More Around the Bend…
Friday, March 27th, 2009We often hop on our motorcycle or in the car “just to see what is around the next bend.” Whatever is there can be interesting, intriguing, challenging, frustrating or a nonevent. The same is true of our businesses. It is often difficult to know “what is around the next bend” in a business environment, but whatever it is will be interesting, intriguing, challenging, frustrating, or a nonevent. . . . and we must be prepared.
What is the best way to be prepared for an unknown future? In any industry, customer care is paramount to future business. When your customer calls or e-mails with a problem, you must have processes for responding. Your response must be quick and it must address the actual problem in a way that is acceptable to you and your customer.
Let me give you an example from real life. A friend’s daughter who is in college had a problem with her computer. The friend filed a help desk ticket with the company that made the computer and with whom they had an extended warranty which called for on-site service within 24 hours. The ticket clearly said that the computer was located at a specific address in another city and gave the daughter’s cell phone number. After two more filings and a phone call during the next week, the mother finally got a phone call from a service tech to say he’d be at her home in an hour to fix the computer. When the mother explained that the computer was with the daughter, the tech agreed that he could see that if he scrolled down on his request for service. He also reported that the delay in service had been due to the company’s sending the parts to the wrong city twice already that week and now the company would have to re-send the parts again – to the college city’s technician. Three days later a technician called the daughter and arrived to work on her computer the following day. However, when he arrived, he said he thought from the mother’s description the computer might need a new video card which the company had not sent him. Instead, he had been sent a new motherboard and LCD screen to install. Sure enough, those did nothing for the problem. He then spent more than hour on the phone to the company to talk them into sending the video card. It is now three weeks since the problem was reported and the computer still cannot be used due to the screen flashing like a strobe light.
What went wrong? This company appears to have a problem with their help desk ticketing system. However, it is hard to tell if it is the software system or the human users of the system. Obviously, both have to work. If nobody is going to read the section that says “physical location of the computer” then it should not be a part of the ticket. However, to do on-site service, it would appear that the physical location of the computer would be important to know. If the company sub-contracts their service, then they need to understand the geography (using zip codes or GPS or names of the cities) so that the technician is somewhat close to the location of the computer. They also need to trust that technician’s assessment of the problem. No technician should have to argue for over an hour – in front of the customer – in order to get the necessary parts!
Is this company ready for what’s around the bend? Not so much! What should have been a slight bend in the road that took 2-3 days to get fixed has now become a series of hairpin turns on an insurmountable mountain of over three weeks. I think this computer company may be down an embankment!
The real question becomes: Is your company ready for what is around the bend? Does your ticketing system work? Are there processes in place to make it more effective? What about response time? Your company is only as good as its customer care. Not only is the “customer always right,” but the “customer needs help now” in today’s world!
Increasing a Customer’s Worth (without Fries)
Tuesday, March 24th, 2009One of the major Returns on Investment for Customer Relationship Management is the opportunity to sell or upgrade an existing client. While many sales (and most support) agents are turned off at the idea of “sales”, we are all in sales whether we want to admit it or not. When you wooed your mate into that first date, you were selling….and when you were looking at that latest gizmo (that you probably didn’t really need) or at the new Harley in the garage, you were trying to sell someone on the idea that it was needed. And you sell your boss every quarter on the idea that you need to make more money, and are worth more. I maintain that one way to show you are worth more, (and ultimately make more) is to “increase” income for the company. Think outside the box, and create an internal “think tank”, of creative thinkers in your area that can raise methods to increase revenue to the company. Knowing your database of clientele, data mining the customer list, and having brain storming sessions with marketing, can bring good ideas to the table, and ultimately new income. Often times, the new income doesn’t require much effort, just proactive thinking. One last thought before I sign off and you spout, “yeah sure, you want fries with that?” (I realize how much this type of upselling ticks people off) But awhile back I had my motorcycle in the shop for a few minor adjustments and oil change. The service tech that did the work, brought me into the shop while the bike was still on the rack, and went over in great detail everything he did, why he did it, and what the bike should respond to as a result. Then he made a couple of suggestions that would improve the bikes performance, gas mileage, and handling. I spent another $220 as a result. This represented a 25% increase in the service revenue to the dealer. And, because the technician didn’t just say, “want fries with that”? I felt good about the money spent, and vowed to be back soon. I am sure the tech will still be there when I do……
Customer Support: How To Communicate Effectively With A Complaining Customer
Tuesday, March 24th, 2009Handling any sort of conflict requires you to draw on all your resources. In particularly your communication skills. The reality is that we all have many communication skills but don’t always use them effectively and certainly we do not take the opportunity to improve them as often as we should
We relate to people on two levels:
Consciously: when we carefully select our words, gestures and behaviours.
