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Archive for Customer Service Management Software

Can You Hear Me Now?

By Steve
Monday, October 25th, 2010

Once you take heed to a customer (or co-worker, spouse, vital different), your brain is continually making tons of of assumptions. Every phrase, inflection, and tone of voice is interpreted, but not always because the speaker intended. Research exhibits that 2/third of all staff really feel administration isn’t listening.*

We all assume we know how one can listen, yes? The very fact is that very few folks know tips on how to really listen. In our earnestness to serve, we get pulled out of a conversation by getting ready for the reply while the opposite particular person continues to be talking. We anticipate a pause and when the person takes a breath, we bounce in to enhance or treatment the situation.

Or, we worry about the question that we may be asked that we would not have the ability to reply intelligently. Will we all know the answer? Will we be able to respond appropriately? What if I’m requested a query I don’t know the answer to? What if I don’t understand the query? What if they find out that I’m new on the job/on the gear/at this company? What in the event that they get angry at me? What if I frustrate them? What if, what if, you fill in the blank. We’re anywhere but listening to the opposite person.

Our intentions are good. We wish to give the most effective response we can, hopefully the precise answer. However, if we’re not current to the dialog, the opposite particular person feels not heard, unimportant, ripped off, and the like. If there was no upset on their aspect to begin with, it now exists huge time. Reality: if you’re not listening to the client, there isn’t any way you may answer the question. The reality is you in all probability have not even heard it.

Listening is our least used and weakest communication skill. None the much less, great customer support professionals are at the start great listeners. Lively listening forces us to tune in to what the shopper is saying, instead of making an attempt to consider what our responses will be.

Hearing and listening aren’t the same, though many people use the words interchangeably.
Listening to is a physiological process whereby auditory impressions are obtained by your ears and transmitted to your brain.
Listening entails decoding and understanding the importance of the sensory experience.

The by-product of pay attention is ‘list,’ which implies to lean toward one side. Have you ever noticed how you lean in when someone is talking to you, or vice versa? Even on the cellphone?

While you pay attention, you win and the other particular person wins. But it’s not enough to simply listen, it’s a must to talk to people that you just’re listening. Typically individuals do not think you’re listening when you’re since you’re not speaking that you just’re listening.

*Coaching, December 2006, p. 9.

Categories : Customer Service Management Software, Customer Support Software
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Customer Relationship Management: Weathering the Economic Storm

By Steve · Comments (0)
Thursday, March 25th, 2010
Use CRM to Weather the Economic Storm

Use CRM to Weather the Economic Storm

What do we all know about the economy today? Plenty. Customers are not buying. Customers expect more for their money – more products, more services, more complete solutions! And they expect immediate answers to their questions delivered in a way that is convenient and trustworthy. By building on these tried-and-true methods, the economy will slowly begin to recover and grow.

How can you keep the customers you have? You can and must deliver the best products available. You must deliver the best and most complete services and solutions available, but how can you do that? Start with Customer Service Software that helps you build relationships in ways that are convenient for your customers. For those under age 40 that would be using internet and e-mail solutions including web-based knowledge bases and internet chats and forums. For those over 40 it includes telephone calls with knowledgeable agents who have answers at their fingertips. A keyworded, searchable knowledge base will benefit both your customers and your help desk agents. The use of multiple channels to deliver information and help will appeal to a broad customer base.

How can you gain the confidence of prospective customers? First, you have to find prospective customers. This is the job of lead generation software. Then you have to keep them interested and you have to prove that you are trustworthy and understand their problems. One of the oldest tricks is through reliable information delivered piece by piece over a period of time. This is the function of a good e-mail strategy that is built into CRM software. By building a relationship with each prospect and delivering useful information related to their issues and problems, you will be assured of a long-lasting and mutually beneficial relationship.

A great and ongoing relationship with a customer will yield benefits in further sales and in recommendations for years to come. This type of relationship weathers economic storms.

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Categories : CRM, Customer Service Management Software, Customer Support Software
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Measuring Customer Satisfaction in the Contact Center – Part 2

By Steve · Comments (0)
Thursday, February 18th, 2010

Measuring Customer Satisfaction in the Contact Center – Part 2

Using the automated survey tool in your help center software will give you quick and accurate feedback after each interaction with your customers. Technology alone does not assure effective post-call surveys. The makeup and delivery of post-call satisfaction surveys can significantly influence their reliability and usability.

