Info Systems J (2006) 16, 135–155 135 © 2006 The Authors Journal compilation © 2006 Blackwell publishing Ltd Blackwell Publishing LtdOxford, UKISJInformation Systems Journal1350-1917Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 2006 20061600135155Original ArticleDelivering customer services onlineN M Levenburg & H A Klein Delivering customer services online: identifying best practices of medium-sized enterprises Nancy M. Levenburg* & Helen A. Klein † *Management Department, Seidman College of Business, Grand Valley State University, 441-C DeVos Center, 401 W, Fulton Street, Grand Rapids, MI 49504, USA, email: levenbun@gvsu.edu, † and Management Department, Seidman College of Business, Grand Valley State University, 439-C DeVos Center, 401 W, Fulton Street, Grand Rapids, MI 49504, USA, email: kleinh@gvsu.edu Abstract. The importance of using the internet to achieve competitive advantage has been well documented. Many companies have benefited from capturing cus- tomers’ interest in buying via the web. Additionally, an ever-expanding of technol- ogies exist that enable firms to provide additional customer services online. Yet for many firms, determining which customer service applications to use can be per- plexing. This study examines the practices of small- and medium-sized enterprises and analyses performance results of adopting selected customer service applica- tions on the internet. Keywords: small- and medium-sized enterprise, small business, customer service, e-service, e-commerce, internet applications INTRODUCTION Despite the problems encountered by internet businesses over the last 5 or 6 years (Grover & Saeed, 2004), there has been a continually increasing interest in the use of the internet for online purchasing purposes (Greenspan, 2003). This increasing interest has produced a cor- responding need to provide additional customer-related service online. Among governmental bodies, this has led to providing citizens with online voting and license renewal services, in addition to readily available information (Carter & Bélanger, 2005). Moreover, ‘if an organization has a presence on the internet and is selling products or supplying information, customers expect to get [customer] service through the same channel’ (Carlson, 2000). Even if a sale is not consummated online, a growing body of literature documents the importance of the inter- net in other phases of customers’ buying processes, processes that occur prior to or post pur- chase, including search for sources, evaluation of alternatives and customer support (Chen, 1998; Kolesar & Galbraith, 2000; Walsh & Godfrey, 2000; Burke, 2002; Zeithaml, 2002; Downie, 2003).