Some companies and organizations do not post a phone number online. Instead, they use a "contact us" form on their Web site. This form must be filled out by the user and then sent electronically to the company.Phone

This form, and way of handling potential customers, hurts the company in more ways than one. First, it tells the customer that the company is inaccessible. Secondly, it requires the custmer to do something extra in return for something that is uncertain. For example, if a potential customer is wondering about sizing information for a clothing item or wants to make sure the return policy is a certain way, they have no guarantee of when someone will respond to their inquiry nor what response they’ll receive.

The Big Deal: In a world where sales people are hungry for leads and customers have endless buying options, it is not good enough to require more work on the customer’s part for them not to get immediate answers to their questions.

In my opinion, companies who do this are forgetting that extraordinary customer service can provide differentiation and become a selling point, if proved over time.