Foolproof Customer Service Strategies (That Only A Fool Would Try!)

Ever notice how customer service varies from store to store? You walk into some stores, and before you can say "Buzz off!" a salesperson asks "May I help you?""No thanks.""May I help you?" asks another."No thanks.""May I help you?" asks a third.When the store runs out of salespeople, you get... Read More

Creating the Right ?Viral Reputation?

Unless you are brand new to business, or have been under a rock for quite some time - one key marketing technique (which isn't new) - is called 'Viral'.Based on the word 'virus' - viral marketing or viral business simply means it 'spreads' like a virus.The roots of online viral... Read More

Breaking the Ice and Winning Over the Client!

Wherever you turn these days you'll find articles covering every business strategy and tactic available to man, from how to make a great presentation to strategies for success all the way to negotiations and prospecting and getting a client to commit. But hardly anyone touches on the subject of breaking... Read More

Develop Loyal Customers for a Lifetime ? part 2 (11 ? 20)

Traditional marketing strategies encourage business owners to continually grow their businesses by adding new customers. In today's competitive world of business, it is more important than ever to aim for more transactions with existing customers by using the power of customer follow-up and attention to good service.These second ten tips... Read More

Stand Out in Business the Write Way

When was the last time you received a handwritten note from a business associate? It may be that it was too long ago for you to remember. On the other hand, if you have gotten one lately, you know exactly who sent it and when. Handwritten notes have become almost... Read More

My Child Has Opie Eye!

7:00 a.m., the silence in the house is broken by my child's call to me, from another room, "Mom, please take care of my Opie eye!"Huh?... My mind is spinning trying to process this information, what sort of illness is Opie eye? Is it a variation of Pink eye? What... Read More

Customer Satisfaction and the Service Business

The relationship between customer satisfaction and success of a service business is a direct one. Customer satisfaction measurement, however, is a much more complex matter. Customer satisfaction is a qualitative assessment of the services you provide, and therefore it is a surrogate measure of the value of your services to... Read More

Wholesale Buyers Versus Retail Customers

Are wholesale buyers and retail customers really different? Frankly, there are two answers to this question: yes and no. Yes, because they are different from the buyers and those selling to buyers' point of view and no, because the principles that apply are the same for both types of buying.There... Read More

Why Passenger Surveys are a Transport Operators Best Friend

Public transport operators who already use passenger surveys may not fully appreciate the multiple benefits that surveys can bring. Not only are surveys an efficient method of market research that will help identify areas of passenger dissatisfaction, they are also perfect for measuring the effects of improvements and can, at... Read More

Automating Your Customer Support

My regular readers will know that one of the things I highly recommend doing with any online business is automating as many of your day to day tasks as possible.From a personal point of view, one of the tasks that takes up a lot of my time is answering emails.... Read More

Customer Service, the Internets Primary Neglected Business Concern

Customer service is everything to a business. Just look at big, successful retail chains: They let you return perfectly good merchandise just because you changed your mind. Is that insane? Yes, pretty much, but it's also good customer service, and it's a good investment, and the "secret" of success, for... Read More

Renewing Customer Loyalty

Every business loses customers, but not many do much about getting them back. And that is a big mistake. Studies show that the average business looses 20 percent of its customer base each year.Here's what that means in practical terms: For example, let's say your business has 700 customers that... Read More

Client Appreciation - It Means Everything!

Want to know the secret for keeping your clients forever? And what if you could keep your revenue growing by 25 percent every year, because your clients loved the way you appreciated them? In this article, you will learn how easy it is to develop a powerful client appreciation program.... Read More

The Number 1 Rule for Businesses - Be Professional

Have you ever walked into a store and things looked sloppy? Stores should have nice neat displays, right? Normally, yes, but sometimes they get a bit messy on busy days and we all understand how that can happen.But what if you were to walk into a store as soon as... Read More

Stay - Say - Pay

Would you like to have customers that stay with you and don't buy from your competitors? Customers that say nice things about your business to other people; pay you on time and accept the fact that you might be a bit more expensive then other suppliers? Of course you do... Read More

Writing The Book On Great Customer Service

Q: One of the big chain bookstores recently opened up near my small book store. Already I can see my business starting to decline. Is there anything I can do to compete with the bigger store or should I just accept the inevitable? -- Peter Q.A: A wise man once... Read More

Why Communication Skills Dont Work In Customer Service

Every time my firm conducts communication skills training, we know someone is going to object."That doesn't work. Everybody's heard of active listening. You can't use that stuff anymore."And we have to admit, there's a lot of truth in that. Everyone has heard of active listening. And it doesn't work for... Read More

Learning from Your Employees and Customers Complaints

Listening to complaints, whether they're reasonable or not, is a part of every manager's job. Sometimes complaints can be overwhelming. However, by taking them in stride with an open mind, we can learn much from our employees' and customers' feelings about the workplace.After all, a complaint is nothing more that... Read More