Subconsciously: when unknowingly we send out subliminal messages. These often have the most impact on people and can make them feel uncomfortable
Listening Skills:
There are two aspects to communicating: receiving and sending messages i.e. it is a two way phenomenon.
Would you say you are a good listener? Consider the following questions:
• Do you have a tendency to interrupt or finish other people’s sentences?
• Do you find yourself losing patience or concentration?
If so, you need to work on your listening skills. Or:
• Do you stay focused when another person communicates with you?
• Do you make notes, give good feedback and demonstrate that they have your full attention?
Showing people you are listening by nodding and asking questions is a good way of demonstrating that you are taking them seriously and interested in what they have to say.
Listening Skills:
Listening, however, is a difficult task for most people. It requires us to:
• Block out all distractions
• Be observant – use eyes and ears more than mouth!
• Keep an open mind and not be judgemental
• Stay calm, not rising to any bait
• Keep all personal prejudices at bay
• Listen all the way through
• And also listen for what is not being said – read between the lines.
Language:
In difficult situations most people are careful to choose their words by avoiding:
• Inflammatory language, e.g. “That’s impossible, no one else has complained about that”
• Criticism, e.g. “You should have contacted … dept”
• Swearing, e.g.!!**?*!!
• Insensitive language, e.g. “It’s not designed for people over XXX kilos”
• Negativity, e.g. “It’s not possible- we can’t do that”
• Overbearing, e.g. “It absolutely must be returned by …”
Non-Verbal Language:
Inappropriate words can hurt or incite anger in another. However, it is not the most powerful form of communication. According to the experts the breakdown is a follows:
Language: Words used etc 7%
Voice: Tone, pitch etc 38%
Visual: Gestures, facial expression etc 55%
This is particularly true of communication relating to emotion. Positive language delivered in an abrasive or monotonous voice will have a negative impact. We’re more aware of how people say things than what they say.
Body Language:
Body language is understood by most people in business today. Inappropriate facial expressions, posture, sharp movements can make a situation much worse.
As a brief reminder. If you want to keep your unhappy customer calm, avoid:
• Putting up barriers – folded arms, glaring, hiding behind folders or a desk
• Aggressive gestures – finger pointing, posturing, hands on hips, feet apart
• Showing you are bored or irritated – foot tapping, sighing, looking at the clock
Stay relaxed, use open gestures; make good but not excessive eye contact. Even when you are talking on the telephone, these gestures can communicate through your voice. Be careful
Staying Positive:
Why is a positive style of communication helpful?
• It helps to keep everyone calm, including you
• Taking control of your actions gives you time to think, observe and stay objective
• It helps to prevent the situation from becoming worse, which would only give the customer something else to complain about
• It helps to counteract aggression – it’s difficult to shout at someone who is calm and controlled
• You are continuing to act in a professional manner, on behalf of the company, no matter how you might feel about the situation and the customer, it is important to remember that you are an ambassador.
Telephone Communication Skills:
One of the biggest disadvantages when trying to resolve a complaint with an angry customer over the telephone is the heavy reliance on language and voice. The phone is a sensitive instrument and people pick up on sighs and irritation. They also know whether or not you are eating, drinking or smoking. But they can’t see your face and have no idea whether or not you are taking them seriously. You can:
• Smile into the phone – it makes you sound friendly and caring
• Give plenty of verbal feedback to let them know you are listening; it’s no good nodding unless you have a video phone!
