Online Customer Service Tips for Freelancers and the Self Employed

Many freelancers do the bulk of their communication with customers online. This can be a great thing, making it possible to be more productive than ever before because of the multiple modes of online communication which allow for transcontinental transactions to take place smoothly. However, there is still something of a casual attitude about communication that takes place online and that creates an environment in which customers sometimes don't take your work seriously, leading to problems with projects and payments. In order to avoid those problems, you need to make sure that you are conducting all of your online work in as professional a manner as possible. Here are some tips on how to do that.

• Never write anything unprofessional. Yes, it's true; even when you are in an instant message conversation, it's not appropriate to use computer slang like "LOL" with a customer. You work will go better if your customers see you as a business professional and that means acting professional at all times in your writing even when the medium makes it very easy not to do so.
• Save copies of all correspondence. This means more than just keeping emails from clients in your inbox. It also means sending a blind carbon copy of every work email sent to a customer to yourself and having it on file to reference later as needed. Many freelancers also print out copies of each email and keep them in separate customer folders.
• Use a logo, stationary header and/or email signature to identify yourself on all correspondence. All correspondence should have your contact information clearly identified and should be consistent in mentioning your name and/or logo. This keeps you recognized as a business person among your customers.
• Think before you act. It is very easy to just hit "send" or "enter" on your computer. Don't. Double-check everything that you're sending out. Make sure it's the way you want it. Better yet, pretend that you're your own boss for a minute and make sure it's the way your boss wants it.
• Make use of more than just online communication. Yes, IM and email are great for dealing with customers. But what are you going to do when they block your screenname and say they aren't getting your emails? Unfortunately, this happens (often right around the time that they are supposed to pay you) so make sure that you have a mailing address, fax and phone number to get in touch with customers that need to be moved from online to offline.
• Stay organized. If you know what information you sent to which customers when, then you can do your job better. If an IM message pops up and you can easily glance at a list on your desk and see who the screen name belongs to, pulling up the appropriate files before starting the conversation, you can run a more professional business. Organization is the key to all business, including working with customers online.
• Ask Your Customers What They Want. This is what your customer wants, so do it. Ask your customer what he / she wants and try to do give it to them. If you cannot give your customer what he / she wants, then try to come up with a viable solution.
• Stay accessible. Not only make sure that there are many ways to be contacted by customers, but also be accessible during office hours. The more accessible that you are, the more valuable you become.
• Be quick to respond. Providing a quick response to your online customers is vital to your online survival. Online users want things and they want them quickly. Try to respond to your customers within a few hours or at least by the end of the day.
• Acknowledge all payments and correspondence. If you receive a payment, letter, or package from one of your customers, send an email acknowledging that you received it. Sending a nice 'thank-you' every once in a while is a good way to stay in your customer's good graces.
• Give unique answers. Don't just give your customers a templated answer to their questions. This is one way to get your customers mad and running in the other direction. Give every one of your customers the time of day that they deserve. Read over your customer's question and answer it in a way that shows that you have read it and are answering it to the best of your abilities.
• Use Exaggerated Courtesy. Your customers cannot see your 'tone of voice', so in order to show that you are being courteous, you will need to be extra-courteous to make up for this.
  
• Reword Rude Comments. Make sure to re-read your email over once or twice to make sure that none of your comments are coming across rude. You would be surprised how often unintentional rudeness comes across in emails.

These are just a few of the tips that you should think about as you begin (or continue) to work as a freelancer in the modern world. Tools of technology are great and communication online can make dealing with customers easier than every before, but it also has its drawbacks and you should make sure you know what they are so that you can plan ahead to minimize them.

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