If "customer care" normally means the services to the client provided by telephone or Internet, in a Web optics, the attention to the client must start from the same site, from its construction, from its single pages.

The integrated instruments of customer are indispensable to activate the channel of two-way communication with the client: in addition to providing a service effectively, should serve also for regain a human relationship with the user. Not a number but an alive person, with his/her specific needs in relation with a certain product or service.

Although, a good customer care starts before, in a preventive phase, as it were: all this is particularly true for services and for online shops, where the site become the keystone of the relationship with the user.

Fixed elements

In the realization of Web pages, infact, is sufficient to provide, organize and realize at best, some key elements of the relation producer-consumer. Discussion on the disclaimer privacy policy adopted, conditions of purchase, registration procedures. Far from being forced passages (for the law or for web site functions), these elements have to become central in the structure of the website, in order to immediately create a fiduciary relationship with he consumer, who will feel more protected, more at ease and finally more amenable through the organisation.

The usability is a closely allied with the marketing: make user in the condition to access with no difficulty to these elements is surely a way to bring it closer to the site and, at the same time, to give him the basic informations - preventive - of customer care.

Privacy policy

Is one of the most felt argument in Internet: the respect of privacy is the basis of the relationship of trust. And it is also a obligation. Simply insert the provisions of the law, however, it makes immediately clear to the user which is the grade of attention of the editors of the site about the problem. Privacy should not be perceived as an obligation, but as one more chance to ensure the customer. In addition to clear directions and accurate informations on storage and data processing- possibly written in a manner understandable to all - would be appropriate to explain what those data are required.

Also, the location of these signs should not be neglected. Put them in a corner, on a deep level navigation, hidden, helps no one. Good solution to present them immediately on the home page, even if only with a text link that accompany other corporate information.

Therms of purchase

For e-commerce sites is the cornerstone of customer care. The customer care may be reduced to the minimum if this phase is cured in an appropriate manner. For therms of purchase we intend all conditions that govern the acquisition process, payment and delivery.

The three phases each worth a thought.

The purchase. You should never assume anything: it's true that the e-commerce is becoming increasingly and so increasingly these practices become habitual. Moreover, or because user is inexperienced or because there is some particularity on the process of purchase, insert a section of example on how to buy online is indispensable. Depending on the complexity of the process and catalog, you must accompany user from the research of product until his release in cart. Give the possibility to find quickly a certain product is already a good way to relation to the user.

So furnish detailed and precise desciptions (technical but understandable) of various articles, delete a serie of possible incomprehensions and disruptions. The client must be placed in a position to bring at home exactly the article he is researching, without the possibility of error. Finally, a guided, progressive steps to, decreases the possibility that the cart is abandoned midway. In this regard, should always prepare the system to interrupt the procedure of purchase while keeping in memory, so you can resume later if you are forced to stop it.

The payment. The customer must be given immediately the possibility to know how and when must be payed the goods purchased. Bring it up to the end of the process to reveal that his credit card is not accept is one of the biggest errors you can do. To avoid unnecessary and lengthy discussions with user, first of all is neccessary to implement a policy of transparency for the practiced prices. The price of the article must be always unambiguous, from any part of it reaches (and instead, in occasion of particular promotions and discounts isn't difficult to see in the standard catalogue the product at a price, in home page the discounted  product!).

So must be clearly explain what falls in the showned price and what possibly is out: basically the customer's expectations (based on the present directions) and the product he/she obtains must coincide.

The delivery. In appearance it is the simpler aspect to manage. You must only indicate how the good or the service will be delivered. But you have to predict the possible requirements of the client, trying to adapt at those different modalities. For example what happens if the courier that delivers the product doesn't find anyone at home?

To explain what happens (return, retainer deposit, call warning) is very important to calm the client. Moreover, you should always allows the shipping to a different address other than the dwelling and give the possibility to follow the product (in order, in storage, ready for shipping, in shipping, expected arrival) with the tracking systems, maybe helped by the sending of costant e-mails.

The rights of the purchaser: the withdrawal

The right of the purchaser applies to all goods and services, according to some particular modalities for the type and under the storage conditions of the product. On the site should always be present a detailed explanation on the right of withdrawal, maybe accompany also by the corporate policy on assistance, the guarantee or the replacement of  property for sale. Combining these two directions, you offer to the dissatisfied customer who want to withdraw from it, another opportunity to reconsider.

Dynamic elements: FAQs

If those seen, up to now, must be fixed elements, present and well visible on the Web, pages the Frequently Asked Question or Faq, are dynamic elements that can cover all the assistence areas left uncovered to the customer. FAQs must be dynamic in the sense that must adapt to changes in catalog, to the new requests that arrive from clients, to the variations of the Web pages.

In them, must be enclosed the suggests and the most important explanations, with a level of deatil enough depth, both for what can be done both for what can't be done. Must be provide all possible questions of a user and give an answer.

A new eye for the FAQs

With difficult who worked and continue to do it on a website has the correct perception of the expectations of clients. For this, in the drafting of FAQs (that if are numerous mus be organized in the right manner with categories and groups) is very usefull to get help by a sort of beta tester:a person who can't know the structure and the site in question, who is catapulted in it perchance and who should create an idea of all the content without prior knowledge.

In large companies this system can pass through complex tests but also the smallest companies and shops should try to reproduce, in small way, the same mechanism. Well thought FAQs remove big part of the work of communication between producer and consumer.