Being a seller online, you are bound to get customer complaints (especially with Royal Mail in the past couple of months) and as time consuming and costly it is, it’s a relevant part of an online shop business to offer great customer service.

E-Consultancy continues to highlight the ongoing importance of this issue.

With my boot on the other foot, I recently bought some photographers lights from Karlu, a UK based specialist shop and it is an example of how not to do it. In fact, I learnt a lot about improvements for my own business.

The Karlu website is clear and concise and my order was easy, so from that point of view, top marks.

But the follow up has not been so good.

A few days later, I had not received my package and tried to call the ‘Sales Helpline’, which, even during working hours, was ringing off the hook. This obviously made me very nervous and I began to worry about my payment and order. So I e-mailed - with no response.

The next day, the parcels arrived anyway but two of the six bulbs were smashed. So I contacted them to ask them where I stood. Again, the phone rang off the hook. And, four e-mails and a six days later, I have still had no response and had to buy some more lamps from another shop through Ebay.

Now, I know (and understand) that Karlu were moving two weeks ago, as their website proudly states, and I can imagine how a move causes disruption. But, that is not my problem, I have my own schedule to keep.

To me it is like falling at the last hurdle.

The hard work (the sale) has been made. But, the easy second sale, which I also need to make, has been lost. Taking into account cost-per-acquisition with advertising to get me in the first place, the investment was wasted.

They could have had a loyal customer, now they have an angry one… with a Blog.

A bit like all companies selling online.