STORES Magazine - December 2008 - (Page 30)

WORTH WATCHING / ONLINE CUSTOMER SERVICE Click Here for Service Bamboo Cricket provides e-mail, online chat support for e-commerce vey indicates that 83 percent of online shoppers would make purchases if sites offered increased interactive elements. Live chat capability Managed Full Solution also includes the ability to offer live chat, giving online BY LEN LEWIS customers the chance to ask questions of customer service representatives in real f you’re not clicking with customers — or they aren’t clicking with you — time. “The chat solution helps to immeyou might want to consider the cricket. Bamboo Cricket of fers Managed diately resolve an issue which could Full Solution, a platform that enables online retailers to answer shopper cause a consumer to ultimately abandon queries through live online chat and management of inbound e-mails. their transaction,” Westhorpe says. Bamboo Cricket does business with an Delivering strong online customer provide a full-service solution for a magonline retailer in the U.K. that sells liservice is likely to become even more imazine publisher,” Westhorpe says. “But censed merchandise for soccer clubs like portant given the fragile state of the when we built out the scope of our ofManchester United. “We provide the initial level of customer service for all the economy. “You’ve got to make sure you fering, it became clear that companies transactions that take place on their site can bring customers back,” says Barwere spending a lot of money for their whether it’s a back order issue, service or bara Westhorpe, president of Titusville, online presence. But there was still a shipping,” Westhorpe says. “These cusFla.-based Bamboo Cricket. “Most tremendous need for these companies to tomers are very passionate about their companies doing business today know complete the circle of this customer exteams and I can tell you that some of the how hard that can be.” perience.” comments we got from customers were Toward this end, some of Managed A 2007 industry report found that 47 very colorful.” Full Solution’s features include: percent of companies with an online presBut Westhorpe is quick to emphasize • Customer chat history logged and ence don’t respond to e-mail inquiries. that Managed Full Solution tracked by visit so customer service “That blows my mind,” she is not designed as an alternareps have access to past communicasays. “If online tive to customer service tions Databases are extremely ex- consumers • Ticket management that enables pensive to maintain, and the don’t get staffing. “It is simply ensearches by type of contact and cuscost of acquiring new cus- support and abling companies to be more tomer name tomers is huge. “Loyalty is response they efficient with what they • Missed call logs to provide details on different than in the past,” will go elsehave,” she says. “For incustomer requests that were not hanWesthorpe says. “If online where because stance, if you’ve got 20 teledled consumers don’t get support there are marketers sitting around • Knowledge base updates that allow and response they will go else- 100 other guys waiting to answer the CSRs to handle common requests where because there are 100 that want their phone, there’s nothing stopquickly. other guys that want their business.” ping them from being preBamboo Cricket was founded “to business.” One industry surpared to respond via chat.” — Barbara Westhorpe, I Bamboo Cricket StORES Len Lewis is a veteran retail industry journalist and commentator and the editorial director of Lewis Communications. 30 STORES / DECEMBER 2008

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of STORES Magazine - December 2008

STORES Magazine - December 2008 Contents Executive Editor's Page President's Page Wrap Rage Unraveled What Shoppers Think Courting a Comeback 10 Things You May Have Missed Numbers Worth Counting Full Price/Markdown Retail People Cover Story: Navigating the Road Ahead Website Strategy Concept2Watch Online Customer Service International Marketing Green Retailing Online Merchandising Signage Operations Online Strategies Pricing Strategy Kiosks RFID Human Resources Loeb Retail Letter ARTS Update Point of View NRF News Retail Crossword Retail Industry Calendar Last Laugh

STORES Magazine - December 2008

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