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CASHING IN ON CUSTOMER SERVICE
When was the last time you received *great* customer service? Last month? Last year? The early 80’s? It seems these days many businesses simply don’t place a high priority on customer service. It’s evident from the kid at the drive-thru who thrusts...
Customer service, everyone say's their's is great
Customer service, everyone say's their's is great while a large percentage fail miserably. By Vern Anderson Customer service is probably the most important part of any online business, but many are dropping the ball. This past week (not by design)...
Handling Challenging Situations with a Customer-Focused Mindset
Customer service often means dealing with angry, frustrated, or rude customers. Dealing with those customers effectively can often make or break a company. This article presents a five-step process for dealing with difficult customers.
Most...
In Business, Image Isn't Everything; It's The Only Thing!
We have all heard this lament, but how much do we practice it. With all the relaxed rules today, do we really present ourselves in the best light. It seems all the articles I see today are about how old fashioned today's workers find their...
Why bother with customer centricity?
CRM Magazine recently asked their subscribers "What is the number one concern that keeps you up at night?". I found it interesting that none of the responses resembled anything like: "My kid is failing out of school", or "My spouse works too...
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Battling with Customer Service: How to Win the War, Part 1 of 2
Customer service, how I loathe thee. Let me count the ways. The
never-ending loop of obnoxious hold music. The pressure to buy
new products and services. The poor-quality, outsourced call to
a distant land.
A call to customer service can be an infuriating ending to a
frustrating experience. You're upset and looking for empathy,
but all you encounter is disappointment. Could Company X have
done something differently? Probably, but if you follow these
tips when dealing with customer service, you'll be in the
driver's seat for the next dispute.
1. Be prepared.
Seems basic, right? Unless you've called Company X several
times, you're probably not familiar with their required
information. Have every tracking number, account number,
itemized statement, and order number before you call. Customer
service representatives are held responsible for torturous
call-handling metrics designed by masochistic management. Length
of call, resolution (if the customer calls back to the company
within an allocated amount of time), and randomly monitored
calls are measured stringently. Bottom line: they want to help
you quickly and completely, lest a superior crack a whip.
2. Be nice.
Customer service representatives speak with upset, irritated,
and/or irate people all day. Every day. You may not agree with a
credit denial, but screaming "the customer is always right,
(expletive)!" will not help. Be pleasant and the rules may be
malleable. Be another unpleasant customer and the guidelines
will be set in stone.
3. Know when to call, know when to write.
If you need to request a price quote, add/remove a feature, or
ask for explanation of a bill, e-mail is the
most efficient
route for your correspondence. For repair concerns or credit
requests, call customer service. Repair specialists will need to
troubleshoot and get access information should a technician need
to be dispatched. Credit requests can be handled via e-mail,
however, it is easier to reply with a "credit denied" form
letter than to deny credit to a real, live person.
4. Get on record.
If something is not working properly, call the company
immediately. If there is a cable, satellite, or phone outage,
Company X will only be able to diagnose and correct the problem
if they are notified a problem exists. This also establishes a
record of communication should you need to request a credit or
refund at a later date.
5. Be persistent, but not obnoxious.
Many companies have guidelines for dispensing credit that
require denial the first time for any request that is not a
previously-reported "out of service" issue or a known billing
error. The second time a credit request is made, these
guidelines can be relaxed. If you have followed the "be nice"
tip above, you may be rewarded with your credit request.
Following these five tips will help you get what you want in the
most efficient manner possible. Stay tuned for the next
installment to find out how you can aggravate the customer
service experience and actually delay resolution!
About the author:
Gwendolyn Lee is a statistician and analyst of Internet-related
metrics for rubber stamps and stamping products at www.rubberstamps.net. She
has researched and implemented business models to maximize
profitability, efficiency and advertising tracking.
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ICS: Institute of Customer Service |
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Customer Service |
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Provides how-to information, gifts and decorations for successful Customer Service Week celebrations. |
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Customer Service Institute of Australia - dedicated to Australian ... |
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The Globe and Mail: Home Delivery Customer Care: Home |
The most authoritiative news in Canada featuring articles from The Globe and Mail, breaking news coverage, national news, international news, sports, ... |
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Customer Service from FLORIDA TODAY |
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magazine customer service |
https://secure.customersvc.com/ servlet/Show?WESPAGE=mo/home.html&MSRSMAG=MO - Similar pages |
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Customer Service – 8 Rules For Good Customer Service |
Good customer service is the lifeblood of any business. You can bring in as many new customers as you want, but unless you can get some of those customers ... |
sbinfocanada.about.com |
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Help | IndyStar.com |
Customer Service • Terms of Service • Send feedback about IndyStar.com • Subscribe Now • Jobs with us. Use of this site signifies your agreement to the ... |
www.indystar.com |
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