When it comes to customer service, consumer expectations only move in one direction – upwards. The combination of excellent service from market leading companies and increasingly high standards are continually raising the bar. This means companies need to be continually investing in improving their service to delight customers and match their peers.The perfect example of these increased expe...
Telecoms companies have traditionally had a poor reputation when it comes to customer service, but new research from Ofcom shows that overall the picture is getting better. Overall complaints against broadband, landline and mobile suppliers are falling, according to the regulator’s latest report which covers April-June 2012.Topping the league for both poor landline (0.53 complaints per 1,000...
Paris Exposition: Eiffel Tower, Paris, France, 1900 (Photo credit: Brooklyn Museum) As the clock ticks down towards Christmas, there is still time for retailers to make final changes to their websites in time for their busiest period. Continuing economic woes around the world mean that customers are demanding the highest levels of online service – if not, they will simply click across ...
The majority of companies are aiming to deliver good customer service. After all, it is a well-proven fact that poor service loses customers, costs more in putting things right and damages your brand. So give people a good service that exceeds their expectations and it will directly improve your bottom line.It all sounds very simple, but where it gets complicated is making customer service consist...
The move to ecommerce coupled with the recession means that many physical shops are struggling to stay afloat. However Apple is one business that is bucking the trend – opening more Apple Stores around the world and increasing sales through a combination of cool technology, informed staff and training sessions that teach you how to get the best out of your Apple product.So how does Apple do ...
When it comes to crisis situations social media is now the front line for customer service. Issues spread quickly on Twitter and Facebook (and company message boards) and are visible to the entire world, drawing in other people who might not even be affected by the original problem. So the risk of damage to a brand’s reputation amongst potential customers and the general public is extremely ...
Organisations across the world are grappling with how to best use social media for customer service. In an era where consumers are increasingly using networks such as Facebook and Twitter to share their experiences, good and bad, how should companies respond? Who should handle enquiries? How can processes be changed to ensure that enquiries are dealt with quickly to keep customers happy, while sti...
When it comes to customer service and social media it is very easy to focus on the potential issues it causes for brands. Aggrieved customers can now complain quickly and vociferously to the entire world if they have a bad experience, with tweets or Facebook posts going viral in a matter of minutes. However there is another side to social customer service, where companies are using these channels ...
Last week’s IT problems at HSBC demonstrate how quickly a customer service issue can develop in the age of social media. On Friday afternoon the bank suffered an IT outage on its mainframe which affected online banking, ATM and some customers using debit cards in stores. While the problems lasted just over 2 hours, Friday afternoons are amongst the busiest time for banks, with HSBC’s 1...
Senior management have often been accused of being ambivalent about customer service, committing in public to delivering an excellent experience to consumers, but then either cutting the customer service budget or failing to provide the board level support needed to excel.New research from the Economist Intelligence Unit seems to point to a change, with managers waking up to the bottom line impact...