Customer Service Found Deficient …
B2B companies are doing a feeble job at the type of basic online customer service that could help them improve customer relations and build trust, according to research released earlier this month by Jupiter Media Metrix Inc., a research company in New York.
The research found that only 41 percent of business-to-business companies respond to e-mail customer service inquiries within 6 hours, and of those, only half provide a resolution that was acceptable to business partners. At least they responded, though; 29 percent of companies dont respond to basic customer service inquiries at all, the research reported.
Of the 65 percent of B2B companies that have online self-service, a measly 2 percent have Web sites with easy-to-search knowledge bases. The remaining 63 percent merely have stagnant FAQ pages.
… But Automaker Could be Exception
Either DaimlerChryslers an exception to the bad-B2B-customer service rule, or its trading partners dont need hand-holding.
That was proved earlier this month when the automaker, which is one of the founding members of online marketplace Covisint, conducted more than 3.5 billion euros worth of complex goods auctions through the marketplace.
The Internet auction, which took place over four days, resulted in bids for a whopping 1,200 parts. But what else would you expect from DaimlerChrysler, which was eWeek FastTrack 500 company No. 91?