• Paraphrase and summarise to ensure you have fully understood
• Press the silent button if you need to confer with someone in the office, no one likes to hear themselves being talked about.
• Try to create an atmosphere of trust and sincerity – they need to know you’re not just saying anything to get rid of them
Written Communication:
When you only have words to play with, you have to make them work for you.
Whether you are writing a letter, sending an email or even a text message by phone, attention to detail is essential.
You never know who is going to see your written communication. It can always be used as evidence so you need to be clear, concise and correct.
Presentation speaks volumes and will go a long way to portraying the sort of company you are. Spelling, syntax, positioning of words all count.
Most importantly, make it a rule to reply as quickly as possible. Customers want a speedy response; at least, to their problem even if it takes a bit of time to sort out a solution. Days, even weeks, of silence will just make them more frustrated!
In Summary:
Successful organisations welcome complaints, because it usually means that the customer wants to reach a resolve, they do not want to go elsewhere. Often, our efficiency in dealing promptly, sympathetically and fairly with a complaint will actually strengthen our relationship with the customer.
At the end of the day customers expect us to deliver the “Five Rights”:
The right product
At the right price
Delivered to the right place
At the right time
In the right way.
Not too much to ask for is it? In return we can expect their loyalty and repeat business but we must always work to earn the right to that business.
The moral right of the author, Jonathan Farrington, has been asserted.
Web Based CRM Software
Monday, March 23rd, 2009Tips You Can Use for Web Based CRM Software
Author: jintonic s
As you begin to read through this informative article, give each point a chance to sink in before you move on to the next.
Would you like to find out what those-in-the-know have to say about based CRM software web? The information in the thing below comes straight from well-informed experts with unique knowledge about based CRM software web.
One of the essential factors in the victory of any group is the liaison it shares with its customers. CRM or patron Relationship Management designates all skin of interaction a group shares with its customer. This includes everything from sales to service.
CRM is mostly a commerce strategy intended to accrue gains, make revenue and cater to client needs and satisfaction. With the e-media option up pace, the mode in which companies dealings their CRM strategies has deeply changed. This has even altered the clients purchasing attitude. So these days CRM too has become a web based effort as most of the client relationship is handled electronically.
From this point forward, we will let you in on little secrets that will help you implement this subject into your life.
The web based CRM sacrament is more effective. Web-based CRM army mainly covers three areas of service- sales force automation, management of purchaser relationships and purchaser army and automated marketing.
A web-based CRM software is a web-based structure used for dealings management, marketing and sales support, task tracking and other tasks associated with CRM. This software enables teams and departments to stake a middle and bright database. The software facilitates its users with an online dealings director and a project-tracking tool, whichever over the web or inside the corporate intranet. With the aid of the CRM software you can outlook and handle contacts, customers record, hot leads, projects and left-out work, from anywhere and with any web-browser. Moreover unlike the intervening and wanted to be testified upgrades of an enterprise software, the upgrades to the web based software do not shape the organizations ordered operations in any manner. Due to these skin more and more companies are ambitious towards this web-based software.
Think about what you’ve read so far. Does it bolster what you already know about based crm software web? Or was there something completely new? What about the residual paragraphs?
A web based CRM has many names out of which on-demand CRM is one.
These systems afford agents with the most up-to-date information on all client ceremony transactions. The software adds to the strategic value and concern of the organization by automating sales, marketing and client service. For demand the SAP artifact specializes in providing core sales-force automation skin for running customers, contacts and sales pipelines.
The software runs and keeps a fulfilled track of your data after it is downloaded or purchased and then installed on your server or web-host. generally the CRM software runs on all significant platforms such as Unix, Linux, Windows, Mac OS X, Novell (6.5) and so forth. because the software serves many purposes at the same time, it is very expensive. However an incredible competition in the promote has enabled the software seekers to task their option to a certain extent.
