Tagged News
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Consumers say Online Reviews Greatly Impact Buying Decisions
May 1, 2013 7:18 AM
This is the last in a blog series on an important customer service study by Dimension Research. All survey participants were asked if they had seen online reviews of customer service. About two-thirds of participants reported that they did recall reading these online reviews. Review sites were the most... more » -
Elephants and Customers Never Forget!
April 29, 2013 4:15 PM
This is the third post in our blog series commenting on the recent study by Dimensional Research on The Impact of Customer Service on Customer Lifetime Value It turns out that elephants aren't the only ones who never forget! Customers are right there with them, especially if it has... more » -
Tremendous Impact of Good & Bad Service on B2B Sales
April 29, 2013 3:35 PM
This is the second post in our blog series commenting on the recent study by Dimensional Research on The Impact of Customer Service on Customer Lifetime Value A recent survey of mid-sized company customers showed a strong and direct correlation between customer service levels and future spending (83%), especially... more » -
What Makes Customer Service Interactions Good or Bad in the Eyes of the Customer?
April 15, 2013 2:23 PM
An April 2013 Customer Service Study by Dimensional Research pinpointed what makes customers of mid-sized companies happy and what leaves them in dismay. This is the first in a series of blog posts about the important results of this study. What made their customer service experience good: 1. Problem was... more » -
'How was everything?' - Not a great customer service question!
March 4, 2013 6:57 AM
'How was everything?' Have you been asked this question by a hotel front desk clerk, a server at a restaurant, or a car salesman after a demo ride? How likely is it that your response is either true or complete? The simple fact is that the EASY answer... more » -
Employee Appreciation = Great Service!
February 26, 2013 2:56 PM
This Friday, March 1st is Employee Appreciation Day . It's not too late to think of ways to show your appreciation to staff. This is particularly important for your customer service staff. Why? Study after study show that engaged and appreciated employees provide better service to customers. This of course... more » -
NO, I'm NOT Happy to HOLD!
February 9, 2013 4:32 PM
My daughter moved into a new apartment recently and ordered AT&T internet service. They sent out a modem and it would not connect, so they sent her another one. It still would not connect so she set up a service call. They gave her a tracking number for this service... more » -
Standing Out From the Pack Like a Ram
February 4, 2013 7:27 PM
If you watched the Super Bowl last night, you might have received one of the best lessons ever on how to market and how to make a connection with customers. While we were witnessing one stupid, pointless, and brand-less 3 million dollar commercial after another, Chrysler revealed their 'So... more » -
13 Steps to Better Customer Service in 2013
January 3, 2013 10:03 PM
We all resolve to do better in a New Year, but how many of us really make a plan? What if you had a concrete plan for customer service improvement for each month of the year? Since that makes 12, throw in a bonus 13th to make 2013 a... more » -
Customer Sent Extra iPads - Best Buy Says Keep 'Em
December 10, 2012 5:13 PM
There is alot of buzz this week about Best Buy and its not about what they sold, it's about what they gave away. Evidently a customer was sent four EXTRA Ipads in a shipment. The customer was honest enough to let Best Buy know and they said in so many... more » -
'Tis the Season to Learn Customer Service Lessons!
December 8, 2012 8:40 AM
While you are out there shopping this holiday season, make sure to take note of the customer service lessons waiting for you! Does that retail clerk smile even when five people are in line, three of them shouting questions? After all, that's not much different then when... more » -
Avoiding a Costa Concordia Styled Service Recovery
January 24, 2012 2:50 PM
Costa Concordia has supposedly offered passengers a 30% discount on future cruises. Now I don't know about you, but had I been a passenger on the ill-fated cruise this would make me wonder how much Costa and Carnival are worth so I could sue them for EVERY penny of it.... more » -
Why NOT Do What the Customer Asks
January 13, 2012 3:56 PM
The customer is not always right and you should NOT always do what they ask. Hopefully you know your products and services better than your customers. For this reason, you must remain the expert when it comes to recommending how and when these products and services should be used.... more » -
What I Learned Car Shopping
December 12, 2011 7:19 PM
I recently helped my daughter shop for a car. Next to having teeth pulled, I would rate this as one of my favorite activities. To my pleasant surprise, we encountered many very professional salespeople. Kudos to an industry that is obviously stepping up their game. While many of the... more » -
How NOT to handle a Customer Complaint
August 18, 2011 4:59 PM
I had a customer service encounter today that had so many lessons I hardly know where to begin. Since the service provider ultimately 'made it right', I won't embarrass the company by mentioning their name but will tell you that they deliver something to my house every month. My... more » -
New Report Says Stop Trying to Delight Customers ?!
