Comments on: New utility customer service challenges http://www.opineconsulting.com/new-utility-service-challenges/ Advises corporate and government clients globally on strategic marketing, innovation and service management Thu, 24 Jun 2010 21:25:33 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Mick Page http://www.opineconsulting.com/new-utility-service-challenges/comment-page-1/#comment-20 Mick Page Tue, 06 Apr 2010 08:49:05 +0000 http://opine.bbbtestsite.co.uk/?p=249#comment-20 It seems to me that as long as good customer service is rare, providing it even at a disproportionate cost will prove profitable - simply because users will develop a loyalty to that brand for the very reason that they are getting good customer service. In respect of providing an elegant, responsive self-service, this sounds great, but feels evasive and will only work where it is accompanied by a thoughtful, honest and genuinely helpful response to the plea for help. For example, I may contact my web host to advise that my website is corrupted. However quickly, slickly, automatedly or politely I get a response, it's of no use unless my website is restored. Telling me why it isn't restored doesn't really cut it for me. It's right and proper to acknowledge when things go wrong, to treat your clients with the honesty and integrity you expect yourself and to focus on efficient mechanisms that provide a resolution, but the complaint is only likely to be there if you fouled-up in the first place. It seems to me that as long as good customer service is rare, providing it even at a disproportionate cost will prove profitable – simply because users will develop a loyalty to that brand for the very reason that they are getting good customer service.

In respect of providing an elegant, responsive self-service, this sounds great, but feels evasive and will only work where it is accompanied by a thoughtful, honest and genuinely helpful response to the plea for help.

For example, I may contact my web host to advise that my website is corrupted. However quickly, slickly, automatedly or politely I get a response, it’s of no use unless my website is restored. Telling me why it isn’t restored doesn’t really cut it for me.

It’s right and proper to acknowledge when things go wrong, to treat your clients with the honesty and integrity you expect yourself and to focus on efficient mechanisms that provide a resolution, but the complaint is only likely to be there if you fouled-up in the first place.

]]> By: Jason Wolfe http://www.opineconsulting.com/new-utility-service-challenges/comment-page-1/#comment-10 Jason Wolfe Tue, 16 Feb 2010 13:51:56 +0000 http://opine.bbbtestsite.co.uk/?p=249#comment-10 And just to add a bit of additional material to my response, this on the BBC website seems to confirm the view that Google messed up with Buzz. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8517613.stm And just to add a bit of additional material to my response, this on the BBC website seems to confirm the view that Google messed up with Buzz.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8517613.stm

]]> By: Jason Wolfe http://www.opineconsulting.com/new-utility-service-challenges/comment-page-1/#comment-7 Jason Wolfe Mon, 15 Feb 2010 19:54:40 +0000 http://opine.bbbtestsite.co.uk/?p=249#comment-7 Historically Google have been very good at avoiding many of these issues by placing products and services in long, extended "beta" releases. This helps manage expectations a little better, and creates the time necessary to make the product as intuitive as possible. User expectations are almost universally high for these large brands, but that only turns into frustration when the product fails the "no manual needed" test. Coming back to Google again, the recent releases of Nexus One and Buzz are great examples of where they've skipped their own release process and created issues for themselves. Equally, the numbers you show for "hate" entries probably correspond to the size and ubiquity of those big offerings. Historically Google have been very good at avoiding many of these issues by placing products and services in long, extended “beta” releases. This helps manage expectations a little better, and creates the time necessary to make the product as intuitive as possible.

User expectations are almost universally high for these large brands, but that only turns into frustration when the product fails the “no manual needed” test. Coming back to Google again, the recent releases of Nexus One and Buzz are great examples of where they’ve skipped their own release process and created issues for themselves.

Equally, the numbers you show for “hate” entries probably correspond to the size and ubiquity of those big offerings.

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