Comments on: The Power of Speech gives way to the Art of Conversation http://thesocialjoint.com/2010/05/the-power-of-speech-gives-way-to-the-art-of-conversation/ Fri, 23 Sep 2011 00:12:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Allen - Social Marketer http://thesocialjoint.com/2010/05/the-power-of-speech-gives-way-to-the-art-of-conversation/comment-page-1/#comment-81 Allen - Social Marketer Tue, 18 May 2010 09:42:43 +0000 http://thesocialjoint.com/?p=112#comment-81 Dealing such situations needs experience! Of course I agree that conversations aren't predictable but as we know a proper message will lead to good relationships, I think being transparent will be a wiser choice! Dealing such situations needs experience! Of course I agree that conversations aren’t predictable but as we know a proper message will lead to good relationships, I think being transparent will be a wiser choice!

]]> By: Allen - Social Marketer http://thesocialjoint.com/2010/05/the-power-of-speech-gives-way-to-the-art-of-conversation/comment-page-1/#comment-173 Allen - Social Marketer Tue, 18 May 2010 09:42:00 +0000 http://thesocialjoint.com/?p=112#comment-173 Dealing such situations needs experience! Of course I agree that conversations aren't predictable but as we know a proper message will lead to good relationships, I think being transparent will be a wiser choice! Dealing such situations needs experience! Of course I agree that conversations aren’t predictable but as we know a proper message will lead to good relationships, I think being transparent will be a wiser choice!

]]> By: Lucretia Pruitt http://thesocialjoint.com/2010/05/the-power-of-speech-gives-way-to-the-art-of-conversation/comment-page-1/#comment-79 Lucretia Pruitt Fri, 14 May 2010 01:09:06 +0000 http://thesocialjoint.com/?p=112#comment-79 Yeah, at some point you either decide that your Customer Service department is a profit center rather than a cost center - and staff accordingly - or you end up doing a lot of damage control to your reputation. Zappos, Four Seasons, Nordstroms and the like all realize that a customer's strongest impression of your company is the last contact they had with someone who works there -- and that's usually either a customer service rep or cashier or service-oriented person. Seldom is it the overly-expensive middle-management crowd. My favorite thing about Zappos's training is that everyone -- from the receptionist to the CIO to attorneys -- does a stint on the phones during their training/orientation phase. It seems to give their entire employee base an understanding of their culture and the importance of customer-facing positions. Yeah, at some point you either decide that your Customer Service department is a profit center rather than a cost center – and staff accordingly – or you end up doing a lot of damage control to your reputation.
Zappos, Four Seasons, Nordstroms and the like all realize that a customer’s strongest impression of your company is the last contact they had with someone who works there — and that’s usually either a customer service rep or cashier or service-oriented person. Seldom is it the overly-expensive middle-management crowd.
My favorite thing about Zappos’s training is that everyone — from the receptionist to the CIO to attorneys — does a stint on the phones during their training/orientation phase. It seems to give their entire employee base an understanding of their culture and the importance of customer-facing positions.

]]> By: Lucretia Pruitt http://thesocialjoint.com/2010/05/the-power-of-speech-gives-way-to-the-art-of-conversation/comment-page-1/#comment-172 Lucretia Pruitt Fri, 14 May 2010 01:09:00 +0000 http://thesocialjoint.com/?p=112#comment-172 Yeah, at some point you either decide that your Customer Service department is a profit center rather than a cost center - and staff accordingly - or you end up doing a lot of damage control to your reputation. Zappos, Four Seasons, Nordstroms and the like all realize that a customer's strongest impression of your company is the last contact they had with someone who works there -- and that's usually either a customer service rep or cashier or service-oriented person. Seldom is it the overly-expensive middle-management crowd. My favorite thing about Zappos's training is that everyone -- from the receptionist to the CIO to attorneys -- does a stint on the phones during their training/orientation phase. It seems to give their entire employee base an understanding of their culture and the importance of customer-facing positions. Yeah, at some point you either decide that your Customer Service department is a profit center rather than a cost center – and staff accordingly – or you end up doing a lot of damage control to your reputation.
Zappos, Four Seasons, Nordstroms and the like all realize that a customer’s strongest impression of your company is the last contact they had with someone who works there — and that’s usually either a customer service rep or cashier or service-oriented person. Seldom is it the overly-expensive middle-management crowd.
My favorite thing about Zappos’s training is that everyone — from the receptionist to the CIO to attorneys — does a stint on the phones during their training/orientation phase. It seems to give their entire employee base an understanding of their culture and the importance of customer-facing positions.

]]> By: Howard Greenstein http://thesocialjoint.com/2010/05/the-power-of-speech-gives-way-to-the-art-of-conversation/comment-page-1/#comment-78 Howard Greenstein Thu, 13 May 2010 13:15:36 +0000 http://thesocialjoint.com/?p=112#comment-78 There's the trust problem - trust employees to solve problems - that Zappos and the Four Seasons and Nordstroms do well, and then there's the scripted "we don't trust employees to fix this without guidance" companies. Of course, Customer service is hard to scale. At the end of the day, the first way costs a lot more. There’s the trust problem – trust employees to solve problems – that Zappos and the Four Seasons and Nordstroms do well, and then there’s the scripted “we don’t trust employees to fix this without guidance” companies.
Of course, Customer service is hard to scale. At the end of the day, the first way costs a lot more.

