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Can A Point Of Sale System Really Enhance My Customer's Visit?
You may assume that your guest's experience at your restaurant
may be enhanced by a point of sale system. Maybe you had not
even though of it. However, the fact is that a good point of
sale system can benefit the experience of your guests.
...
CRM 101: Customer Relationship Management for Beginners
Customer Relationship Management, abbreviated “CRM,” is the term for a business strategy that is designed to improve customer service. CRM is also designed to increase customer satisfaction and gain new customers, thus increasing a business’...
Customer Service Has Moved Toward Customer Care
Customer Service Has Moved Towards Customer Care As I waited for an answer to my VCR inquiry from a stereo company, the recording stated a “customer care” representative would be available shortly. At that moment, I realized it’s finally catching...
Dialogue: The Four Dialogic Principles For Successful Communication
"But you don't understand!" exclaimed the manager, "this new initiative is vital for our team. If it doesn't work we could all be out of a job!" "Uh-huh... Really... Explain to me again how this new initiative is so different from previous...
Get PR Off the Bench
Please feel free to publish this article and resource box in your ezine, newsletter, offline publication or website. A copy would be appreciated at bobkelly@TNI.net. Word count is 895 including guidelines and resource box. Robert A. Kelly ©...
Home Business -Establishing Yourself as an Expert in the Eyes of Your Customers.
The most important aspect of a successful business is developing the correct mindset toward your customers. And this is not the over used phrase The customer is always right. Actually the correct mindset we are referring to here is to always think...
How to Build Trust and Overcome Skepticism With Prospective Customers!
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The reality of America in the new millennium is that no one believes in anything the way they...
Make An Offer Your Customers Can't Refuse
Are your sales coming up a little short these day? Retail sales, Internet commerce, and business-to-business suppliers are all having problems matching their stellar performances of previous years.
When economic times get tight, just about every...
Putting The Serve Back Into Customer Service
Good service is easy to spot and hard-to-find. Mediocre service occasionally stands out but only because it's the cream-of-the-crap. Last week I had the opportunity to speak at the Lumbermen's Merchandising Corp. annual sales meeting in Dallas....
The Average Profile of Customers Opting for a Payday Loan Cash Advance
Payday loans are loans of a small amount, taken for a short duration of time. Payday loans are generally meant to be paid off on the next payday.
Payday lenders loan out thousands of dollars every week to people who are in dire need of money....
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Battling with Customer Service: How to Win the War, Part 2 of 2
If you've already read Part 1 of "Battling with Customer
Service: How to Win the War," congratulations! You're halfway to
becoming a pro. Follow these last five steps and you'll be on
track to bending the minds of customer service representatives
everywhere. Without further ado...
6. Don't drink and dial.
It seems like a good idea at first; the mind says no, but the
six-pack says yes. You've had a great relationship for years.
Why throw it all away over a silly dispute? You decide to pick
up that phone, one last time, and see if they realize what
they're missing. Has this logic ever worked? Here's a hint: no.
Calling customer service in an obviously altered state of mind
will cause your pleas to fall on deaf, yet slightly amused,
ears. If you want customer service to take a complaint or
concern seriously, save the six-pack for when you call your ex.
7. Call during off-hours.
Yes, hold music is corporate America's version of water torture.
To keep your sanity intact, try calling during off-hours. What
are off-hours, you ask? If Company X has 24x7 customer service,
try calling after 10pm. If not, try calling Tuesday-Thursday
between 10am-8pm or any time on Sunday.
8. Don't call a "special number."
The blog of a spurned employee, a news station, or a radio show
might give you some kind of "secret" and "internal" number to
Company X. They may claim it will eliminate hold time.
Oftentimes, these "special numbers" are specifically for field
technicians or an obscure department that cannot handle the
concern. Call the main customer service number and pick the
correct department. The towering inferno that is the Voice
Response Unit may mistake your spoken request to "pay a bill in
Iowa" for "cancelling all services immediately in Connecticut,"
but simply stating "agent" to the VRU may get you to a real,
live person. If "agent" does not work, try
similar terms such as
"operator," "representative," "customer service," "parasite from
the nether world," or "spawn of Satan."
9. Escalate, but only if necessary.
If there's no light at the end of a bleak tunnel, ask for a
supervisor; however, do not immediately ask for management if
you were mishandled on a previous call. Customer service
representatives undergo weeks of training and, oftentimes, are
more familiar with current customer issues than their
supervisors. Supervisors are there to ensure that customer
service representatives are doing their jobs; it is the job of
the customer service representative to handle your call and
concern.
10. Carefully consider contacting outside regulatory authorities.
If absolutely necessary, contact the Federal Communications
Commission, established in 1934 to regulate communications by
wire, cable, satellite, radio, and television. Complaints to the
FCC are taken seriously and will be handled at Company X by a
department well trained on their rules and regulations. Due to
the escalated nature of this department, they may have higher
hold times and more restricted hours of operation than regular
customer service. If you've been completely, hideously, utterly,
and unforgivably wronged, feel free to call a regulatory
organization. If you'd like to voice a complaint, but do not
need any further action taken regarding your concern, call or
e-mail the company itself.
If you follow these ten tips, the balance may swing in your
favor. May the customer service workforce be with you.
About the author:
Gwendolyn Lee is a statistician and analyst of Internet-related
metrics for custom rubber stamps and stamp accessories at www.rubberstamps.net. She
has researched and implemented business models to maximize
profitability, efficiency and advertising tracking.
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