In choosing a web-based CRM software it is important that the customer should initially analyze his or her funds or the funds of the organization. Secondly also trial your organizations partner ecosystems. A user-friendly hosted CRM system, an on premise version or the combo of both should chart this and lastly try to go for software that can fit any typeface of user, any bulk circle and in any industry.
So now you know a little bit about based crm software web. Even if you don’t know everything, you’ve done something worthwhile: you’ve lingering your knowledge.
If we have failed to answer all of your questions, be sure to check into other resources on this interesting topic.
Jintonic Sos is the owner of Based
CRM Software Web How to find the best based crm software web , to protect family and yourself, even if you know nothing about based crm software web http://www.accessory-computer-store.com/based-crm-software-web/
Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_84332_15.html
Helpdesk humor
Sunday, March 22nd, 2009Tech Support: “I need you to right-click on the Open Desktop.”
Customer: “Ok.”
Tech Support: “Did you get a pop-up menu?”
Customer: “No.”
Tech Support: “Ok. Right click again. Do you see a pop-up menu?”
Customer: “No.”
Tech Support: “Ok, sir. Can you tell me what you have done up until this point?”
Customer: “Sure, you told me to write ‘click’ and I wrote ‘click’.”
At this point I had to put the caller on hold to tell the rest of the tech support staff what had happened. I couldn’t, however, stop from giggling when I got back to the call.)
Help Desk Education
Sunday, March 22nd, 2009One of our clients went through this training and highly recommended it.
This nationally recognized Help Desk Analyst: Tier 1 Support Specialist online course and training program teaches the skills that students must acquire to be successful as a Help Desk Analyst. Tutorials and projects will teach the student the practical uses of Help Desk Analyst skills. This online certificate program is only offered in partnership with major accredited colleges and universities.
Course Overview/Description
The Computer Support Industry is one of the fastest-growing industries on the scene today; and there is every indication that that trend will not change anytime soon. As more and more companies grow to rely on ever-increasing and more complex technologies to satisfy production and service demands, so too the need for those equipped to support those technologies while maintaining high customer-satisfaction levels. Fixing the technical failure is often not as difficult as maintaining customer satisfaction through the technical failure. This program uniquely prepares the support specialist to keep the customer productive by focusing on the business needs of the customer, establishing credibility and trust, and by handling the most difficult customer scenarios. Emphasis is given to problem solving and troubleshooting, team dynamics, and interpersonal communication skills. It also provides a broad overview of the back-office operations of a support center, and exposes the student to common industry tools and technologies used in providing exceptional customer support.
Upon registering, you are given an initial six months to complete the program. Should you need more time, you may request a 6-month extension at no additional charge.
By completing the Help Desk Analyst: Tier 1 Support Specialist program, students will understand how to:
Improve support-center productivity.
Provide exceptional customer support.
Handle difficult customer situations.
Implement best practices for problem solving.
Exhibit assertive confidence while reducing job stress.
Course Outline
Essential Communication Skills
Introduction to the Support Industry
Understanding Customer Satisfaction
Telephone Communication Skills
Dealing with Difficult Customer-Service Situations
Developing and Practicing Assertiveness in Customer Support
Human Resource Issues in the Support Environment
Ethics in the Workplace
Team Building
Measuring Success
Tools, Problem Solving, and Processes
Staying Current in the Industry
Tools and Technologies for the Support Center
Overview of Network Administration
Disaster Recovery Procedures
Understanding Computer Telephony Integration
Creativity and Problem-Solving
The Five-Step Problem-Solving Process
Process Integration
http://www.gatlineducation.com/help_over.html
Making The Most of Customer Service
Friday, March 20th, 2009Making The Most Of Customer Service
By Jonathon Farrington
Customer care has become one of the most important issues facing businesses in every market. Customer care programs come under a number of titles – customer services, customer satisfaction, customer focus, customer orientated etc.
Their common theme is meeting the customer’s requirements and ensuring that all aspects of the business contribute to customer satisfaction. The intention is to build repeat business if customers are satisfied with the product and the standards of service they receive, they will return again and again.
