Qualitative investigation of an e‐mail mediated help service Available to Purchase

Many organizations are developing e‐mail mediated help services, although the implications of using e‐mail for client service are not yet fully understood. A qualitative study of a successful service was developed incorporating content analysis of service logs and interviews with staff and users. Two models of ideal service exchanges emerge: concise question/response dyads and extended dialog. Staff tend to consider dialog typical, while users almost exclusively consider the minimum exchange normal. Service logs show most exchanges are simple question/answer pairs where users explicitly request instructions, explanations, brief informational answers, or direct intervention by staff. However, users sometimes underspecify their request or omit needed information while staff often respond incompletely to queries. This frequent omission of information places significant stresses on a dyadic exchange model. As users become more experienced in the using e‐mail for requesting service, broader acceptance and use of a dialog model of help provision might occur.