the best resolution to please both the customer and the corporation. It doesn't matter whether this takes place over the phone, in person, or over the internet, as long as the problem gets resolved in a respectful and pleasing manner.

Often times a customer service agent over the internet will be referred to as a mentor. They are the people who are well acquainted with the organization and its policies, politics, and processes. They are well connected (inside and outside the organization), communicate well, have the ability and desire to assist you (the mentee), and are capable and experienced. Feel free to ask these people to provide support and help you grow personally and professionally. Part of the effectiveness in serving customers can be accomplished through policies, and practices that say “we care” or “you're important to us”.

Customer service is a twenty- four/seven responsibility, and technology (the internet), can assist in making it effective. Computers and other forms of technology are continually becoming smaller, more complex and powerful; we have only started to see the impact that technology will have on shaping the future. Most businesses in the United States are technologically dependent in some form; calculators, cash registers, maintenance equipment, telephones, radios, cellular phones, pagers, computer systems, and hand held personal planners are typical examples of technology that we all rely on most every day. So the message is; let's not be intimidated by advancement, let's get excited and learn everything we can about it, it's our future.

Today, customer service representatives have a vast amount of technology at their disposal. Some of the more typical systems found in customer care centers (customer service) are; automated attendants,
computer telephony integration (CTI), electronic mail (e-mail), facsimile (fax) machines, internet-callback, interactive voice response, media blending, online information fulfillment system, predictive dialing system, teletype systems (TTY), and video.

Of course there are always going to be disadvantages to every situation, and like anything else related to customer service, technology offers some disadvantages to this also. As the internet has become more and more common, people have begun taking advantage of this luxury. The internet unfortunately, has spawned a new era of fraud and manipulation. So we as consumers must be more cautious than ever. We must continually keep upgrading our knowledge of technology, and always be consciously aware of our approach when browsing the internet. Strive to use technology to its fullest potential, but don't forget that customer service representatives are there to do a job, and that's to assist you in every way possible and to make using the internet a more pleasant experience.