Customer Service and ICT
How technology has changed the way businesses serve customers: websites open at any hour, e-commerce that lets people buy online from anywhere, and social media for quick replies and feedback, along with the benefits and the drawbacks of each.
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Service in the digital age
Technology has changed the way businesses look after their customers. A website can give product information and answers at any hour of the day. E-commerce lets customers buy online from anywhere, not just from a local shop. Social media lets a business reply to questions and complaints quickly and gather feedback. These tools bring real benefits, such as convenience and reach, but also drawbacks, such as feeling less personal and depending on the internet. This module looks at how ICT has developed customer service and how to weigh its good and bad sides.
Digital service words
Learn these before you sort any example, because the exam asks how technology changes the service a business gives.
The good and bad of digital service
ICT customer service has clear benefits but real drawbacks too. A strong answer weighs both sides.
How to weigh a digital tool
For each tool, ask two things. First, what does it let the customer do that they could not do as easily before, such as get an answer in the middle of the night, buy from far away, or message the business in seconds? Second, what is the cost or risk, such as losing the personal touch, shutting out people without internet, or complaints going public. Match the tool to what it does, then judge it by weighing its benefit against its drawback.
Match the tool to what it does
- a company website
- an e-commerce store
- a social media account
- an FAQ page
- gives product information and contact at any time
- lets customers order goods online from anywhere
- lets the business reply to customers quickly in public
- answers common questions without needing staff
What does e-commerce allow?
Which statement best describes what e-commerce allows a customer to do?
- Buy goods online at any time, from anywhere.
- Only buy goods by visiting the shop in person.
- Always get the goods completely free.
- Avoid any customer service at all.
Benefits of ICT service
Select the TWO benefits ICT brings to customer service.
- Customers can get help at any hour of the day
- The business can reach customers far away
- Customers never need the internet to use it
- It always feels more personal than a real person
Compare the opening hours
A high-street shop is open 8 hours a day. An online store is available 24 hours a day. Subtract to find how many more hours a day the online store is available. What is the answer?
Order an online purchase
Put the steps of buying from an e-commerce store in order, earliest first.
- Browse the products on the website
- Add the chosen item to the basket
- Pay for the order online
- Track the order until it is delivered
Complete the facts
Buying and selling goods online rather than in a shop is _____. Online platforms where a business talks with customers and answers complaints quickly are _____. A page that answers common questions without staff is an _____. A big benefit of these tools is that they are available at any _____ of the day.
Match the need to the tool
- a customer wants an answer at midnight
- a shopper in another country wants to buy
- a customer complains publicly and wants a fast reply
- many customers ask the same simple question
- the website, always available to read
- the e-commerce store, selling online worldwide
- the social media account, replying quickly in public
- the FAQ page, answering it without staff
Spot the true digital service facts
Tap the TWO statements that are true about ICT and customer service.
- A website can serve customers at any hour
- E-commerce lets a business reach distant customers
- These tools work without any internet access
- Social media cannot be used to gather feedback
Choose the digital tool
Read each case and choose the best digital tool.
- A customer wants to browse products and check delivery details at eleven at night when the shop is shut. Which tool serves them?
- A business wants to sell to customers across the whole country, not just the local town. Which tool helps most?
- An unhappy customer posts a complaint online and the business wants to respond quickly and in public. Which tool fits best?
Explain ICT in customer service
Explain how ICT such as websites, e-commerce and social media has developed customer service, and weigh the benefits against the drawbacks.
- Explain how a website improves customer service
- Explain what e-commerce lets customers do
- Explain how social media is used in customer service
- Explain two benefits and one drawback of using ICT for service
- Finish with a judgement on how far ICT has improved customer service