Inconsistent Customer Care
Inconsistent customer care performance can have a negative effect on customer perceptions. Petrol companies for example, know that every time a customer walks into one of their outlets, wherever they are in the country, they should expect to receive the same standards of service. Nation-wide consistency is essential when customers are likely to visit multiple outlets – one poor performance can threaten the customer’s perception of the entire operation.
What Is Customer Care?
Customer care is about addressing three sets of requirements:
Customer
Staff
Organization
These requirements are interrelated, i.e. it is more difficult to deliver consistently high standards in customer care if the needs of both the organisation and the staff are not taken into account
Customer Requirements
Excellent personal service – feels valued, listened to, treated as an individual
Products that meet expectations
Encouragement to express views and give feedback
Effective relationship with the organisation
Problems and complaints are handled effectively
Staff Requirements
Effective management style
Suitable working environment – pay and conditions / tools for the job
Relevant training to develop skills
Career potential
Clarity of role / job description
Performance standards and appraisal systems
Sense of involvement / value
Open communication
Teamwork
Rewards / Recognition
Organizational Requirements
Mission statement
Corporate structure
Feedback and communication systems
Profit
Human and technical resources
Demonstrated commitment
Who Are Your Customers?
If you are not serving the customer, you should be serving someone who is. Harmonious relationships with customers and colleagues are essential to service success, because providing outstanding customer service is primarily a team effort. For excellent customer service to exist it has to be practiced on an internal basis
The What And The How
The “What” is the material and the “How” is the personal element. To be outstanding, organizations must deliver excellence in both material and personal service. Customer service is no longer just a question of interpersonal skills
The difference between you and your competitors is achieved when expectations are exceeded. Doing the unexpected, going the extra mile, moves us from meeting expectations to exceeding expectations
How To Delight Customers:
Be enthusiastic enthusiasm is the driving force of quality service.Customers do not just want products they want products plus enthusiasm
Be professional the word professional does not go with the job it goes with the person
Be The Best
Someone, somewhere has to be the best at this job – why not me?
Decide to be outstanding
How To Be The Best
Use positive self talk – e.g. tell yourself ‘Everyday in every way, i get better and better’
Don’t be ordinary
Develop a ‘How can I do it better?’ mind set
Today Everyone Sells
In a successful company the number of sales people equals the number of employees
Everyone sells something – either products, services or the image of the company
And Finally: How To Help Yourself Sell
Pay attention – give people the benefit of your attention
Customers like to give their business to those who show they want it
The moral right of the author, Jonathan Farrington, has been asserted.
All rights reserved.
CRM in a Bad Economy
Friday, March 20th, 2009Times are difficult for everyone. Small businesses are struggling to survive, well known chains are closing hundreds of stores and the consumers are spending less on everything. Even luxury goods took a lost in the 2008 Holiday Season, which surprised many analyst. Things are tough everywhere and for your business to survive you must keep the customers you have coming back to you spending.
Here are some tips on how to keep your customers happy:
1. Know Your Customers
Knowing what your customers buy, don’t buy and return is a great way to understand what your customers want and you can provide them with it before a competitor does. Having your customers’ personal information can help make your customers happy if it use it properly. Sending a generic birthday card to premium shoppers will gently remind them that your business exists and your business cares about them. Having records of trouble calls to ensure previous problems were resolved will guarantee that you know your customer’s needs have been met and they are now satisfied.
2. Know Thyself
What kind of business are you running? What are your long term goals? What do you do and how can you do it the best? It’s a good idea to have a mission statement and stick to it. That way you won’t get frazzled and lose focus when you hear about recent spending trends.
Not every business will be deeply affected by the recession. A small Oklahoma restaurant that has 3 dozen loyal customers may not feel the pressure that a major electronics chain would. What are you spending too much on? If you can gasp what and how your business is doing you can save yourself a lot of headaches and maintain your customer relationships.
3. Know Your Overhead
Knowing what your company is spending monthly is one of the most important things you could know. In crunch times like these, upping your office efficiency can help you shave cost all around.
Asking employees to bring in their own coffee cups
Lowering the office temperature by 2 degrees
Printing on both sides of paper
Quit paying for services that your office doesn’t use regularly
All of these things can your business money.
