customer service

Global customer service is no customer service

I’ve just had another of those messy customer service experiences that only serve to remind us just how diminished the concept of customer service has become. And why global customer service is not the way to go, despite the ever increasing trend towards it. The general situation was one we are all far too familiar [...]

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Simplicity’s Magic Word

The red rash around the top of the collar gives it away. The urgent tone of his voice only confirms Kate’s hunch. Mark is angry. ‘You said “no” to that urgent order I sent through,’ says Mark sharply. ‘That’s right. We can’t do it in the time you want.’ Kate surprises herself with her outward [...]

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Customer Service is Simple – so Why so Rare?

It had been 20 years been since I last drove into the back of another car. But the memories have stayed with me. So it was with a mixture of cursing and resignation that I sifted through the glove box last week trying to find a pen that still worked and a vaguely blank piece [...]

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Ignoring the Hidden Costs

I’ve just finished writing a cheque and addressing an envelope to pay for my daughters’ music lessons in the upcoming term. Why go to all this trouble? Because the music school charges a 2% surcharge for electronic payments. So it’s cheaper for me to send them an old fashioned cheque. This all-to-common scenario illustrates one [...]

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When Simplicity costs More

This morning I needed to pay a bill for my daughters’ music lessons this term. When completing the form, I was given a number of options for payment, as we usually are. And, as we are becoming accustomed to, I was informed that if I chose to pay by credit card, there would be a [...]

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When making it simple, it’s the small stuff the matters

Many companies are using the words 'simple' or 'simplicity' in their advertising at the moment. Few would be as dedicated to actually 'living' these statements as Philips seem to be. This story demonstrates what a genuine focus on simplicity can turn up. Briefly, Philips have bought the front pages of Time Warners magazine range – [...]

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Whatever happened to the old fashioned way?

Earlier this week, the cupboard was bare. We needed some fruit and vegetables. But my wife had a bad cold and was bed-ridden, and I was working on the other side of town. So did we go without? Did we order online? Neither. My wife rang our local greengrocer, placed an order on the phone [...]

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Simplicity: a competitive advantage with an aging population

Out today is the news that Samsung have released a new phone aimed at baby boomers and seniors. There will be more of this. The population is aging, as we have all been aware for some time. If companies want this growing proportion of the population to be happy customers (and why wouldn't you – [...]

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Clarity in more than just the windscreen

Regular readers of articles on my business website will know that I often emphasise the need to make things simple for your customers. When you do that, you leave your customers happy, and happy customers are easy to manage. A great example of this idea in practice: A couple of days ago I rang O'Brien [...]

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