GiftsForYouBiz
07-14-2007, 06:16 PM
Would anyone have any thoughts on a customer service messaging system?
I was looking to put a ShoutBox on my retail site for visitors could post questions or comments. To me, a ShoutBox is half between a live chat rep and a message board. I don't need a message board 'cause there is only one topic; customer service. I can't do live service 'cause I'm not always at the computer.
But I'm seeing that ShoutBoxes are really geared more for instant messaging or chat system, and communication amongst a group. Not to mention, the reliable ones don't offer admin notifications when a message is posted ('cause they're just not geared for that).
I'm looking to be notified when a message is posted via e-mail, text, or IM, so if I'm away from my computer, I know to reply when I get back to a computer, or I can reply via the web on my phone. Its also good to know what's been posted in case its spam, so I can delete it asap.
It'd also be good to have the history, so other visitors can see what's been asked, answered, or commented on.
So it would seem a public messaging system just short of a message board is really what I'm looking for, but not sure if this is a current concept, and if so, what it would be called in the internet world. And having it hosted would be great too, for a small sum per month like with some ShoutBoxes, so they would host the app and I don't have to worry about the security on my site (one less thing to worry about).
The current ShoutBox on my customer service page (http://giftsforyou.biz/gfy_custsvce.shtml) is near perfect. It is only missing the notification part. I found another one that is just as nice, and they don't offer that either. Other ShoutBoxes I found that did support notifications either weren't reliable, server-wise, or their systems suffered in some other way.
Oh, and ShoutBoxes offer spam protection and a host of other security features, which is another reason they would be a really, really nice solution.
Any thoughts? Need more elaboration?
I was looking to put a ShoutBox on my retail site for visitors could post questions or comments. To me, a ShoutBox is half between a live chat rep and a message board. I don't need a message board 'cause there is only one topic; customer service. I can't do live service 'cause I'm not always at the computer.
But I'm seeing that ShoutBoxes are really geared more for instant messaging or chat system, and communication amongst a group. Not to mention, the reliable ones don't offer admin notifications when a message is posted ('cause they're just not geared for that).
I'm looking to be notified when a message is posted via e-mail, text, or IM, so if I'm away from my computer, I know to reply when I get back to a computer, or I can reply via the web on my phone. Its also good to know what's been posted in case its spam, so I can delete it asap.
It'd also be good to have the history, so other visitors can see what's been asked, answered, or commented on.
So it would seem a public messaging system just short of a message board is really what I'm looking for, but not sure if this is a current concept, and if so, what it would be called in the internet world. And having it hosted would be great too, for a small sum per month like with some ShoutBoxes, so they would host the app and I don't have to worry about the security on my site (one less thing to worry about).
The current ShoutBox on my customer service page (http://giftsforyou.biz/gfy_custsvce.shtml) is near perfect. It is only missing the notification part. I found another one that is just as nice, and they don't offer that either. Other ShoutBoxes I found that did support notifications either weren't reliable, server-wise, or their systems suffered in some other way.
Oh, and ShoutBoxes offer spam protection and a host of other security features, which is another reason they would be a really, really nice solution.
Any thoughts? Need more elaboration?