250 Chapter 11 Customer Service Strategies While most forms of online service still require human interaction, retailers do not have to staff an offi ce during specifi ed hours to provide this type of online service. Asynchronous service allows retailers to schedule off-hours for their employees. With this type of online service, retailers may even allow employees to work from home. Smaller companies with fewer service needs may even use existing employees to respond to service requests while business is slow. Online customer service representatives do not need telephone skills, but they must be good communicators. Examples of asynchronous online customer service strategies are automated e-mail, e-mail, web forms, self-service, and blogs. Automated E-mail. Some retailers use automated e-mail to respond to customer requests. An automated e-mail is a computer-generated response to a customer e-mail. The customer’s e-mail is scanned for keywords. Once keywords are identifi ed, a computer replies to the message with a prepared response based on the most likely replies for the keywords. For example, an e-mail message that contains the words HP 1000 Deskjet printer, paper jam, and remove is likely about someone who has a paper jam and cannot remove the obstruction. As a result, an automated e-mail response on how to remove a paper jam from an HP 1000 Deskjet printer would be sent to the customer. At the end of the message, the customer would probably be asked if the reply message solved the problem. If not, an alternative contact solution would be suggested. E-mail. Whether following up to an automated e-mail or addressing the initial question, e-mail is a common form of asynchronous customer service. The effectiveness of this type of Online Support Asynchronous Service Synchronous Service Online Chat Telephone Call Automated E-mail or Customer Service E-mail Web Forms Self-Service and FAQs Blogs and Message Boards Goodheart-Willcox Publisher Figure 11-2 Methods of online support can be either synchronous or asynchronous.