In tough times, customer service can be the best way of giving companies a competitive advantage. That was the theme of this year’s Institute of Customer Service (ICS) Conference, which took place yesterday at the London Marriott Hotel in Grosvenor Square. Speakers from government, including Norman Lamb MP, minister for employment relations, consumer and postal affairs, joined companies such...
Social media opens up a whole new way of communicating with customers. However companies need to understand that it is fundamentally different to other channels. Social media is much more of a two way conversation and, as it is held in public, the world can see the results. So while many companies have moved onto social media and are using it for customer service, what is vital is how engaged...
Eptica today announced a major new global partnership with AirGate Solutions to help companies in the travel sector improve the passenger experience.AirGate Solutions works with airlines and airports to develop customer engagement strategies that go beyond traditional programs, enabling them to engage with customers and change the passenger experience for the better. AirGate Solutions will add Ept...
When it comes to poor customer service, companies selling financial products, from insurance to bank accounts never seem to be out of the news. Hot on the heels of record payouts for the misselling of Payment Protection Insurance (PPI), card and identity protection company CPP is being investigated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) for ‘alleged failings in sales calls’.Against ...
Social media gives every one of your customers a voice that can be heard across the internet, outside your control. While this can worry many companies, it is worth realising that not every comment that people make on Facebook or Twitter is going to be negative – and also that those that have suffered a bad experience can change their mind if they are treated properly. US research found...
Organisations across the world are now embracing social media, realising that it provides an immensely powerful, completely new customer channel. However social media has some big differences to many traditional channels – it is an open conversation that can spread news and comments incredibly quickly to a huge number of people around the world.But who within an organisation is responsible f...
Online privacy is a topic that is constantly in the news at the moment, with iPhone app makers Path and Hipster the latest companies offering apologies after it emerged that they uploaded address book information from phones to their servers without asking permission. Other brands, including Amazon-owned retailer Zappos and Sony have had to issue apologies after their sites have been hacked and cu...
There have already been a lot of predictions that 2012 will be a key year for customer service, with Forrester amongst those that see it as a major strategic priority for businesses. News this week from Microsoft seems to back up this trend. It is partnering with a Silicon Valley company called 24/7, which specialises in using data analytics to predict what customers want. Microsoft is both i...
Everyone knows that the current economic climate is difficult, with consumer spending down and competition increasing, whatever sector you are in. So, in this context Eptica’s results, with double digit revenue growth, demonstrate the success of our approach and the strength of our technology.Eptica’s consolidated turnover grew by 20% to $US 9 million (£5.67m), helped by signing ...
One of the key trends that is accelerating in 2012 is the use of mobile devices to research, access information and make purchases. New studies have found that more and more people now reach for their smartphone or tablet during the buying process, even if they make the final purchase through other channels.UK figures from the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) show that nearly half of smartphone o...