Inquiry Generation and Follow-up

Recently, in doing some research for a client, I found a web site that appeared to provide the products I was looking for. When I clicked on the “contact us” page, I was taken to an inquiry form.  This is fine with me. I don’t mind the inquiry form. It allows the company to receive my request for information, gather that information and contact me back with exactly what I want to know. So, I filled out the form including my questions about the product and its pricing.

This is where the inquiry form can go all wrong. After a week, I began to wonder if my inquiry had fallen into a black hole, rather than reaching the inbox of a customer service representative at this company. In this situation, you are left deciding how much you care about tracking down actually contact information for the company (i.e., a phone number). I would think that in today’s economnic climate, nobody can afford to lose potential business, so initially I was surprised that it took so long to hear from anyone.

Finally, I did hear from this company. I received a voice mail stating that they were following-up on my inquiry and left a phone number. When I returned the call (less than 30-minutes after the voice mail was left for me), I reached a receptionist who was able to transfer me directly to the person who had left the voicemail. I began with a statement of my name and organization, which received the reply:

“I have no idea who you are.”

Needless to say, I was taken aback. I stumbled and replied with, “ok, well I was just returning the voicemail you left for me.” Which quickly received the response:

“I’m just kidding.”

Well, now I’m just confused, and still surprised that this company is being so cavalier with my potential business. I paused to let this person collect their thoughts and begin with a response to my inquiry, but instead I was asked what I wanted to know. Really!?! Hadn’t I taken the time to fill out the inquiry form and ask specific questions in the form so that the person receiving it would know what it was I wanted to know? Well, I had. After a frustrating recitation of my needs, I received a brief overview with the conclusion that my contact would email me the details I had asked for.

So, what went wrong?

Perhaps this company is not alone in its mis-use of online inquiry generating forms and their follow-up, so let’s discuss the correct way to utlize these potentially valuable forms.

1. Always provide multiple ways for prospective customers to reach you. Provide phone numbers and email addresses in addition to the inquiry form. While many people find it easiest to fill out a form and leave the burden to the company to contact them, others want to talk to someone…now.

2. Make sure someone actually receives incoming inquiry forms. Ensure that person is capable of either contacting the inquirer back immediately or distributing the inquiries to those who can. For those people who do not fill out the comments or details sections of these forms, have someone contact them immediately with generic info and ask how they can further assist them. For those forms received that to ask for specific information, provide it when contacting them back.

3. Remember, inquiry forms are designed to capture those people interested in your products or services. That means they are prospective customers!!!

Anyone else encountering a terrifying lack of customer service these days? Stories of the good the bad and the ugly, as well as suggestions to make sure this isn’t your company are all welcome here.