In today’s slow economy, businesses must push harder to keep customers happy, and some experts now say that the customer's experience has even replaced price as a key reason why they're buying from one company rather than another.

 

A free white paper included in TMCnet’s White Paper Library highlights the importance of Web self-service today to improve the customer experience.

 

The white paper, “Now More Than Ever...5 Reasons Why Focusing on Web Self-Service in a Downturn Pays Off,” also highlights how Budget Truck Rental used customer Web self-service technology from IntelliResponse to improve customer experiences.

 

By adding an instant answer agent technology feature from IntelliResponse to its Web site, customers were able to more easily answer questions and receive an instant response, instead of having to contact the company via phone or e-mail.

 

A top reason why implementing Web self-service today makes sense, the white paper says, is that the psychological state of consumers in a turbulent economy makes it harder to win them over. Instead, companies should focus on growth from existing customers. This increased focus on current customers, the white paper notes, is also more cost-effective.

Next, focusing more on the customer experience and investing in technologies such as Web self-service can help a company better understand its customers and focus on providing support that addresses specific demands.

 

Not only is it important to understand what information customers are seeking, but it's also important to know how they want to interact. Findings cited in the white paper point to online as the best and most cost-effective interaction channel for customers. The firm also finds that more than 90 percent of all consumer decisions begin online, with 83 percent of non-technical customer service occurring via a company’s Web site.

 

Finally, by achieving improved customer experiences, companies can meet today’s economic demands to save on costs as more streamlined and efficient process are achieved.