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 | 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...
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