Business-to-Business (B E-Commerce (2B) - Customer Service

CUSTOMER SERVICE

Poor customer service has a negative effect on B2B e-commerce, according to a May 2001 study by Jupiter Media Metrix. In terms of responding to e-mail inquiries, the study found that only 41 percent of B2B companies responded to customer e-mails within six hours, and only half of those responses were deemed satisfactory. Approximately 64 percent answered e-mail inquiries within 24 hours, and 29 percent said they never responded. As a result, there was a lack of confidence in e-mail as a customer service channel.

B2B Web sites also need to make it easier for potential customers to find what they want quickly. Remarkably, Jupiter Media Metrix found that only two percent of B2B Web sites had search engines. Most employed static "frequently asked questions" links, which were often cumbersome to use. The research also showed that 70 percent of Web users would not return to a site if they could not find the information they were looking for.