Developing an eService Strategy

“How do I justify investment in eCommerce to a group of senior managers that get their secretaries to print their emails?” was how one manager interviewed for this study summarised his eCommerce problem. This article is about how firms can develop a systematic strategy for delivering service on the web – eService. It starts with the result of a survey of responsiveness to customers in web‐based service delivery, part of a study which also includes case studies of companies seeking to justify such investments. It then focuses on understanding the challenge of eService, developing a strategy and making the case for investment. It concludes with suggestions for implementation, including metrics for assessing eService quality.