4.3 The sales process and customer service GapFill

Customers buy in person in shops and online. Whichever method is used, good customer service is important so that customers are happy and buy again from the business. 

Good customer service should result in  profitabilityhigher costsmore fixed costsless revenue for the business, while poor customer service is likely to result in  poor reputationimproved reputationgood reviewsadvertising since so many customers review their purchases and experiences online. Customers should be wary of online reviews as some may have been paid for and others may be created by bots. It can be reassuring to contact a helpline either online or over the telephone and communicate with  AIa chatbotFAQsa person. 

It can be useful for businesses to use social media to communicate with customers, though they need to be aware that  everysomemaximumall customers may not use social media, or may only use certain platforms. Businesses need to be aware of who their customers are when deciding to use social media as a communication method. It may be wise to also encourage online contact via their  lettershopwebsitetelephone as well since this is a longer established method and more customers will be comfortable with it. 

Alternatively, online-only businesses can assume customers are confident with technology and may also make information available via  emailbrochuresappsnewsletters. This could include product guides and basic  dimensionsquantitiestroubleshootingphotos so that customers can try to resolve simple issues before contacting the business. The business should ensure that help is available online  24/7360 daysweekendsweekdays to meet the expectations of online customers.