Have you ever been to a business event and noticed how interested people seem to be in everyone else? The long and short of their noticeable efforts is to make connections with other business people. To some this process can seem disingenuous, but in most cases this networking activity can mean the difference in getting a contract, making an impact, closing a deal and feeling as if you have been heard.
For many the idea of self-promotion is a turn off. They would almost rather experience a full day of Tiny Tim singing “Tiptoe Through the Tulips” than visibly force themselves onto another person.
In our business efforts we tend to be very interested in advertising our services or products. We may use print, radio, television or online advertising, but essentially we advertise because we want people to buy what we sell. If that weren’t our intent we wouldn’t be in business.
If you can view networking as a form of advertising you may find yourself a bit more accepting of the idea.
For instance, if you are taking part in a business luncheon don’t be afraid to pitch your product or service to those around the table. Keep your focus on the product or service and not on yourself. This generally meets with greater receptivity and it allows you to distance yourself from the feeling of only promoting yourself. Besides most people aren’t especially interested in someone who can only talk about themselves anyway.
Secondly, work to respond in kind. If other people are interested in talking about their product or service be attentive. You can’t really expect to only share news regarding your business and not have an interest in what other motivated business owners have to say.
In fact, a business luncheon can provide the perfect atmosphere in which to learn the skills associated with the interaction that takes place between your business and your customers. How you respond to others in a personal setting like this can be a determining factor on how you likely respond to customer service issues.
In a situation that may leave you uncomfortable there are still lessons that can and should be learned.
Remember there are two very important sides to the coin of networking. The first is that it gives you the opportunity to advertise to a group of other business owners. Secondly, it can help you gain the skills you need to really learn how to place the needs of your customer first.
These face-to-face contacts can also help you learn vital skills in networking online.
We all like to be heard. Are you listening?
Scott Lindsay is a web developer and entrepreneur. He is the founder of HighPowerSites and many other web projects. Get your own website online in just 5 minutes with HighPowerSites at: http://www.highpowersites.com. Start your own ebook business with BooksWealth at: http://www.bookswealth.com
Experts say within the next five years, two-way video communications will be the new cutting edge way of doing business. The banking industry already has started to deploy “virtual tellers” at branch offices while the retail industry is apparently gearing up to introduce “virtual store clerks.”
What is the Basic Problem of Customer Service?
This “kiosk-based” form of video communications at bank and retail locations is the introduction to the much larger rollout of fixed-line and mobile two-way video communications, which will ultimately bring this new form of communication into the privacy of our homes. Obviously, there are still hurdles to overcome before video communications becomes commonplace. For one thing, there’s still the basic problem of not enough bandwidth on our last-mile networks.
Is Your Customer having the communication Devices?
The simple fact that most consumers do not have video phones or even video cameras and microphones connected to their PCs at home. Perhaps more importantly, there is still a question of how many people really want two-way video communications whether actually seeing the person you are speaking with offers enough value to the consumer to make the cost of rolling out IP video communications worth it.
Wireless Service Providers and Video Phones
However, with the major wireless service providers of the world working in concert with the handset makers and aggressively rolling out video capabilities on their next generation networks, we are no doubt getting closer to the day when two-way video communications will become a reality. As advanced new mobile devices (i.e., videophones) come onto the market, and consumer demand for them increases, it only makes sense that the call center industry will follow suit.
It’s Easy to Provides the Best Customer Services
To provide the best customer services in future using IP video for a wide range to support operations is a good idea. People can access from their homes. Let’s take an example, one day an agent in a tech support center will be able to “show” a consumer who just bought a new computer how to load some new software, or perhaps troubleshoot a set-up problem, right on the consumer’s computer screen. The ability to “show” a consumer how to do something, in real rime, rather than “tell” them over the phone will no doubt have powerful applications in the future.
Contact Us : Call Centers India
Email : sales@callcentersindia.com
Phone : 206.384.4669
About CCI
Call Centers India is known as CCI and has set up good building relationship in BPO industry and helping others to growth in industry, Call Centers India in consultancy since 5 years and in 2005 launched own delivery center by name of Vcare Call Center India (P) Ltd. and delivering many offshore projects successfully.
College Works Painting Delivers Excellent Customer Service
With a determination to get the very best out of their employees, College Works Painting is fully committed to developing leadership skills in each and every one of their painters. Every individual within the company understands and accepts the mission and purpose set forth by the painting company and adheres to ensuring top-notch customer service and satisfaction.
