by Jeryl Massini-Ryan | Oct 16, 2016 | Customer Service, FAQ
So why “Put It In The FAQ?” Well, I recently had an experience that prompted me to write this post. In fact, it really left me shaking my head over the whole thing. I loathe having to call Customer Service for anything unless I really have to – I’d much rather go to the company website and look up the answer myself in their FAQ section. We made a rather expensive purchase and I had a question on how one of the features worked, so off I went to the company website, in search of their FAQs. I found it and pored over it, seeking the answer to my question. Not finding what I was looking for, I was forced to call Customer Service and I was connected with a very friendly woman who was more than happy to help me. I actually felt silly, because the answer to my question was pretty obvious, had I given it a bit more thought, and I should have been able to figure it out myself. I told her that and she replied, “Oh don’t worry about it – we get this question all the time!” ALL THE TIME? They get this question all the time and it’s not in their FAQ section? How many unnecessary phone calls do they get? Can you imagine how much time would be freed up if just this one question were answered on their website? And I’m sure that if this question isn’t answered in their FAQ, there must be many others as well. Here’s my advice: Regularly audit the questions that are coming into your Customer...
by Jeryl Massini-Ryan | Aug 13, 2016 | Customer Service
Wikipedia defines customer service as “the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase.” Although that definition captures the essence of customer service, it lacks a few important elements. I suggest a more complete definition: “Customer service is the act of meeting your customers’ needs through the provision of high quality support before, during and after the transaction. Good customer service adds more than just monetary value and helps build long-lasting customer relationships. So begins this post that I am thrilled to bring you, from Kushal Dev, COO and Co-founder at Customer Guru. Let’s see what else Kushal has to say… The first question that comes to mind when thinking of customer service is cost. Investing in excellent customer service can be expensive. Companies that choose to put the customer first may see an impact on their bottom line. On the other hand, businesses that choose to cut costs on customer service often see a reduction in acquisition and retention rates. An excellent customer service strategy, by its nature, must be dynamic. The perfect policies today will be obsolete tomorrow. In the world of CS, there is no end all be all. Instead, businesses must be prepared to adapt to the changing market conditions and customer needs. Being flexible in the provision of service is the surest way to earn customer loyalty. Excellent support teams follow four customer service strategies: 1. Customer service is as important as sales and marketing The customer service department should never be at the bottom of your organizational priorities. Marketing and sales are great for acquisition, but customer service is where customer...
by Jeryl Massini-Ryan | Apr 16, 2016 | Productivity, Self Care
Today I found myself guilty of violating one of my most important rules – to take care of myself. It happened so gradually that I barely noticed it. I’d started having a feeling in the back of my mind lately that something wasn’t quite right – my productivity was off, I was getting stressed out far too easily, things were NOT humming along, almost effortlessly, like they usually do. What I did today was this – I simply went and got a manicure and pedicure. It’s something that I do every two weeks. It’s not a luxury or a treat, it’s something that I consider a necessity because it’s something that recharges me. It relaxes me, I don’t think about any responsibilities while I’m there, I just relax and recharge – I take care of me. At least I thought I did this every two weeks. As I sat there today with my feet in the warm water, feeling the tension leave my body, almost dozing off – all of a sudden I sat bolt upright in the massage chair because I realized… I couldn’t even REMEMBER the last time I’d been there! How is that possible? This is something that I was absolutely militant about. This was time that I made damn sure that I took as part of my way of taking care of ME, the most important resource that I have! That says that I HAVEN’T been taking care of me. It absolutely SCREAMS it. And if I don’t take care of me, how can I take care of anyone, or anything, else? My home, my...
by Jeryl Massini-Ryan | Mar 25, 2016 | Customer Service, Service
I don’t know what happened to companies actually wanting your business, rather than turning you away, I really don’t. It’s something that I see more and more of and I just don’t get it. This is the tale of a company (Company “A”) losing business and not even caring. It begins with my search for a task management system to use for a ginormous project that I’m overseeing for a client. I’m working with a client who has a huge project that involves a lot of people and TONS of moving pieces. I am tasked with ensuring that everything goes smoothly, which involves making sure that all of the people on our end are doing what they need to be doing, that all of the people on many other ends are doing what they need to be doing, and that all of the things that need to be happening actually end up happening. You know, the usual day to day superhero kind of stuff. No problem, you just need to have the right tools. And this project is going to take some serious organizational tools. And a cape. Yes, I need a cape. There are lots of team task management programs out there. I’ve worked with some of them. I’ve liked some of them, others not so much. It all depends on what you need and your personal preference. I’ve got to get something into place quick like a bunny, so I contact two companies that I have already worked with. One, Company “A”, I had only worked with a little bit, so I’m not an expert at what they...
by Jeryl Massini-Ryan | Mar 6, 2016 | Productivity
While working with a client recently, I discovered a gem of a resource that they use and I was pretty blown away when I started interacting with them. It takes a lot to impress me, and even more for me to recommend someone to my peeps, so I had a “sit down” with them, in order to find out all about them, and then, after they impressed the hell out of me, to see if I could get a special deal for you guys. (Hint – I did!) So they’re called Ruby Receptionists and they provide an amazing service. Say you’re a one-person show and: You really need to give prospective clients a phone number, but you can’t man your cell phone all day. You don’t want prospective clients going to a voice mailbox, you want them to talk to a real person. You can’t or don’t want to hire staff to man the phones, but you do want people who call to get someone live and in person. That’s where Ruby comes in. They give you a toll free number (good for North America). They answer the calls that come into that number, in the way that you ask them to. (Good morning, Massini-Ryan Services, how can I help you?) Their coverage is 13 hrs a day, 5 days a week. What you do is let them know your availability and when they get a call, they’ll answer and ask the person to hold a moment while they transfer them to you, they’ll call you and tell you who is calling and why. Now you’re ready for the call –...
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