Usability is One - Top Priority
i had tough time filling a online form. Here are some points, many know already, but new ones need to be instructed again. Especially so in customer service online forms or apps.
Make all the fill up text boxes ample, not cramped. Message area needs to be wide and long. Not an excuse of a square, where you can only say "Hello". Do not insist on all details an Email is enough.
If the form has validation or capthca, may it have memory. The user need not fill everything all over again for one error. Make validation intelligent and after three submits, take what customer gives, even if it appears to be a riddle.
Most of us, even me when i made/sold products, do not like the "Return". This is not healthy, Customer support must be proactive, enthusiastic and like some say Fanatic. A brand survives and sells itself only on Genuine Customer Support. Just communication or Half-Hearted attention will not work for very long.
Technology/Upgrades are everything, but do not dump it or force-feed on a customer, more so in communication areas. Use time-tested methods and slowly move people into new methods and systems. It has to be done one day, till then, let old and new versions exist as options. A person with outdated PC and Software must be able to send an email or log a message into a forum.
Simplicity, Usability, Sincerity, Sensibility, Solutions, Spares and Service .... could be the keywords you ponder over, if you want to do Customer Support, that really means Business.
Otherwise be warned of a "Maintenance and Return Bubble". The good part, this will create more local jobs and entrepreneurs.
Focus on Usability First - Aesthetics and Technology Later - Support The Customers