Taking to heart what customer service really is, College Works Painting is able to deliver what customers want. Keeping a clean jobsite and maintaining good customer relations allows the members of the painting team to connect with the customer and deliver to them what they really want out of their home painting company. At the heart of this commitment to customer satisfaction is a genuinely caring nature.
This caring nature is encouraged throughout the entire company. It starts up top and trickles down to the painting teams that paint the houses for their clients. What matters most to everybody at the end of the project is that the customer is truly happy with the job that was provided. Unfortunately, this is not an attitude that many contractors carry with them to their projects.
The teams at College Works Painting understand the hard work that must be done to ensure such high standards are maintained at every jobsite. For the teams though, they would have it no other way. The company does not understand how many contractors can care so little about their clients, as it is their client that keeps these companies afloat. By pampering and adhering to the clients’ needs and desires, the painting teams are able to build and maintain lasting relationships.
These relationships often expand beyond that of a business relationship and delve into the realm of relationships built on respect, admiration and devotion. The team at College Works Painting respects the property and lives of the homeowner and his or her family, so they ensure that their property is treated with care. They also take into high regard the ideas and wishes of the homeowner and do everything in their power to make sure that their vision is delivered in a timely and efficient manner.
Lastly, their unparalleled devotion to their clients is something to be talked about. By building trust and effective communication with their clients, the painting teams make sure that the job is done right and in an effective way. All of these aspects go into building positive relationships with clients and adhering to the highest level of customer service and satisfaction possible.
Justin recommends contacting the company directly for more information on student jobs and internships from College Works Painting or to schedule a painting job with College Works visit them online today.
www.telephonedoctor.com Telephone Doctor eLearning that addresses how the provide excellent customer service when customers are very upset. Video Rating: 5 / 5
Only 4% of UK customers have had a positive call centre experience, YouGov surveys have shown. Over a third of customers get so annoyed and frustrated that they have resorted to shouting and swearing.
OneCompare.com an online mobile phone comparison website conducted a survey in 2005/2006 which revealed that 39% of customers were dissatisfied or unhappy with the level of service provided by their mobile networks customer service help lines. It also revealed the shocking statistic that 35% of basic questions were answered incorrectly by call centre staff. Lets hope that 2007-2008’s surveys findings are more positive!
Due to the amount of inaccuracies that can be made whilst taking to call centre staff, EasyCallRecording has been developed to allow customers to record their important telephone conversations. The system allows customers to call a special number before making their important call to their bank, loan company or network, the call is then recorded and held online, available to be forwarded to the relevant institution if ever nessesary.
You can use EasyCallRecording on a pay as you go or monthly basis. The recordings will be completely legal and hold up in court as long as the caller notifies the person on the phone that they were recording their call.
This will hopefully be the ending to rude customer service staff and also stop misleading sales and information. Companies should ensure that their customer service staff are correctly trained for their job role and have all the relevant information to hand that they may need. This would help when taking customers calls to be helpful and give correct information.
If you use eBay, you can not notice the realization that the need for a large customer service still are – even for online auctions. When a seller is awarded top quality customer service from you, they could be one of two things – or both. They have a lot of great feedback, and they are selling lots of products either in auction or from their store.. If you hope earn a living from eBay, you have to stop thinking in the latter as an “auction” and start running as a “Business”.
If you own a business of brick and mortar, how could you treat your customer when they were up to your counter, waiting for you for their order? You would be useful and respectful of the them!
You would do everything that you could to ensure that the customers back to your institution in the future. You would bend over backwards to ensure that their purchasing power experience with you was both satisfying and pleasant. Why would you not treat your ebay customer the same?
First, act quickly, at the end of your auction. Stay in contact with the winner and congratulate them. Make sure to answer all questions they have and how the item will be shipped. Ship or deliver the item as soon as possible. Even if information is already part of the description of the auction. Ebay sends a message at the end of every auction with methods of payment and also at the end of digital deliver show where to download the item. On my download items I always send a message with the link cause new customers do not know the procedure and may miss the download link. For the shipping items I contact the person with shipment details with the tracking number in it.
Always thank your customers for their orders at the end of the auction and let them know to please contact me if they have any concerns. You can take this opportunity to tell them about other products or service you may have too. Do not treat them as a one time customer and they will not be.
