Maintaining productivity at work can sometimes be difficult. Online services have enabled most businesses to remain productive in today's competitive market. Online services can enable you to achieve the following: Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Manage your suppliers. Communicate with your customers and get their feedback on your business. Offer online services. Allow customers to make reservations or appointments online. Below are some of the online services that can increase productivity in the workplace: The DIY Phenomenon: As a concept, self-service is nothing new. Customers want to have the ability to do things as they please. Recently, we've seen the do-it-yourself culture move into customer service. Today's customers are busy and often mobile and need to be able to resolve a problem quickly and preferably independently. Customer demand for better self-service experiences, as well as broader channels for self-service, is driving greater investment in most companies. From paying at the petrol pump or self-service checkouts in supermarkets to online health fund discounts, consumers don't want to have to wait for something if they know they can get it themselves. It's no different in the workplace. In its most basic form, an employee self-service system gives employees access to some key details about their employment. Because it is normally hosted on a company intranet and accessible via the web, staff do not have to be at their desks to use it. They can log in from home or any other place with an Internet connection. When they first emerged, these systems didn't allow people to do much more than change an address line or change banking information. Nowadays, thanks to stronger data encryption, employees can request leave; view policies, share information, book training courses or download payslips. Email and SMS push notification services: Following Amazon's lead, many businesses, especially shipping companies, now automatically send customers an email or SMS notification when their order has been shipped , if something is on backorder or when something is available on pre-order or backorder. Likewise, many service companies, instead of calling the home phone to confirm an appointment, now send a text message to the customer's cell phone, along with the option to confirm, cancel or change the appointment. This attracts customers while increasing productivity. Customer service on social media. Forget phone, email and live chat: Facebook, Twitter and other social networks are the new front line for customer service questions. In fact, the number of messages requiring a response that people have sent to brands has increased. Social media represents an amazing opportunity for businesses, making customers happy while their friends watch. As a result, most companies are developing their own social customer service strategy and processes. Airlines, like Delta, also have separate Twitter accounts just to handle customer service and support issues. Companies that develop and manage responsive, proactive, and preventative customer outreach programs end up being more successful. Positive results also occur in companies that ensure the people managing their social channels are properly trained and kept track of.