Consider these 5 best practices based on the American Customer Satisfaction Index published annually by the University of Michigan:

      1. Use a scientific questionnaire design. Asking if the customer found the agent knowledgeable and helpful in the same question will not give meaningful feedback and will confuse the customer who may have found him or her helpful but not knowledgeable about the question. Each question should only address one issue. And each question should be straightforward and clearly stated.
      2. Define the goal. Know why you are taking the survey and how you will use it before you devise the questions.
      3. Keep it short and to the point. Your customers’ time is valuable. Respect them. And don’t forget to thank them for taking time to answer questions.
      4. Measure the right things with the right scale. Don’t give open-ended questions; word questions specifically and give respondents the choices you want to measure. Using a scale that takes advantage of the phone numbers 0-9 is easy for respondents and converts to a 100-point scale for reporting.
      5. Coordinate your survey with other departments. IT teams need to buy into and have advanced warning for any survey initiative. Various departments can make use of the survey results, so make them available quickly and let others know how to access them.

Your customers have high expectations of your company whether you realize it or not. Surveys need to be constructed in such a way as to give companies ideas for moving forward and improving the customer experience now and in the future. Think of your customer satisfaction survey as a tool to help you take your contact center to the next level, one tier higher than that of the competition!

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Categories : Customer Service Management Software, Customer Support Software
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Measuring Customer Satisfaction in Your Contact Center – Part 1

By Steve · Comments (0)
Monday, February 15th, 2010

Measuring Customer Satisfaction in Your Contact Center – Part 1

“Call centers have become obsessed with customer satisfaction. Unfortunately, not all of them know how to measure it.” Greg Levin of the International Customer Management Institute made that assessment nearly three years ago and it just as true today.

How important is customer satisfaction to you? It should be key to gaining a competitive advantage and keeping it. Therefore, you must be able to measure customer satisfaction and identify satisfaction drivers that need attention.

While companies are attempting to cut costs they must still keep their customers happy or risk losing them.

Did you know:

  • 96% of customers who have had a bad experience don’t report it and 91% of those don’t do business with you again
  • Dissatisfied customers tell 10 or more others who will never do business with you
  • It costs 5 times as much to recruit a new customer as it costs to keep an existing customer
  • The probability of selling to an existing customer is 60-70%, but the probability of selling to a new prospect is 5-20%

If customer satisfaction is so important, how can you ascertain the level of your customers’ satisfaction. ASK THEM. Yes, ask them directly. And ask them within minutes of their call or e-mail to you. Feedback collected immediately after an interaction event is 40% more accurate than feedback collected 24 hours (or later) after the event.

Current contact center software contains post-call survey tools to capture customer feedback and enable you to gain insight into customer perceptions. These automated surveys have far lower costs and faster turnaround times than any other method.

In my next post, I will give you some best practices for your follow-up surveys.

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Categories : Customer Service Management Software, Customer Support Software
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Help Desk Software Saves the Day!

By Steve · Comments (0)
Thursday, February 11th, 2010

Win with Help Desk SoftwareAbout a month ago I got a call from a client overseas.  They were having issues keeping track of a flood of calls that they were getting from remote users.  They had been tracking the clients in the past using emails and an Excel spreadsheet.  Thus every time they would receive a call or email, they would copy and paste the email from Outlook over to Excel, or write the info from the call into the Excel spreadsheet that they had been using for several years.  Problem was, they had to update the spreadsheet on a regular basis, and invariably they would miss tickets by not pasting the correct cells, or some of the help desk ticket calls would disappear when they pasted from one place to the other.  After a short overview of Cynergy’s ticketing system, the prospect was able to see how easy it was to log a ticket in Cynergy, and keep track of it on the user dashboard.

Help Desk Software to the Rescue!

And, the client was able to see where tickets could be ordered in any way they wanted as well as escalated from one service level to the other.   In addition, the client was able to see their customer’s information on the same screen without changing to their spreadsheet or CRM system.  Thus callbacks were much easier and more orderly.

Then yesterday, the same customer called us for some additional training on our project management system.  They had been using another Excel spreadsheet for keeping track of projects and their Outlook for scheduling those projects.  After a short training session, the client was ecstatic about some of the features they learned about, as well as a much deeper understanding of how the project manager could actually save them valuable time without having to call each other on collaborative issues.

Thus, another satisfied customer!  But more importantly, we saved them time, and made their job easier.  Now that’s what I call a Win/Win situation!

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Categories : Customer Service Management Software, help desk software, Uncategorized
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Customer Relationship Management Around the World

By Steve · Comments (0)
Monday, January 18th, 2010

The Genesys study I cited on Jan. 15 also has a version that includes 16 key countries, measuring customer satisfaction and the cost of customer dissatisfaction, and outlining some possible solutions to keeping customers and keeping them satisfied. The main purpose of the study is to continually gain perspective on the changing nature of customer service as well as consumer perceptions of it. This shapes the way companies deliver great customer service.

Surveys were conducted in the following countries: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Czech Republic, France, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Enterprises in these countries (combined) lose an estimated USD $338.5 billion each year due to defections and abandoned purchases as a direct result of a poor customer service experience! Nearly 70% of those surveyed had ended at least one relationship due to poor customer service.

