Written by Liz Ziemba, Developer
Information is Key
One of my favorite pizza places has a coupon page on their website with discount codes to enter on their online checkout page, but when you get to the checkout there’s no coupon code field. Inevitably I give up my online order and call in. I tell them the same old story about how I have a coupon, but couldn’t use it online. I get my discounted pizza, but then repeat the whole thing the next time I order from there. I’m already on the website looking at toppings, why not just order online? The coupon is right there, why pay full price?
So, why is there no coupon field on the website order form? I have no idea. You know who else doesn’t know, the poor wait staffer that gets stuck answering the phone when I call in my order. When this website doesn’t provide a complete customer service experience, it adds more confusion for customers and employees, where it was supposed to alleviate it. The online checkout or any website functionality should be convenient for the user, and even something as small as a missing coupon field could be causing customers to leave and not come back.
Give Customers the Information they Need
Beyond this glaring form flaw, here are a few features that should work flawlessly every time to provide the most basic customer service the web can offer:
- Phone Number: Does your business website have a phone number prominently displayed as a link that will open automatically on mobile phones? Or will your customer have to copy teeny, tiny text from a paragraph halfway down the page and paste it into their phone application?
- Location: Do you have a brick and mortar business that your customers will need directions to? Is there a map or link to a map available somewhere on your website? Is your address listed on the contact page? Do you have enough walk-in business that you should consider putting the address in the header or footer so that it displays on every page?
- Contact Form: Do you have a working contact form that customers can use to communicate with someone from your business? Does it ask for pertinent information that could help you better serve your customer when you reply?
- Business Hours: When can customers visit your business? Is this information current and displayed somewhere on your site?
Giving your customers as much information as possible on your website can help provide a positive experience later, in person. The site should enhance your business, and the information should be consistent across the platforms in your web presence. If your store offers hours of operation on Facebook, do they match the hours displayed on your website? If you offer pizza coupons, do you have a coupon field on your order form? Your front-line customer service employees are already busy. Answering the phone to clarify online information or try to provide tech support, doesn’t have to be a part of their job description. Let your website do some of the talking for you. Contact Robintek today for a newly designed solution.