]]> By: Howard Greenstein http://thesocialjoint.com/2010/05/the-power-of-speech-gives-way-to-the-art-of-conversation/comment-page-1/#comment-171 Howard Greenstein Thu, 13 May 2010 13:15:00 +0000 http://thesocialjoint.com/?p=112#comment-171 There's the trust problem - trust employees to solve problems - that Zappos and the Four Seasons and Nordstroms do well, and then there's the scripted "we don't trust employees to fix this without guidance" companies. Of course, Customer service is hard to scale. At the end of the day, the first way costs a lot more. There’s the trust problem – trust employees to solve problems – that Zappos and the Four Seasons and Nordstroms do well, and then there’s the scripted “we don’t trust employees to fix this without guidance” companies.
Of course, Customer service is hard to scale. At the end of the day, the first way costs a lot more.

]]> By: Lucretia http://thesocialjoint.com/2010/05/the-power-of-speech-gives-way-to-the-art-of-conversation/comment-page-1/#comment-76 Lucretia Wed, 12 May 2010 15:39:19 +0000 http://thesocialjoint.com/?p=112#comment-76 I had stuff like this in the back of my mind too. Anyone that thinks you can 'script' support or customer service doesn't get that you aren't problem solving, you're just creating a bigger problem: a customer who doesn't trust you or think you care about his/her issues. The theory is that scripting solves the common problems - the reality is that it solves very few of them. Giving your employees the knowledge, training, and ability to resolve problems? That's the real time saver - and customer saver!! :) I had stuff like this in the back of my mind too. Anyone that thinks you can ‘script’ support or customer service doesn’t get that you aren’t problem solving, you’re just creating a bigger problem: a customer who doesn’t trust you or think you care about his/her issues.

The theory is that scripting solves the common problems – the reality is that it solves very few of them. Giving your employees the knowledge, training, and ability to resolve problems? That’s the real time saver – and customer saver!! :)

]]> By: Lucretia http://thesocialjoint.com/2010/05/the-power-of-speech-gives-way-to-the-art-of-conversation/comment-page-1/#comment-170 Lucretia Wed, 12 May 2010 15:39:00 +0000 http://thesocialjoint.com/?p=112#comment-170 I had stuff like this in the back of my mind too. Anyone that thinks you can 'script' support or customer service doesn't get that you aren't problem solving, you're just creating a bigger problem: a customer who doesn't trust you or think you care about his/her issues. The theory is that scripting solves the common problems - the reality is that it solves very few of them. Giving your employees the knowledge, training, and ability to resolve problems? That's the real time saver - and customer saver!! :) I had stuff like this in the back of my mind too. Anyone that thinks you can ‘script’ support or customer service doesn’t get that you aren’t problem solving, you’re just creating a bigger problem: a customer who doesn’t trust you or think you care about his/her issues.

The theory is that scripting solves the common problems – the reality is that it solves very few of them. Giving your employees the knowledge, training, and ability to resolve problems? That’s the real time saver – and customer saver!! :)

]]> By: Christy http://thesocialjoint.com/2010/05/the-power-of-speech-gives-way-to-the-art-of-conversation/comment-page-1/#comment-75 Christy Wed, 12 May 2010 15:26:45 +0000 http://thesocialjoint.com/?p=112#comment-75 The most blatant form of this I've encountered was once upon a time, in a land far away ;) when AOL was my ISP. There were always glitches and problems. No matter how many times I'd call or what my actual concern was, I would get the same rote responses. Usually, if their initial mode of help didn't help at all, they would just say to reinstall it and if that didn't solve the problem, call back. It was a tactic to end the call. Absolute customer service FAIL, lol. The most blatant form of this I’ve encountered was once upon a time, in a land far away ;) when AOL was my ISP. There were always glitches and problems. No matter how many times I’d call or what my actual concern was, I would get the same rote responses. Usually, if their initial mode of help didn’t help at all, they would just say to reinstall it and if that didn’t solve the problem, call back. It was a tactic to end the call. Absolute customer service FAIL, lol.

]]> By: Christy http://thesocialjoint.com/2010/05/the-power-of-speech-gives-way-to-the-art-of-conversation/comment-page-1/#comment-169 Christy Wed, 12 May 2010 15:26:00 +0000 http://thesocialjoint.com/?p=112#comment-169 The most blatant form of this I've encountered was once upon a time, in a land far away ;) when AOL was my ISP. There were always glitches and problems. No matter how many times I'd call or what my actual concern was, I would get the same rote responses. Usually, if their initial mode of help didn't help at all, they would just say to reinstall it and if that didn't solve the problem, call back. It was a tactic to end the call. Absolute customer service FAIL, lol. The most blatant form of this I’ve encountered was once upon a time, in a land far away ;) when AOL was my ISP. There were always glitches and problems. No matter how many times I’d call or what my actual concern was, I would get the same rote responses. Usually, if their initial mode of help didn’t help at all, they would just say to reinstall it and if that didn’t solve the problem, call back. It was a tactic to end the call. Absolute customer service FAIL, lol.

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