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How many times have you heard, “I’d rather talk to a live human being than deal with a transaction online.”? Probably pretty often, especially from us baby boomers. Our generation is by and large more comfortable transacting business with people rather than websites. We’re not as comfortable online as our kids are.
A recent experience with my new health insurance plan shot down the idea that people can get the job done better than purchasing online. Turns out interacting with a website can be far superior than talking to a customer service rep on the phone (as nice as they always are!).
With my wife’s change of job came a change in our health insurance plan. So, my simple daily blood pressure prescription had to be transferred to the new pharmacy. I went online to my main carrier to find out how to get my new mail order prescription set up. There I found a phone number to call to set up my new account.
That’s the last of the “so far so good.”
The 800 number to the pharmacy included eight voice mail instructions for the various reasons I’m calling. None of them included setting up a new account. So, without an account number I got lost. So I clicked on “New Order” and got 5 more choices, again none for me because I didn’t have an account yet.
So I hung up.
I then called my main insurance carrier and stayed on hold for 15 minutes before I hung up in frustration. Had to go, ran out of time. I called the main carrier a few days later and stayed long enough to get a customer service rep on the phone.
The rep gave me a choice of three pharmacies to call. I called one, got thru and they said they didn’t offer blood pressure pills. (My insurance carrier’s rep didn’t know this?) Another service rep said I should call my doctor to call them. I went to the website of the third one…the heck with the calls…and finally got somewhere.
Prominent on the homepage was this, “New to Caremark?”. That’s it! I’m new and need to set up an account. I did and got to here, “Welcome, Nicholas. Your personal homepage shows your available prescription refills. It also offers easy access to your order status, account balance, secure messages and prescription savings opportunities.”
Then a link clearly marked just below, “Request a New Prescription”
Got it, ordered it, will get it in the mail. Maybe ten minutes of time setting up the account, entering my credit card, and recording my doctor’s info.
Upshot: More and more of your customers and prospects are discovering well thought out websites with content that helps them get what they want. Relying on confused customers to call you is asking them to switch to your competition.
Make your website user friendly and satisfy your visitors and you’ll realize the true power of online transactions to your bottom line.
Until next time,
Nick
Nick Burns is an SEO web writer specializing in persuasive copywriting and content marketing. He provides clients a winning content strategy plus the special web writing to make it work. You can contact Nick here.
