Did you know that 30% of customers need human intervention
when the price tag of an online product exceeds $100? So says
a 1999 study by Jupiter Communications. Another study by
Forrester Research indicates that 37% of customers request
customer service while shopping online. And a whopping 79% of
customers said they increased their patronage and spending at
Web sites that offered favorable customer service.

Given the clear need for Web-based businesses to offer
effective customer support online, it's no wonder that the
online customer support market is expected to grow from $150
million in 1998 to $2 billion by 2003 (according to
Datamonitor).

So, do YOU have to spend a fortune to implement effective
customer support on your Web site? Not at all! Whether you
want something as simple as one-on-one chatting or a more
sophisticated database, there are many low-cost or even free
solutions you can use to improve your online customer service
offerings. This article looks at four of them.

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Product: SureCode Customer Problem Report Manager
Offered by SureCode Technologies, Inc.
Web Site: http://www.surecode.com/detail_csvc.html#CustomerProblemRpt

Description: This Web-based application lets customers submit
problem reports, feedback, feature requests, and more.
Automatic email notifies your customer service reps or others
when a problem is added. Customers can be automatically
notified by email when a problem's status is updated. Offers
keyword and field searches, record browsing, and a Control
Panel for those with administrator log-in privileges. The
Application and its data are hosted on SureCode's servers but
"branded" with the look and feel of your site, so users
perceive that the app is simply another page on your site.

Cost: $39/month

Implementation: Easy. Order it at SureCode's site, receive
your application link by email within one business day,
paste that link wherever you desire on your site and the
application is live.

Other Comments: One of many SureCode Web-based solutions
that address a variety of business problems. Extremely
flexible solution, no ongoing commitment required, no
special hardware or software required.

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Product: Get1on1
Offered by: Get1on1
Web Site: http://www.get1on1.com/products.html

Description: Pop-up real-time chat window accessed via a link
on your site. Visitors click on the "Contact Us" icon (can be
customized) and establish a real-time conversation with your
operators. If no operator is currently available, a custom
message can be displayed (i.e., "Back in 15 minutes") and the
customer can send a message to the absent operator. Depending
on version, can support up to multiple operators and chat
sessions, Response Library, transcription history, manager
auditing, and more.

Cost: Bronze, Free; Silver, $49/mo.; Gold, $95/mo.

Implementation: Very easy. Just register, get a few lines of
code via email, paste that code on your site, login at Get1on1,
and your Get1on1 app is live.

Other Comments: Flexible, no special hardware or software is
required, no ongoing commitment required, easy to use, nice
online User's Guide.

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Product: LiveHelper
Offered by: LiveHelper.com
Web Site: http://www.livehelper.com

Description: Offers real-time text and voice chat between
your operators and customers. Completing their online
tour reveals the following: The LiveHelper windows that
customers use to interact with your operators can be
customized with logos or other images. There is no limit
on the number of operators in either version, and
operators can carry on multiple conversations with
customers. Incoming calls are routed to the least busy
operator, who can choose to answer the call or transfer
it to another operator. Operators can be categorized into
groups so that calls go to the most appropriate operators.
Preset messages help operators respond more quickly. Notes
about a customer by one operator can be viewed by all
future operators. Basic version is feature-rich, Pro
version adds more advanced options.

Cost: Basic version, free (no ads, either); Pro version,
not yet offered.

Implementation: Requires small software download for each
operator workstations, plus some additional configuration.
Customers who want to use voice chat will be prompted to
download a self-installing 80K plug-in for their browser.

Other Comments: LiveHelper software can be hosted on
your own server for $5,000 setup and $500 per operator,
plus an annual fee of 15% of total operator fees for
maintenance and upgrades.

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Product: HumanClick
Offered by: HumanClick (subsidiary of LivePerson)
Web Site: http://www.humanclick.com

Description: Offers real-time chat accessible from your Web
site. Features vary depending on version, and include real-
time monitoring, repeat visitor ID, live directory, chat
window and button customization, canned responses, multiple
chat accounts, chat transcripts, history, push page/HTML,
and a chat traffic organizer. The free version displays
banner ads and does not allow customization. Upgrading to
the Express version will remove ads and allow custom
buttons, among other things. Three concurrent chat sessions
can be accepted. Additional units of three sessions may be
purchased for the Pro version only.

Cost: Free ($0), Express ($19.50), Pro ($89.50). Prices
appear to be a special offer effective only until 2/28/01.

Implementation: Requires software download and installation
on operator computers, registration of operators, and
embedding of HTML code on Web pages where buttons should
appear.

Other Comments: Offers buttons in several languages. Does
not use JavaScript.

Conclusion

Each of these solutions offers its own special mix of
features, differs in how it is implemented, and varies in
cost. Visit each vendor's Web site, research features and
other factors, and most important of all: try each one
out if possible. Then, consider the needs of your customers,
the nature of your business, your technical skills, and your
budget. These key factors will help you make the best choice
for enhancing your Web site's customer service tools.

Author's Note: Information was obtained from vendor Web sites
on January 31, 2001 and may no longer be accurate. Also, facts
mentioned for one service but not others does not necessarily
mean they don't apply to those others.

==================== ABOUT THE AUTHOR ======================
Carole Pivarnik manages audience development and affiliate
programs for SureCode Technologies, Inc., which offers full-
featured, customizable Web databases that plug right into
any site with no programming. Email her: carole@surecode.com.
Sign up for her free newsletter, Working Web Sites, or learn
more about SureCode at http://www.surecode.com.