Do not ever think of a online store or auction as a place where you can not give the best of yourself. A personal touch with your name in it and thank you goes a long way to a good feedback rating. Once payment is made you should always answer all questions or problems they may have right away. Even if it means giving a refund. Always treat the customer as if you would a friend and neighbor and you will keep a great feedback and also a life long buyer.
Give the customer enough time to make his payment and contact him several time before filing a dispute with paypal. Maybe the customer has had a tragedy or emergency and has been called away. Do not assume that the customer is not going to pay. I have waited a long time before filing a dispute and just to get my auction fees back.
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Most organizations still do not provide comprehensive, let alone adequate, training in today’s marketplace. A recent report by the Service & Support Professionals Association (SSPA) said that only 27% of service and support staff spend more than 5 days on annual ongoing training.
Beyond that, it was found that 82% of new hires feel they do not receive much training in customer service skills, compared to only 18% who feel they do. What an exposure for a company to have–not only to not provide sufficient, robust training, but to have the majority of employees feel they weren’t provided with enough training, so they don’t have the tools necessary to do their jobs!
In another study the good news is that it’s reported that nearly half of US employers plan to spend more time and money on training in 2008 Novations Group Survey). One of the top categories of training is Customer Service, followed by Technical Training, Interpersonal/Teamwork, Communications, on down to Basic Skills.
The part of this study that concerns me is that employers ‘plan to spend more time and money.’ Like me, I’m sure you’ve heard this before. Let’s make sure the feet go where the mouth leads. As they say, talk is cheap, let’s get those training initiatives implemented.
After all, in today’s competitive environment, what separates one company from another is not their product or service, but rather, their customer service.
And who has that awesome responsibility to deliver this world class customer service? Yes, your front lines who feel they haven’t been trained enough in customer service skills.
In a recent Training Magazine Study (November/December 2007), the training delivery methods reflect the following from year 2006 to 2007:
2006 2007
Instructor Led 62% 65%
Online Self Study 15% 20%
Virtual 14% 10%
Other 9% 5%
Where do you fit in the above stats? Are you taking great care of your employees so they can take great care of your customers?
If not, I suggest you make this a priority. Create a training initiative today!
Invest in your people. Start now.
Rosanne Dausilio, Ph.D., customer service expert, provides needs analyses, customer service training; authors Wake Up Your Call Center, Customer Service & the Human Experience, Lay Your Cards on the Table, Kick Your Customer Service Up A Notch Tips Newsletter at http://www.HumanTechTips.com
Learn the do’s of good customer service and see examples withexpert retail sales management advice in this free online customer service video clip. Expert: Pamela Unruh Bio: Pamela Unruh has been working in the customer service industry for nearly twenty years. She has a great amount of experience on the subject, and has been a corporate trainer in the field. Filmmaker: Reel Media LLC
How it Departments Can Improve Customer Service ? Both Internally and Externally With Itil
What is ITIL?
ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) is a set of best practices that allow IT groups to offer the highest possible level of service to their customers. The ITIL framework identifies best practices related to core aspects of IT such as Service Desk, Change Management, and Service Level Agreements (SLA’s).
Where is ITIL Used?
Currently, ITIL is the most widely accepted approach to IT service management in the world. The ITIL framework was developed in England and is widely adopted in Europe. Over the last few years ITIL has become increasingly popular in the US.
What are the features and benefits of ITIL?
ITIL is a great tool for a management team to use in the constant effort to offer higher levels of services to their customers. ITIL outlines an extensive set of management procedures that are intended to support businesses in achieving both quality and value for money in IT operations. The service support component of ITIL focuses on improving day-to-day support activities such as problem management. The service delivery component of ITIL focuses on improving strategic activities such as capacity planning.
Why should IT departments implement ITIL?
Most people feel that after implementing ITIL their customer service, both internally and externally, is greatly improved. Most IT departments are reactive and always feel that they are running behind. This is stressful and costly. When implementing ITIL you’ll review your current processes and think about how you can make them more efficient. By implementing new processes you’ll save time and money.
ITIL helps IT departments make better technology choices, manage IT more effectively and drive greater business value for all IT investments.
