Tag Archives: customer service

Groupon’s CEO Let Go: The Best Part of Andrew Mason’s Letter That No One is Talking About

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    As I was watching CNN this morning while getting ready for work, one of the feature stories was on the firing of Groupon CEO and Co-founder, Andrew Mason. The banner headline across the screen and the morning anchors highlighted the first paragraph of Mason’s letter to Groupon’s staff, which read in part:

    “People of Groupon,

    After four and a half intense and wonderful years as CEO of Groupon, I’ve decided that I’d like to spend more time with my family. Just kidding – I was fired today. If you’re wondering why… you haven’t been paying attention….”

    It’s a humorous and very human way to begin a corporate goodbye letter, which is why that first paragraph is receiving so much attention, but truly – at least for me – Mason saved the best of what he wanted to convey for last. It’s the last paragraph that talks about the customer: Read More

    Making the Brand: Redefining Reputation through Service

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      Not so long ago, a brand’s marketing strategy revolved around pushing products through expensive advertising campaigns and rich print and online collaterals. Now, pre- and post-purchase delivery of service and information to consumers is redefining the way we perceive brands.

      In an epic David and Goliath match-up between service-dominant and product-dominant logic, social media has served as the slingshot to allow service-dominant businesses and organizations to stand just as tall as the spare-no-expense, product-marketing-heavy Goliaths. The service-dominant logic encourages organizations to market with their customers instead of to them, by providing beneficial information, responding to questions and feedback, and interacting on a more personalized level for the reward of brand loyalty and a word-of-mouth reputation that draws in a consistent following of new customers.

      A recent Edelman study notes that 70% of millennials stated that once they find a company or product they like, they will keep coming back, and 86% will share their brand experience online. In addition: Read More

      Targeting the Customer Experience for Across the Board Benefits

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        Customer service, sales and marketing are typically houses divided in many large organizations. But what happens when they all come together to focus on the customer experience? Business magic: increased customer retention, increased sales and an increased confidence in your brand and its messaging.

        After all, increased sales don’t just come from new customers; increased sales also stem from an increase in customer satisfaction. Consider these statistics:

        • Customer retention programs can increase overall company sales by as much as 50%.
        • Repeat customers spend 33% more than new customers. Read More

        Cyber Monday’s Single-Day Sales Frenzy: How Retail Does Ramped Up Sales and Service Right

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          Why line up outside your favorite store at 4am on Black Friday and risk possible injury, when there’s the other option of eating potato chips and shopping from your couch? This is the question that drives most holiday shoppers to log on and load up their virtual shopping carts on Cyber Monday.

          A ComScore press release projects this year’s one-day holiday shopping extravaganza will bring in more than $1 billion dollars for online retailers who recently witnessed total online sales of $816 million on Black Friday.

          Fueling this year’s virtual sales drive are money-conscious consumers who want to find better deals and save money on gas.  Also propelling online sales is shopping by smartphone. A recent National Retail Federation survey of U.S. shoppers found that 40 percent own a smartphone and more than half plan to use their phones to research products and make purchases this year. The 300 largest U.S. mobile merchants, led by Amazon.com, are expecting to generate $5.37 billion in sales through mobile devices this year, double the 2010 total.

          Overall, U.S. online holiday season sales are expected to rise 17 percent from last year to $46.7 billion in 2011, according to a November eMarketer forecast.

          It’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year: How Do Retailers Handle It?

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          Mashable’s “4 Top Customer Service Tips for Small Business”

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            In running a small business, you have to ensure you make the right moves if you want to be successful. Author, Anna Lindow, provides her 4 tips on providing great customer service and building a personalized business when you’re a small organization.

            This article ties in nicely with yesterday’s post on handling difficult customers, because Lindow’s tips allow you to be proactive in building good relationships with your clients. She describes how getting ahead of complaints, adding a personal touch, pointing people in the right direction, and going to the source for feedback are all actions that can all help you to improve the lines of communication with your customers and ensure your business hits the ground running. Check out the article here!

            BNET’s “5 Ways to Earn a Customer’s Trust”

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              Writer, Christopher Elliot, recently wrote an article for BNET on his 5 tips for earning your customers’ trust. You can find the full article here.

