SupportIndustry.com - Contributed Articles

The Process of Empowerment

by Rosanne D'Ausilio, Ph.D., President Human Technologies Global, Inc.

Empowerment is the process that allows one to gain the knowledge, skill-sets and attitude needed to cope with the changing world and the circumstances in which one lives. Empower your people such that they can take care of customers in one interaction or transaction. Why? Empowerment:

makes good business sense

ups your efficiency level

shortens your call time

eliminates callbacks, and

affords an opportunity to cross-sell, upsell or whatever is appropriate in your organization.

[Full Article] Aug-07-2009

Apple’s unique take on tech support

by Rebecca Morgan, CSP, CMC

Tech support has been the bane of many companies. Watching their costs skyrocket, many began charging for tech support beyond a limited time frame. Many (most?) tried outsourcing to India and the Philippines, but some have pulled back to US-based support after their customers screamed about unintelligible "help." My experience with Apple's tech support was no different -- until recently.

[Full Article] Aug-07-2009

The 10 Worst Things to Say in Tech Support

by Rich Gallagher, Point of Contact Group

I have one of the coolest jobs in the world. I go around the country teaching customer support centers what to say in their most difficult customer situations. People learn that you can defuse these situations with procedural skills, and once they "get" the mechanics of acknowledging, validating, asking good questions, and framing positive alternatives, they invariably wonder why they didn't always talk to customers this way. So, in the spirit of teaching people the right things to say, I'd like to share some of the worst phrases I normally hear people say in my workshops. Not rude things, or even the ubiquitous "read the manual," but rather phrases that nice people like you and me might say if we aren't careful. Phrases that are all but guaranteed to get a negative response from your customers. Here goes, with my tongue somewhat in cheek.

[Full Article] Jun-16-2009

The Impact of Training on Turnover

By Rosanne D'Ausilio PhD, President, Human Technologies Global, Inc.

Although 90% of corporate executives say that employees are the most important variable in their companiesâ€™ success, a Towers Perrin survey reported that in practice they rank people-related issues far below other business priorities. Executives agreed improving employee performance would improve business results--73% even said their most important investment was people. However, people-related issues, such as training and compensation, consistently ranked at the bottom of the list.

[Full Article] Jun-16-2009

Do Your Staff Follow Through On Your Advertisement's Promise of Superior Service?

by Rebecca L. Morgan, CSP, CMC

Companies can pay millions of dollars in advertising their superior service. But if their staff doesnâ€™t actually deliver that service, all that advertising does is set up expectations that arenâ€™t met, then you get unhappy customers.

[Full Article] Jun-16-2009

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