Whether you provide a service or sell a product customer service cost must be factored into your business plans. Many companies treat customer service as a cost center, provide minimum support via email, and may not provide a phone number for live support. Other companies treat it as a profit opportunity for the company and go the extra mile to retain the customer and keep them happy.
In either case technology solutions exist which when applied correctly can help you achieve the desired level of support that matches your requirements. Trouble Ticket based systems provide both a web application and email based ticketing system to allow you to easily manage customer concerns, via email or text messaging.
Many small businesses provide support numbers which ring through to the offices during normal business hours, after hours calls are routed to a call center providing live support during off hours. A new phenomenon is the use of Interactive Voice Response systems which use automated call scripting to capture customer request, and serve as a knowledgebase for customer inquiries.
Catfish Software can assist you in defining your customer service requirements and guide you through the process of identifying Open Source Software packages that can support your requirements. We also host and provide live human support options that are cost effective, and serve to increase profitability in larger volume accounts. |
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Customer Service
