Business Basics 101: Online convenience no substitute for personal service

Springfield is a retail city. You can buy anything here. Shopping is the city's main industry and recreational activity. Folks travel from all over the Ozarks to buy in Springfield. No wonder it's so difficult to maneuver through town on Saturdays.

Now, let's talk about Internet shopping. Have you bought anything online yet? I bet you have.

Whatever your heart desires can be purchased online. And each day e-commerce sales are going up, up, up.

Does that make Springfield retailers nervous? It should. It's great shopping from home no lines, no driving, no people.

As a retailer, are you scrambling to get your Web site up and running so that you can be in on the action? Hold up a minute.

Recently, I bought a new laptop computer through an online electronic wholesaler. The price sucked me in. I typed in my credit card number and ordered the machine. Painless. Easy. Fun!

Three days later my new computer arrived. The only problem was it didn't work.

I called the company I ordered from. I was greeted with recording that told me to e-mail the company about my problem. I did. I got an e-mail back saying they got my e-mail. Hmm. So, I called them up.

"You'll have to call the manufacturer. We can't help you."

"But, I bought it from you," I explained.

"Call the manufacturer. Frankly, we don't know the first thing about computers."

Hmm. So, I called the manufacturer. And after a surrealistic voice channeling system, I found a computer tech. Whew. Nearly 10 hours of technical support later, my brand new computer was irretrievably crashed.

"I want to send this lemon back," I said, exasperated.

"Well, I'm not sure the manufacturer will let you do that. After all, you didn't buy it directly from us."

"Let me? What do you mean let me? I'm the customer and the product doesn't work."

Don't you just hate poor service? It makes you feel like you are in the Twilight Zone. I packed up the computer, sent it back and alerted my credit card company. Let me, indeed.

Then, I called a computer retailer here in Springfield. I had used this company before for service work on my desktop computer. The serviceman they sent Dale was terrific. I called and visited with him.

"Listen, I need help right now," I started in a harsh tone, still reeling from my wasted day and the other company's unresponsive service.

"Dale, I'm going out of town for two weeks in three days. I need a laptop. I want it fully loaded with my software and Internet access program. I want you to make sure the DVD works and all systems are operational. If you can pull that off, you have a deal."

Dale said, "No problem."

And it was no problem. Two days later I had a perfect laptop. Dale personally made it happen.

Dale asked lots of questions that helped him find just the right machine. And he delivered it; to make sure I knew how to drive it.

Dale is my computer guy now. I call him if anything goes wrong and he'll handle it. Ahh.

And get this I paid 50 percent more for Dale's laptop. I think it was a bargain.

Dear retailers, learn this lesson: In this increasingly electronic world, human touch will become more and more precious.

You want to keep your clients, right? Skip the Web site.

Offer your customers a human face and a human voice. Promise to help them and keep your word. Talk to them, laugh with them. Hold the door open for them. Stop by and bring a gift. Handle exchanges and returns with a smile. Don't worry about offering low prices. Charge what you must to deliver great service with the human touch. It's your best offense in a shopping world that's moving to the Internet.

Ask yourself this question: If everything your customers could ever want or need is available online, what do they need you for?

The human touch.

By the way, Dale works at Service World.

(Ellen Rohr is a business book author and consultant. She can be contacted through the Business Journal by writing to PO Box 1365, Springfield 65801 or via e-mail at sbj@sbj.net.)