customer service tag
15 result(s) displayed for customer service (1 - 15 of 15):
The (Social) Customer Isn't Always Right
There appears to be a tendency with social media as a new and highly visible channel to overstock the value of the sentiments expressed in the posts and Tweets, that they do accurately represent the voice of customer and that the complaints are accurate and well-founded. And that those who made them must be supplicated to keep them as customers, lest they tell hundreds of others never to do business with one's company ever again.
These set of attitudes with social media reflect the cliché "the customer is always right."
Nonsense. Balderdash. Rot.
The "social customer"--like any other customer--is not always correct.
The New Customer Self-Service: Ourselves
Leave aside well-trained live agents, subject matter experts reachable via presence and knowledgebase-connected automated IVR/speech rec and web self-service.
One of the best (and the most affordable) answers to customer service issues--from basic product information to fixing problems--may come from each one of us, which can be termed as peer service or peer support. That is provided that this method is set up and managed right.
Are Contact Centers Supporting Customers Via Social Media?
According to an excellent recent blog entry by Tim Passios, Director of Solutions Marketing, Interactive Intelligence, not as many as may well be warranted by well-publicized incidents e.g. "United Breaks Guitars" .
My counsel on social media is this: have the corporate communications departments, in partnership with Legal serve as the gatekeepers and policymakers...In that fashion then firms will get social media right. And with the rapid takeup of customer inquiries by self-service, and with the demand for higher quality service from customers, ..as well as the increasing popularity of social media as a customer service channel...it is only a matter of time when the social media response teams become the customer service teams.
AT&T Teaches How Not To Respond to Complaints in The Social Era
This example of how not to respond to customers' complaints in this social media era, where unless you respond to them quickly and authentically including by the CEOs your rep is DOA, comes courtesy of--and perhaps to no surprise to those of us in or follow this industry)--AT&T, via CNN.
CNN reported Thursday that AT&T apologized to one of its customers after a staffer left a voicemail warning that individual had e-mailed the carrier's CEO with complaints.
Don't SLAPP Social Media (or SLAPP, period)
Strategic lawsuits against public participation or SLAPPs are the cowards' way of quieting dissent; the legal equivalent of glove-covered brass knuckles. Now comes the disturbing if not unexpected report from The New York Times that firms have been attempting to SLAPP consumers they appear to have annoyed and who have in turn posted comments on social media sites.
CorpComm/PR Not Contact Centers For Managing Social Media
One of the key issues that are emerging with the rise of social media as a customer interaction tool is who should track, analyze and respond to what is being said on these sites.
A strong argument can be made is that it should be corporate communications/public relations either in-house or outside agencies rather than contact centers.
More Reasons Why Traditional Contact Centers Are Doomed
I've been covering and working in this industry for over 14 years yet I've always thought the notion of contact centers, especially inbound first level ones kind of strange, as if they were a transitional means until the technologies and practices caught up with consumer and business demands for sales and service.
This is beginning to happen, which will doom traditional contact centers. If I were in the business of making contact center decisions I'd not approve any money to expand existing sites, or buy outsourcing services located in on-premises locations. Instead I would put the money into automated voice and web solutions, home agents and presence.
Make Customers Smile? Give Them Low Priced Half-Decent Products
A Nov.11 Los Angeles Times column by David Lazarus makes more kicks at the commonly stated (if not truly believed, and for good reason) assumption of organizations, their contact centers, and their suppliers that customers really give a rat's hindquarters about customer service especially in this tough economy.
'Cowardly Callers' in U.S., Canada?
came across this excellent, insightful study of what I term 'cowardly callers' conducted by solutions firm Corizon and YouGov of abusive U.K. callers--the press release says " Contact Centre Rage: Corizon Survey Finds Scots, Men and the under-30s to Be the Worst Offenders" and it got me to thinking: has there been /can there be a similar study in the U.S. and Canada?
Another Social Networking Landmine: 'Kind' Reviews
My black journalist's heart loves contrarian stuff. And what is darker and more contrarian than this quite correct observation/report from Christopher Null's The Working Guy blog 'Why user reviews are worthless'.
This is one more IED in the social networking field that could blow customer service/marketing/ strategies up in enterprises' faces. It joins firms using social networking (including reviews) to plump their products and diss their competitors.
Three Must Attend/Participate Webinars
Here are three Webinars coming up over the next two weeks that promises to be in this league: in timely information, knowledge, and insight
Good News/Bad News from United (and other airlines)
There has been some good news on the beleaguered U.S. domestic contact center front, courtesy of United Airlines.
The good news is that the air carrier will be opening 165 seats at its Chicago and Honolulu facilities, reports the Associated Press and carried in BusinessWeek, to handle written (e-mailed/letter mailed) customer commendations and complaints (CC&C): work that had been managed offshore in India. The bad news, from this writer's perspective, is that United is ending handling voice CC&Cs. It would stop publishing its customer relations phone number, which will be turned off altogether at the end of April.
Forrester's Practical Solutions To Growing Business and Cutting Costs
There has been much and understandable wailing in the current economic climate about 'yes I need to retain and grow customers but my CFO has axed my budget'.
Now Forrester Research has come up with five practical, leading-but-not-bleeding edge recommendations that will make CFOs, CMOs, and ultimately CEOs happy by shrinking costs and increasing business.
Must The Media Get Involved To Ensure Quality Customer Service?
The question that lingers is that why does it have to take the media to get involved to do the right thing? Why can't otherwise intelligent firms put in place solid procedures to resolve the issues in the first place that is far cheaper and less image-damaging than getting the press involved, and forking over cash in PR expenses?
Dell: homeshore your contact centers and drop the U.S. handling fee
If Dell had done just that--announced that it is bringing its customer care management literally back home to American agents--which would allow many to keep their homes by avoiding commuting costs and deducting home office costs--it would have been lauded rather than laughed at.
