Though a prompt response is not an idea

Though a prompt response is not an idea most people associate with large corporations, when you consider the massive volume of customer interactions they handle, that hour you spend on hold seems less significant-especially when some companies take days, weeks or even months to respond to customer requests. When planning the customer service aspect of your virtual corporation, it is important to ensure your customers get the information, answers and help they need, when they need it...and not when you get around to it.

Again, autoresponders help remove some of the burden of answering e-mail enquiries as well as give your company professional aplomb. The internet has fostered the general impatience toward delayed response: often, if a customer can't find what they're looking for or receive an answer instantly, they will look elsewhere. Setting autoresponders for your most routine correspondence not only impresses consumers; it also frees up a huge amount of your time so you can concentrate on your business.

Your telephone responses are also important in maintaining a professional image. If your business experiences a large volume of daily inbound calls, you may want to consider outsourcing your phone service, either to a call center or a virtual employee. A constantly ringing phone is a distraction at best, and can be impossibly frustrating when you're trying to get work done.

If you receive only a few calls a day, you should try to answer the phone yourself if at all possible. It is comforting for a customer to call and be put in touch with a real live person who can answer their questions. Be sure to answer the phone by stating the name of your company, rather than a simple "hello," to avoid making the customer think they've reached a wrong number. If you must use a machine or voicemail, be sure to check your messages frequently and return calls promptly. When people leave you a message and never hear back from you, they will likely take their business elsewhere.

People want fast, reliable feedback from any company they choose to do business with. Keep on top of your correspondence with your customers, and their satisfaction will expand your company and your profits.

Keep 'Em Coming: Earning Repeat Business

Not only does creating satisfied customers give your company a good image, it also earns you repeat business: customers who keep purchasing your products or using you services faithfully. Creating a solid income stream from repeat business is an essential key to a successful virtual corporation. Web sites flourish because they develop a following. By increasing your repeat business, you generate more web site traffic and create a snowball effect: higher search rankings, a great reputation, and word-of-mouth advertising all help make your business more visible.

With the right business model, they'll be lining up for you!

The easier things are for your customers to find on your site or through your e-mail and telephone system, the more likely they are to return to you. Make sure a customer can get from your home page to your ordering page within three clicks. Also, keep your main page free from clutter and hype. This will be discussed more fully in the following section on web sites.