Consumers in Poland, China and Mexico have the largest number of interactions per year with customer service. In countries that have fewer interactions, the responsibility to make each interaction count positively is much heavier on the company.

Amazingly, there are three common threads to the demands of those surveyed. The first two are somewhat related.

“Don’t ask me twice.”

Consumers want better integration between self-service and assisted service, including voice self-service and eServices. They want to be able to start in voice self-service or the Web and get live assistance from an agent, and to start in e-mail and have better integration with agent-assisted service.

“Treat my interactions as a conversation.”

Consumers are demanding the ability to communicate across multiple channels. More than 40% said they would like to see companies deploy at least one new channel of communication with all channels being fully integrated.

“It’s okay to give me a call or ask me if I need help.”

When they are stuck on the Web or in self-service, 86% of consumers said they would find proactive engagement either a “strong benefit” or would see it as “welcome assistance.” The most frequently cited reasons for poor service included being trapped in automated self-service, being forced to wait too long for service, repeating themselves, and dealing with representatives that lacked skills or training to answer their inquiry.

As might be expected voice (by phone with an agent) is still the number one choice of method to solve a problem. However, e-mail and web combined now overtake voice, especially if the communication channels are well integrated.

Consumers overwhelmingly want more proactive outreach, with more than 83% calling it a “strong benefit.” This is the strong suite of customer relationship management software.

They want an easy to use interface for reporting or following an issue. And they want continuity from one channel to another, so that everyone is updated on what has been said and done.

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Categories : CRM, Customer Service Management Software
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Customer Service Can Be Costly

By Steve · Comments (0)
Friday, January 15th, 2010

Customer Service Can Be Costly

A recent study conducted by Genesys in collaboration with leading industry analysts at Datamonitor/Ovum shows that poor customer service is costing US businesses $83 billion annually! Most businesses are aware that excellent customer service positively impacts their bottom line, but fewer than one third of businesses have any way of tracking or measuring revenue per call or how much revenue is lost with an unhappy customer.

Almost two thirds of customers end a relationship with one company and deflect to another company within the same industry, causing individual companies to lose $50.6 billion each year. Not accounted for in the survey is the high cost of another company in the industry to gain that customer.

However, about a third abandon the relationship altogether, causing the entire industry to lose $32.4 billion annually. While some industries are essential to the well-being of the consumer, others become “unneeded” if the consumer is upset with the level of service.

For every 10 interactions, the customer will end a relationship with a company! The average value of each lost relationship is $289 per year.

Two amazing numbers from this study:
- 40% of consumers said it is critical to provide more intelligent self-service to reach a human so they are not trapped in automated systems.
- 90.5% of consumers would welcome proactive engagement to improve their experience through extended offers or help during self-service transactions.

Conversely, 78% of American consumers say their most satisfying experience occurred because of a capable and competent customer service representative.

These numbers are staggering, but what do they mean to your business on a day-to-day basis? How can you improve? How can you keep satisfied customers?

Most people are happy with their experiences with live agents, Web chat, and Web self-service. Therefore, those are areas in which the current products and practices are working.

Consumers want consistency and continuity. Those are easily achievable with good customer service software.

Consumers want improved personalization. That includes proactivity and outreach. For example, if they are stuck in automated service for a specified period, they would love to have an agent break in and assist them or for there to be a “chat” button to click to talk with an agent. It would be even better if that agent already had whatever information they had inputted into the system so they would not have to repeat it.

Consumers want to be valued. They want their time respected and they want their issues resolved politely in a short amount of time. This might mean submitting a “help ticket” and receiving an e-mail with instructions. Or it might include being able to schedule a time with an agent.

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Categories : Customer Service Management Software
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Customer Relationship Management and The Company Web Site

By Steve · Comments (0)
Monday, January 4th, 2010

Customer Relationship Management and the Company Web Site

The cornerstone of any company’s customer relationship management (CRM) is its own web site. The journey may be started by the customer on a smart phone, a desktop computer, or any one of a variety of other media, but the first point of contact is through the company web site.

Did you know:

- Over 90% of all consumer purchasing decisions begin online?
- 83% of customers use company web sites for service info?
- 4 out of the top 5 reasons for abandoning a web site relate to “couldn’t find the information I was seeking“?

Those facts should cause you to want to look at your own company web site through the eyes of a customer and ask some critical questions. Businesses can and should strive to differentiate themselves on service that involves the use of the internet. The experience of the customer should be consistent through all channels and it should be productive, informative, and in line with their expectations. Site design and static FAQs are two of the biggest roadblocks to effective Customer Service Management.