              As Elliot recommends setting forth these practices in a customer setting, he notes that these same practices should be reflected internally as well. His tips focus on the aspect of being truthful in building trust. For instance, a couple of his tips include “Do what you say” and “Don’t Hide.” Elliot’s commentary is forward, but honest.

              Regardless of whether or not you’re already practicing these guidelines, they serve as a great refresher to the art of customer service. Often times, it is easy to forget there are different ways to successfully communicate in this industry. Building relationships with customers is a huge part of earning business, and Elliot’s “5 Ways to Earn a Customer’s Trust” ties in perfectly with this important understanding. Again, you can check out the article here:

              http://www.bnet.com/blog/customer-management/5-ways-to-earn-a-customers-trust/860?tag=mantle_skin;content

              Serving a New Kind of Customer

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                Christopher Elliot of BNET recently posted an article titled “Do You Know How to Serve Customer 2.0?” in which he discussed the age of call centers and the possibility of phone customer service disappearing all together at some point. Elliot brings up points that the new generation prefers to use email and social media for communication, whereas the older generation typically uses the phone to get their problems solved. The points made in his article are to question the existence of call centers and whether or not they will be obsolete at some point.

                Elliot argues that although call centers may eventually be out of business, there is still a need for them until everyone moves towards email and social media. Today’s generation is brought up with new technology, making them the “Customer 2.0″, but there is still a need to take care of customers that prefer to use the phone to contact your organization. Eventually, however, call centers may become extinct and the phone could be a thing of the past. What are your thoughts on this technology movement? Check out Elliot’s article here:

                http://m.bnet.com/blog/customer-management/do-you-know-how-to-serve-customer-20/639

                Customer Appreciation and Retention

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                  http://www.westcorpuk.com/images/logo_customercare.jpg

                  If you take care of your customers, they will take care of your business. You’ve heard it before, but how does a successful company put this into practice?

                  Communication
                  Being clear with your customers and communicating directly with them is key to forming a good client relationship. Even though technology has become advanced enough to the point where no verbal communication is necessary to discuss an issue, it is not always the best source of correspondence. Reaching out to your customers in person or over the phone will help to build a more personal relationship. Additionally, following up and taking care of any issues they might have immediately allows for a customer to gain your organization’s trust. Read More

                  How Yoostar is Innovating Customer Service with their Social Media Strategy

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                    Webinar: How Yoostar is Innovating Customer Service with their Social Media Strategy

                    Webinar: How Yoostar is Innovating Customer Service with their Social Media Strategy

                    Social media is impacting every part of your company. How do you create a comprehensive strategy and get the appropriate participation across the organization?

                    Attend this webinar and hear the Yoostar story on how they are leveraging Facebook and other social media channels to help their business and improve customer satisfaction. As customers have moved to Facebook, Yoostar has taken significant steps to meet their demand and be where their customers are.

                    You will learn about:

                    • Yoostar’s community building efforts
                    • How they evolved their Social Media strategy
                    • How Customer Service is changing
                    • Measuring their Social Media efforts
                    • How customers are responding

                    Register here to attend this webinar on Tuesday, April 19 at 1:30pm ET

                     

                    Some Great Thoughts from Chip Bell on How to Take their Breath Away: How Imaginative Service Creates Devoted Customers and Bottom-Line Impact

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                      Webinar - Take Their Breath Away: How Imaginative Service Creates Devoted Customers and Bottom-Line Impact

                      Webinar - Take Their Breath Away: How Imaginative Service Creates Devoted Customers and Bottom-Line Impact

                      Chip Bell presented Take their Breath Away: How Imaginative Service Creates Devoted Customers and Bottom-Line Impact which was attended by hundreds of customer service and support professionals who submitted numerous questions during his presentation. As a close to 2010 we have highlighted some of the great questions and answers from this popular webinar.

                      If you did not attend the webinar, we invite you to watch it now. Share your thoughts and continue the discussion here.

                      Whether you attended the webinar or not, you may find that the answers to these questions may also help you understand how to deliver a better customer experience. Read More