August 11, 2011 12:17 PM
A report from the Customer Contact Council appeared in the July edition of the Harvard Business Review. A study of 75,000 customers came to the following three conclusions: 1. Exceeding customer service expectations during service interactions has negligible impact on customer loyalty. 2. Service organizations create loyal customers... more » -
What ISN'T Said Can Cause Customer Service Failure
July 6, 2011 10:56 AM
Last week I upgraded from an iPhone 3GS to an iPhone 4. Another family member had dropped and broken their iPhone that was not eligible for an upgrade. Thus I was able to cash in on my upgrade and give them my old phone. This necessitated transferring pictures and calendar... more » -
Consumer Reports Releases America's Top Gripes
June 14, 2011 12:10 PM
Consumer Reports just released the Top 10 gripes of Americans having customer service issues and complaints. They surveyed almost 1,000 consumers nationwide to find the customer-service problems that infuriate people most. Respondents rated 12 practices on a scale of 0 (not annoying at all) to 10 (tremendously annoying). Differences... more » -
Asking for Additional Business at the RIGHT time?
June 5, 2011 11:48 PM
This week I am helping my daughter move. After three days of bending over packing boxes and cleaning shelves, my body is in revolt. So... I had a brilliant idea for the two of us. Let's go get a massage. In Los Angeles there is a spa chain called Burke... more » -
Does Your Customer Service have Vision?
May 25, 2011 10:17 AM
Living in a market with virtually no direct flights to anywhere, Shreveport, Louisiana residents like myself were excited to learn that discount Vision Airlines is now serving our market with direct flights to my personal favorite vacation spot, Destin, Florida. In a new market promotion, we were able to buy... more » -
Customer Service Can Make or Break Brands
May 19, 2011 11:56 AM
Americans vote with their wallets when they encounter subpar service; 78% of consumers have bailed on a transaction or not made an intended purchase because of a poor service experience. On the other hand, the promise of better customer service is a draw for shoppers: three in five Americans (59%)... more » -
Consumers Worldwide Value Customer Service -- But Businesses Aren't Measuring Up
May 19, 2011 11:41 AM
Consumers Worldwide Value Customer Service -- But Most Feel Businesses Aren't Measuring Up In countries around the world, a majority of consumers are willing to spend more with companies they believe provide excellent customer service -- with the average amount they are willing to spend ranging from 7% to 22%... more » -
Your Customer Service Training May Need New Scripts for Difficult Customers
May 19, 2011 11:40 AM
Common Phrases Are Cringe-worthy Businesses may want to ditch their traditional service scripts. Customers are irked by three of the most frequently-used customer service phrases -- with the Internet generation particularly put off by not getting a quick answer and people 50 and older grimacing over hold music. ... more » -
Americans Spend 13% More if Customer Service Excellent
May 19, 2011 11:34 AM
Americans are placing an even greater premium on quality customer service this year. In a stronger economic environment, seven in ten Americans (70%) are willing to spend an average of 13% more with companies they believe provide excellent customer service according to a recently released study by American Express. This... more » -
My Pawgress Report Card from PetSmart
May 6, 2011 1:30 PM
Some companies are just TOO creative with their service offering. I am currently taking care of two 'granddogs'. One of them has more hair than Steven Tyler and needed a summer trim. My daughter, the owner of 'Bear', suggested that I bring him to PetSmart as they would have a... more » -
How to Handle Institutional Complaints
April 27, 2011 12:51 PM
As a customer, have you ever been frustrated by the way a company does business? Case in point would be the times you are standing in line behind 10 other customers at Walmart! As you wait not so patiently, you notice that only 5 of their 20 registers are... more » -
Bank Customer Service Still on Decline says JD Power
April 26, 2011 8:08 AM
The 2010 Retail Banking Study released by JD Power this month shows that overall satisfaction of retail banking customers has decreased for the fourth consecutive year. Over 48,000 retail bank customers across the U.S. were surveyed. Results showed that poor bank customer service is the most common reason why customers... more » -
Infographic on Price of Bad Service
April 19, 2011 11:43 PM
I came across a fascinating infographic on the price of bad service. As you will see, it points out that over $83 Billion is lost each year to U.S. businesses due to poor service. The average loss per customer is $289. The most important factor in a... more » -
Are Your Customer Service Benchmarks Outside the Box?
April 19, 2011 11:04 PM
An article in Healthcare Finance News suggests that Healthcare firms need to start benchmarking their healthcare customer service against firms outside their industry primarily because the level of healthcare customer service is so dismally low overall. The article notes that patients do not stop being a customer when they... more »