Have you ever visited a company’s website in a last ditched effort to get hold of an address or phone number only to be greeted by the dreaded contact form?
No worries. If that’s the option available then you’ll take it. Cause by now you’re desperate to get hold of somebody – anybody – from said company to assist you.
You fill out out the form, click ‘Submit’ and wait patiently for a reply. Twelve hours pass, 24, two days, a week. Still nothing. Who the hell is checking these things?
Firstly, having a contact form instead of an actual number or email address is implying the “don’t call us, we’ll call you.” But not responding, or having no system in place to monitor this form of contact is just poor customer service. Plus, the company is missing out on the opportunity to provide prompt answers while potential customers are in the information search and pre-decision phase. They also lose the chance to resolve complaints and pacify disgruntled customers.
Businesses, for the love of God, don’t put a contact form on your website if you’re not going to monitor it. If a phone number can’t be posted, share an email address that an assigned person checks at least once a day so customers can receive a reply in at most 24-hours. That’s good customer service.