Site Design

Many web sites are not designed with a clear customer focused approach. As a result, customers and potential customers struggle with navigating the site, finding enough information, finding updated information, or sorting through all the links and FAQs. From the home page, a customer ought to easily find pages for contact us, help, FAQ, instant answers or chat, various types of support (hardware, software, parts, or whatever your company offers), and a variety of pages of information on products (or services) and what they are, how they work, how to get a demonstration, where or how to purchase them, etc. Make the links obvious and easy to navigate.

Static FAQs

Many FAQ systems are simply a web page of questions and answers formulated at least 5 years ago which are not really “Frequently Asked” or relevant to any questions the customers really have today. At least 1/3 of customers are looking for a single accurate response to a specific question or an advanced FAQ tool that will return an answer or a link to their question. At the very least, FAQs should be updated every 6 months with the real questions that are being asked and the real answers to those questions.

The most cost effective communication medium is the internet. It is not surprising that it is also the quickest communication medium – but that is only when the information being sought is easily available. Remove the roadblocks of ineffective site navigation and static FAQs and you will see your customer satisfaction soar.

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Categories : Customer Service Management Software
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Fast, Effective Help Desk Responses Build Loyalty and Revenue

By Steve · Comments (0)
Friday, December 18th, 2009

Fast, Effective Help Desk Responses Build Loyalty and Revenue

Responding quickly and effectively to customers’ concerns builds loyalty to your brand. It is well documented that customers who experience problems with a company’s products or services to which the company responds promptly and effectively are even more satisfied with and loyal to the company than are customers who never experience a problem.

- Fast, effective responses show that your organization views its customers’ concerns as high priorities.

- Fast, effective responses eliminate (or greatly reduce) the time your customers spend worrying about or wondering whether their concerns will be addressed.

- Fast, effective responses eliminate or reduce the need for your customers to investigate alternative solutions or workarounds to address their concerns.

One of the most productive and highest-payoff applications of corporate resources is responding to feedback from profitable customers and addressing their concerns quickly. The moment a customer expresses dissatisfaction is the very moment at which an organization, through its response, can most influence customer retention, recurring revenues, and customer lifetime value. A satisfied customer will become loyal and will tell others; a dissatisfied customer will broadcast far and wide his dissatisfaction, driving business away.

Your help desk or customer management software is your first line of defense when a customer expresses a concern or his dissatisfaction. That software must immediately open a ticket (sometimes called a case) and notify the correct team or person to deal with the issue. It must also make it easy for that person or team to include other team members from across the organization without re-explaining the issue or what has previously been done. Therefore, real-time alerts and real-time collaboration are key elements to fast, effective responses.

Having a KnowedgeBased Software can certainly take a load off your customer support agents and make their job easier.  It will also give answers to your customers which can certainly increase their confidence in your willingness to deliver world class support customer service.

Your software must have escalation rules set up and must generate a deadline for resolution in order to keep the process moving quickly and smoothly to completion in a timely manner. It must provide quick and easy access to a well-structured knowledge base. By tracking who has done what (and when), your software will eliminate duplication of effort and streamline responses to the customer.

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Categories : Customer Service Management Software, Customer Support Software, help desk software
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Knowledge Management for Customer Service

By Steve · Comments (0)
Monday, December 14th, 2009

Knowledge Management for Customer Service

Is your Knowledge Management system working for your customers? Or do your customers spend a great deal of time searching through keywords and documents trying to find answers to their question? Do they become so frustrated they use more expensive channels or go to the competition’s web site?

In your effort to deliver self-service, you might have forced the customer to search so many documents for the answers that he sees your customer service as being content-centered rather than customer-centered.

Your customer is focused on his question, not on finding the most complete and detailed answer. He will search on keywords in his question, not in the answer! Your customer cannot find his tree in your forest.

In your Knowledge Base there may be over 10,000 pages. Some industries have more than 60,000 customer facing pages. Imagine trying to find the answer to a question in that forest! Can you imagine asking the Knowledge Base a question and getting 50 or more results, none of which appropriately answers the question? This is counterproductive, frustrating, and non-productive. It makes your company look downright inefficient.

Don’t let your document database bury your customers. Likewise, don’t let the plethora of documents bury your call center agents and make them ineffective.

  • - Instead of 40,000 to 60,000 pieces of content, consider culling the useless documents.
  • - List the 30-50 most common questions.
  • - Write concise answers.
  • - Post each question with its answer as its own document.
  • - Use your CRM Knowledge Management system to categorize and index the questions.
  • - Continue to monitor questions and add questions and their answers to a maximum of 300-500.

Each piece of information needs to be optimized for the channel through which it is delivered. Remember that a customer may not want as much detail as the call center agent may need. Give them access to different answers. You may even need a third set of answers which are shorter for use on mobile and social media. No customer wants to read five pages to answer his question, especially if he is reading it on his iPhone.

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