So you are more than likely a small business owner if you spend time on this site.
I don't want to generalise too much, so you could also be an employee of a small business or a larger business, but let's just focus on small businesses.
How do you communicate with your customers?
Is it the simple mobile / email combo or are things getting more sophisticated even for small company owners?
Is a mobile number professional enough these days?
Do you still use a Hotmail / AOL email address?
Do you even have a desk phone or has that merged with your mobile handset?
What about support for customers? Do you use an online ticketing system?
A chatbox on your website so you can speak to them as they are actually on your website?
I have to admit, I have experimented with them all, but for me a landline synched with my mobile and an email accounts does the trick.
What about you?
Replies
My main methods of communicating with customers (and potential customers)...
- Simple mobile number and e-mail address
- Support-wise I do log support requests (which I receive by e-mail or in an emergency phone), although don't use a ticketing system
- One other thing I'll note with support - I always send an actual response, rather then just copying and pasting standard answers!
- Don't have a chatbox on the website - when I visit websites I usually suspect these are automated anyway rather then an actual human.
At the end of the day, people don't want to speak to a robot, or be impressed by fancy systems that don't offer them a solution - they want to speak to a human and get their problem solved!
Interestingly there was a discussion on using Hotmail, GMail, etc. e-mail addresses (particularly see them on sides of vans for builders, etc.) on a Facebook group - while I have e-mail addresses from my domain, I do not see an issue with a business using Hotmail, etc. e-mail addresses, especially if they are a sole trader.