The Buzz

The end of Marketing as we know it In 1950s, there was little leisure time. When television became popular, content was scarce, but people spent the little leisure time they had to watch those programs. Since then, we’ve come full circle.

What do your FAQs do? Chances are you have an FAQ section on your website. What does it really do? Most companies view FAQs as a stand-alone element on their website. FAQs are rarely updated nor are they usually integrated with customer queries. They can however be used much more effectively.

A completely novel solution Every business is different; the customers in every industry are different. What works in one situation may not in another. Sometimes, businesses may have go in for a completely novel solution – if that is what will meet the needs of customers.

The Fear of Technology Small business owners, especially those who started working before the internet explosion, sometimes fear that time and money spent on technology is resources being taken away from ‘core’ business areas such as design, production or sales. Technology evangelists on the other hand, claim it as the solution to all ills. Where […]

A cog in the wheel A University of Sheffield Study on HR Management in UK Call Centers found that employee turnover, a key indicator of employee satisfaction, was lower when agents were given much higher discretion over how they completed their job tasks. After all, no one wants to feel like a cog in the […]

The never-ending Customer Support Interaction How many times have you been on the end of what seems like a never-ending telephone call with customer service? Familiar isn’t it! You have a complex problem and one CSR shuttles you to another ‘senior’ resource who in turn needs a ‘manager’ with more discretion. By this time, you […]

The need for measurement As more and more customer service moves online, it is important to be able to measure the quality of service well and reward good performers accordingly. With clear performance measures, exceptional staff can be rewarded, average performers trained to improve, and the poorest performers reconsidered.

It’s not what you’d think! A study by the Welsh Contact Centre Forum in 2006 among Welsh call-centre employees revealed that only 24% of those surveyed considered themselves truly committed to the organization. Surprisingly, it wasn’t salary or benefits, but ‘career opportunities’, ‘morale and culture’ and ‘internal communication’ which emerged as the biggest problem areas.

A constantly moving target In business, as in everything else, change is the only thing that stays constant. Even the best processes in many areas often grow obsolete with time. A company with a reputation for stellar customer service may find that a competitor has upped the game by answering all queries within half an […]

When Customer Contact was simple In an earlier time, small business owners simply needed to hand out leaflets in their localities or make sure that their business was listed in the relevant directory. The telephone was the primary means of contact with customers. With the growth of the internet, small business owners now feel pressurized […]

The Wonder Years of Business If you are a small business owner yourself, you might recall nostalgically the initial years of starting up. You remember a time when you knew many of your customers personally; when customers just had to call you up if they ever had a problem. Well, you are not an exception.

How do Small Businesses start up? Where do you think most American small businesses find the money to start up and keep themselves going till the profits start flowing in? You may be surprised to hear this – U.S. Census Bureau findings reveal that the majority of small businesses are financed by the owner or […]