Lorenzo Balsamo
Lorenzo graduated in 1988 from Bentley College with a Bachelor’s degree in Computer InformationSystems. In 1992 he completed his Master’s degree at U-Mass Boston in English Literature andTechnical Writing. Since then he has worked the last 15 years in the IT industry in the roles ofSystems Engineer, Network Manager, and Trainer. As a Senior Engineer, he helped design and builda 3,000 node global LAN/WAN for a biotechnology company based in Cambridge, MA. As a NetworkManager, he led a team of 12 Analysts and Engineers primarily responsible for desktops, servers, OS patches, software distribution, antivirus software, and backups. In his current role as a Technical Instructor, he focuses on core engineering courses such as Cisco/CCNA and Microsoft/MCSE. He also teaches courses related to IT best practices such as ITIL (InformationTechnology Infrastructure Library).
About New Horizons Computer Learning Centers of Boston
New Horizons Computer Learning Centers of Boston provides learning solutions that help organizations achieve business results, such as increasing productivity and efficiencies, driving revenue, and reducing costs. New Horizons provides customer-focused training choices in multiple formats and delivery methods, offering organizations and individuals top-quality training that can be tailored to meet individual learning styles and specific needs.
Whether you are in search of a solution for the complex training needs of a large, multi-location business, or you are an individual seeking the skills to excel in a new or blossoming career path, New Horizons is your integrated learning solution. New Horizons of Boston offers Desktop Applications Training, Technical Training, Certification Programs, Business Productivity Solutions, Professional Services and Enterprise Learning Solutions.
How it Departments Can Improve Customer Service ? Both Internally and Externally With Itil
What is ITIL?
ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) is a set of best practices that allow IT groups to offer the highest possible level of service to their customers. The ITIL framework identifies best practices related to core aspects of IT such as Service Desk, Change Management, and Service Level Agreements (SLA’s).
Where is ITIL Used?
Currently, ITIL is the most widely accepted approach to IT service management in the world. The ITIL framework was developed in England and is widely adopted in Europe. Over the last few years ITIL has become increasingly popular in the US.
What are the features and benefits of ITIL?
ITIL is a great tool for a management team to use in the constant effort to offer higher levels of services to their customers. ITIL outlines an extensive set of management procedures that are intended to support businesses in achieving both quality and value for money in IT operations. The service support component of ITIL focuses on improving day-to-day support activities such as problem management. The service delivery component of ITIL focuses on improving strategic activities such as capacity planning.
Why should IT departments implement ITIL?
Most people feel that after implementing ITIL their customer service, both internally and externally, is greatly improved. Most IT departments are reactive and always feel that they are running behind. This is stressful and costly. When implementing ITIL you’ll review your current processes and think about how you can make them more efficient. By implementing new processes you’ll save time and money.
ITIL helps IT departments make better technology choices, manage IT more effectively and drive greater business value for all IT investments.
Lorenzo Balsamo
Lorenzo graduated in 1988 from Bentley College with a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Information Systems. In 1992 he completed his Master’s degree at U-Mass Boston in English Literature and Technical Writing. Since then he has worked the last 15 years in the IT industry in the roles of Systems Engineer, Network Manager, and Trainer. As a Senior Engineer, he helped design and build a 3,000 node global LAN/WAN for a biotechnology company based in Cambridge, MA. As a Network Manager, he led a team of 12 Analysts and Engineers primarily responsible for desktops, servers, OS patches, software distribution, antivirus software, and backups. In his current role as a Technical Instructor, he focuses on core engineering courses such as Cisco/CCNA and Microsoft/MCSE. He also teaches courses related to IT best practices such as ITIL (InformationTechnology Infrastructure Library).
About New Horizons Computer Learning Centers of Boston
New Horizons Computer Learning Centers of Boston provides learning solutions that help organizations achieve business results, such as increasing productivity and efficiencies, driving revenue, and reducing costs. New Horizons provides customer-focused training choices in multiple formats and delivery methods, offering organizations and individuals top-quality training that can be tailored to meet individual learning styles and specific needs.
Whether you are in search of a solution for the complex training needs of a large, multi-location business, or you are an individual seeking the skills to excel in a new or blossoming career path, New Horizons is your integrated learning solution. New Horizons of Boston offers Desktop Applications Training, Technical Training, Certification Programs, Business Productivity Solutions, Professional Services and Enterprise Learning Solutions.
Company Policy Does More Damage to Customer Service Than Anything Else
As a customer service consultant I see things across many companies that most companies don’t see while working inside the company.
o Company Policy
One of the biggest problems is “company policy.” Many company policies are structured to protect the company from the customer instead of helping the customer get what he wants and has paid for. Your success will explode when your company, and your employees are structured with the customers’ wants and needs in mind.