4. Promote, promote, promote!
If you are feeling serious financial pressure think of what is the easiest thing you can do to relieve that pressure. If you need to liquidate older products, have a sale or a promotion where you give something away to customers. People love getting something for free and you can get rid of old merchandise. It’s a win-win situation.
If your business is to offer services, offer a short term promotion where you will give 15-25% off. Give coupons; give customers cards where they get the 5th service is for a reduced price or for free; make courtesy calls so that your customers feel a bond between you and your product.
5. Think of the Long Term
Selling your customers’ contact information to marketing agencies is one of the first ways to lose their trust and their business. Would whatever money you would make from selling information really be more than a long term customer? It’s much harder to gain new customers than to keep the old one, that’s why maintaining relationships with established customers is so important. Word of mouth is also one of the best ways to advertise. If all people hear about your business is bad, you’re going to need to fight much harder than you would have.
6. Stay Current
This goes with knowing your business and knowing your customers. Make sure that you are providing up-to-date services, your CRM software is loaded with all of the applications you need to handle support efficiently, your business image is where your customers are (social networking sites like facebook, twitter and stumbledupon are great places to start), your business has a user-friendly website and you offer competitive rates.
If you can assess where you are, you’ll be better prepared to make it out if these bad times. Many businesses go under because they don’t know how to cater to customers while still keeping prices down. People are looking for quality, wallet-friendly services with a smile. Individual attention to your customers can go a long way and some creative promotions can keep them coming back.
Welcome to Cynergy’s Help Desk Blog
Thursday, March 19th, 2009As Cynergy Software enters into it’s 8th year of public existence, we are truly amazed at all of the changes that a software system goes through in such a short amount of time. All driven by customer needs, desires, and our assumptions of where the future is pulling us. One of my favorite pastimes is traveling with my wife by motorcycle. When my wife first suggested I buy a bike, I thought she was kidding. We had been married 22 years at the time, and she had never mentioned it. Little did I realize at the time what she obviously did. That a motorcycle would force us out of town, away from the normal business routine, away from the constant chatter of TV, interruptions, phone calls etc; etc; just the two of us, watching the countryside pass, looking forward to the next small town, or bend in the road so we could discover something new. (we are now on our 3rd bike) It is so akin to birthing and running a business… Cynergy started out in Java language (.JSP) and after a couple of years decided to convert to .ASP because we saw a huge industry swing in that direction, and the maturity of MS/SQL as well as programming tools available (and programmers) in .ASP was definitely evident. The conversion process took over two years and many thousands of programming hours. The move was a good one, giving us the ability to integrate more easily within other Windows based applications, and build web services type applications that would allow us to monitor programs such as PeopleSoft, SAP, and even Goldmine and other websites so we could easily transfer information between applications. Today Cynergy is close to 1 million lines of code, and sold internationally. We have a wide variety of clients, some very large, some quite small. Our goal is to service each with good respectable service that can confirm their wisdom in buying our solution. I can’t confirm that we succeed 100% of the time, but when we fall short, we work twice as hard to regain that client’s confidence, and we have never quit trying to overcome any shortcoming that our client may have perceived. I joined the Navy Seabees as one of the youngest enlistees since WWII, during the Vietnam era, our motto was “Can Do” and it has always been one I subscribe to. Our people have adopted it as well. The best part of this journey has been the people. Our employees and our customers are what make it worthwhile. Watching the employees grow and the customers expand is most rewarding. And being able to expand our friendships as a result of the journey makes it all worthwhile. We hope you enjoy our blog and choose to participate in it. Our desire is that in the hustle and bustle of everyday life and business that you’ll take a few moments out of your busy schedule to climb on the bike with us, and bring us up to date on what you have been up to, where you might be going, or contribute worthy ideas that will inspire and assist our other friends. Welcome friends on the journey and may God Bless your lives as richly as you have blessed ours, Steve Davidson President
Help Desk Journey
Spreading the Word
The Helpdesk Software Journey