The Dissatisfied Customer

We, as small business people, naturally dislike complaints from our clients and customers. Because we're intimately involved with our home businesses, small businesses, or freelance careers, any complaint takes on a personal commentator. A dissatisfied customer is a direct reflection on our performance and a blow to our egos. The... Read More

Dont Forget your Existing Clients

Quest for new clients shouldn't ignore those who pay the billsAcquisition. It's a big word in small business marketing. Companies are constantly looking at ways to draw new people to the business and generate new streams of revenue. In this quest, some small businesses make the mistake of focusing too... Read More

Quality vs. Quantity

There is a battle in Call Centers. The teams are Quality vs. Quantity; two performance factors that don't seem to get along.? Representative Super Speedy says, "I've taken more calls than anyone on the team today. My average handle time is the lowest on the floor."Coach Level Head breaks it... Read More

How To Keep Your Customers Coming Back -- Understanding Customer Retention

Why do some businesses offer points, stamps or every tenth coffee for free?These businesses understand that a customer retention program is a fantastic way to ensure that customers keep coming back. The most recognized customer retention programs are those loyalty programs used by retailers, but this same principal can be... Read More

11 Moments of Truth

These moments come when a customer or client?1. Hears someone else praise you or your work.2. Likes your physical presentation (appearance, voice, and smile).3. Is touched intellectually and emotionally by what you say.4. Recognizes you as a model of who or what the person would like to become.5. Hears that... Read More

One Critical Question to Ask Yourself Every Day

What happened to the old saying, the customer is always right? I'll bet every one of you reading this article has a "customer service nightmare" story to tell. My most recent nightmare experience took place recently when my business partner and I went in to a wireless phone store to... Read More

Your Actions Tell Your Clients How You Expect To Be Treated

There is a widely accepted principle of human behavior that goes something like this. "Your actions tell the world how you expect to be treated." Look all around you and you will find that the truth of this statement is as evident as the clothes you wear.So, if you don't... Read More

When 'Customer Service' Seems Anything But
New York Times
Other times, said Ms. Busse, who now runs her own customer service training company, Workforce Development Group, enough workers are scheduled for the ...

Oracle Announces Oracle(R) Communications Billing and Revenue Management ...
CNNMoney.com (press release)
This latest release helps communications service providers, media companies and other service providers enhance customer service, respond faster to market ...
Communications firms lack basic customer service skillsComputer Business Review

all 16 news articles »

PR Web (press release)
Company To Hire 100 Customer Service Reps In Kentucky
LEX18 Lexington KY News
A company says it will be hiring 100 customer service reps from Kentucky between now and December. VIP Desk says says the job requires those hired to answer ...
vipdesk Hiring Over 100 Kentucky-Based Customer Service Representatives to ...PR Web (press release)

all 5 news articles »

Moody's downgrades Sprint rating
The Associated Press
The ratings service thinks Sprint's earnings will be under pressure until it can cut down on postpaid customer losses. Moody's, which holds a "Negative" ...
Moody's cuts Sprint-Nextel rating, citing earningsReuters
Sprint: Moody's Downgrades Debt On Weak Earnings OutlookBarron's (blog)
Moody's downgrades Sprint credit ratingKansas City Business Journal

all 76 news articles »

Wireless and Mobile News (blog)
US Cellular Offers Mobile Plan Notifications
InformationWeek
US Cellular subscribers can add the overage protection plan by going into retail stores, calling customer service, or visiting their account on the ...
US Cellular debuts overage fee protection featureFierceWireless
U.S. Cellular Offers Protection Against OveragePR Newswire (press release)

all 17 news articles »

Customer service is not a department
Capital Flyer
That service is usually in some form of customer service. Everyone at Joint Team Andrews is in the customer service business. Whether your job is to fly the ...

Oracle Research Reveals Challenges Communications Service Providers Face in ...
CNNMoney.com (press release)
The research shows, however, that the industry faces a number of challenges in delivering a seamless and consistent experience across its customer service ...
Oracle Research Reveals Challenges Communications Service Providers Face in ...RealWire (press release)

all 20 news articles »

Quark Launches New Web-to-Print Service for Small Businesses
Business Wire (press release)
We look forward to being an integral part of quarkpromote.com, to deliver the professional output and customer service quarkpromote.com customers will ...

and more »

Customer Care Services
Best Syndication
The only real issue bearing - you certainly know it already - is the customer service. Listening to the customer regularly from you or their products, ...

Post Searchlight
Akins named bc's Customer Service Award recipient
Post Searchlight
Brenda Akins, secretary in the Bainbridge College (BC) Arts and Sciences Division, earned the Customer Service Award for October, the second recipient ...

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