As a customer how many times have you been talking with a sales person, or a customer service rep and hear “sorry we can’t do that, company policy.” A barrier was thrown up between what you think is only reasonable and the company. For me, I’m out of there.
Is the problem “company policy” or is it the employee? It can go either way. Often employees are trying hard to do the job the way they understand it, which can often be that they are there to protect the company from the customer trying to take advantage. That isn’t saying that employee is a “bad” employee. Only that he doesn’t understand what he should be doing. That’s where proper employee training comes in.
o Employee Responsibility
It is the job of the people in your company that are in direct contact with the customers
To discover and understand what the customer really wants, and
Deliver what the customer really wants
When your employee says “can’t…company policy” he has put a barrier up between the customer and you. The customer can no longer get what he wants, at least not from your company.
o Executive or Owner View
I know…I know…I’m hearing the roar from the executive peanut gallery…You’ve got to make a profit. Well, let me make something clear hear…you aren’t going to make a profit, or at least not as much profit if you aren’t satisfying the customer. So, what I’m saying is to teach your people how to listen to the customer. Change their perspective from “protecting the company from the stupid customer” to one of ALWAYS finding a way to help the customer get what he wants.
o Employee Listening to Customer…Communicating Needs to Company
Your employee should be the conduit through the maze of company policies. He knows what the customer needs, he knows what the company policies are, and his job is to take that customer through those company policies to get the customer where he wants to be. He isn’t a policeman stopping the customer at the gate. That hampers the customer. The first helps the customer.
o When Company Policy IS the Barrier
What happens if the company policy truly is a barrier? Then the employee should be the conduit to the company policy setters to help them understand how the company as a whole can better serve the customer by changing company policy.
I am in no way saying, “don’t make a profit.” But when company policy is set up to protect the company from the customer instead of helping the customer your profits will decline. A customer usually only wants what is reasonable.
The solution to company policy barrier: Make sure that your employees are empowered
o To solve the customer problem
o To communicate to the company how the company policy can improve the customer satisfaction instead of impede it.
I am really beginning to have a problem with some of the “customer service” I’ve gotten lately,specifically with Sprint/Nextel.
they called me and “thanked” me for making a payment on my account,however I am “past due” and my service will be discontinued on Saturday.OK, I’m about .00 past due from last month.My payment was due on the 26th of September and this is the 10th of October.
Now,mind you, I have an account spending limit of 5,which my current balance is well under that (@ under).Now according to their site I have 1.66 left on my limit.This figure comes off their site.How do they figure that?
Anyway,the Customer Service Rep advised me that my phone would be shut off on Saturday due to my being past due for 14 days.Even the major phone companies like ATT and Bellsouth give you more time than that.
I asked the rep why I was being shut off.I was still well under my ASL and have every intention of paying the .00 but couldn’t understand their way of thinking.It seems that the ASL doesn’t really count for anything.If nothing else,it creates more problems.If you don’t pay your account in full by the due date,they will shut you off.
Now don’t get me wrong,I want to pay my bill.Right now,I’m out of work and don’t get much in unemployment so I have to budget my money.I pay part of my bill online every 2 weeks so I don’t get behind.The rep said that they would work out payment arrangements for me.They want me to pay the full balance of my account,.00,NOW.
My problem is that isn’t due until the 27th of October.
Are they hurting for money? When you pay your bill you are paying for service you haven’t used yet.To me,that’s kind of like paying your winter utility bills in July based on what they think you are going to use.Makes no sense.The worst part is the “customer service” rep don’t want to listen.
Overall,I like Sprint.I’ve been with them for 5 years and have had good phone service.The problems are always the same,though.I have been disconnected before for being .96 past due.Why?
After this episode I started doing some searching on the internet.I found that Sprint is well known for this and for poor customer service.I considered switching companies,but I’m afraid it will be the same thing no matter where I go.
After all of this rambling my point is,whatever happened to good customer service? Whatever happened to talking to the customer and explaining what is going on?What happened to making sure the customer is satisfied?It just doesn’t seem to matter to these large companies anymore.The bigger the companies get,the less they care.
I managed restaurants for about 17 years and was trained to take care of the customer and make sure they were satisfied.I’m not saying that I was the perfect manager,but I tried.
I really think that companies should take a step back and take a look at what is going on .They are in for a big surprise.
