Philippines Call Center Industry

Fax Me a Copy of Your Facial Expression

It's faceless, untouchable and remote, yet it is the first moment of truth that your customers have with your company. A telephone can be an excellent marketing tool, or it can damage your customer relationships in ways you'll never know, because your frustrated customers will just silently go away.

You are the voice of your company. Even if you don't have control over how a call is initially answered, make sure that when a call does get to your department it is handled well.
When communicating by telephone, your choice of words is far less important than the tone of your message. You can test this out by saying "Thank you for bringing this to my attention" in four different tones. Now, repeat these same words, but each time change your tone to:

1. angry 2. happy 3. skeptical 4. stressed

Now say "Thank you for bringing this to my attention" in a happy, caring tone of voice but at the same time, cross your arms, scowl, slouch and look down. It's difficult to convey a positive tone. Your body language will negatively impact your tone even when you think you're sounding friendly.

Here are five tips for improving your telephone communications:
1-Use a telephone headset in order to communicate freely with your hands and body.
Sit up straight. When you slouch in your chair, your voice will send a message of apathy to your customers.
2-Make sure the expression on your face is a pleasant one. A smile on your face puts a smile in your voice.
3-If you don't have a headset, avoid cradling the telephone receiver between your ear and shoulder. It'll muffle the tone of your voice and make you come across as less trustworthy.
4-Be sure to include a greeting--even when you're busy. Avoid answering your phone abruptly saying, "Billing department, please hold." Instead, say, "Hello, my name is...first."
5-Use appropriate filler words to replace body language. Your caller does not have the benefit of eye contact, a smile or nod of the head to reassure them that you are still listening. The use of filler words such as, "I understand," "yes," or even, "wow," let your caller know that you are actively listening. Then your customer won't need to ask, "Are you still there?"

Get together with your team to discuss customer expectations, how to manage first impressions and techniques for showing your customers you care. Sometimes in your desire to handle customer conversations as quickly as possible, you can neglect the use of common acknowledgments as you communicate. Yet the few extra seconds it takes to add them is well worth the time. If you simply focus on getting the task done and rush through service requests, you will miss tremendous opportunities to build customer loyalty.

source : Debra J. Schmidt, a.k.a. the Loyalty Leader

Kamu Ada Dimana?

Lelaki itu memandang rembulan berjubah mega
berselimut tipis menghijab wajah nan merona
Ada ombak berdesir manja
Ada samudra membentang asa
:kamu dimana ?

Perempuan itu menatapi jam tangannya
hidangan di depan matanya menunggu doa
Ada kucing yang mondar-mandir menikmati harumnya aroma
Ada gelisah merambat dalam detak tanya
: kamu dimana?

Sepasang lelaki dan perempuan itu dalam perahu memperhatikan air lautan
deras laju mengusik rangkaian cermin masa depan
Ada keindahan cahaya bulan dalam ombak yang tenang
Ada kegaduhan dan ketakutan dalam tsunami samudra kehidupan
: lantas, kamu ada dimana?

Terbitkan Entri

May this New Year bring us more happiness and success

Taqabalallahu minna wa minkum, selamat Idul Fitri 1430H, mohon maaf lahir dan batin

Taqabalallahu minna wa minkum, selamat Idul Fitri 1430H, mohon maaf lahir dan batin

7 Ways to Move Your Customers from Satisfied to Loyalty

Forget the customer satisfaction surveys. When it boils down to determining customer loyalty, there are only two questions that you need to ask your customers:

"Will you do business with us again?"
"Will you recommend our business to others?"

If your customers answer "yes" to these questions, thank them profusely. They've just saved your company a fortune in marketing.

If your customers answer "no" to the questions, immediately ask them, "Why not?" Then, follow up with a more important question, "What could we have done differently?" Are your customers telling you that everything is fine, implying they are satisfied? If so, you may have a problem, because 65-85% of customers who say they are satisfied, actually switch to the competition.

Satisfied customers are neutral. They're keeping one eye on the road to see if someone out there will give them better value for their money. Don't settle for satisfied customers if you want to stay in business and secure your job.Here are 7 ways to move your customers from satisfied to loyal:

1. View every customer interaction as a golden opportunity.
Every interaction you have with a customer gives you the opportunity to strengthen the loyalty bond. Your customers are measuring how they are treated by every employee who provides any service. These contacts can be face-to-face, by telephone, by email and even by other written communication.

2. Deliver more than your customer expects.
Be very realistic when making even the smallest promises to your customers. In other words, don't promise anything you are not absolutely sure you can deliver. Then, take your service one step further to surprise your customers. For example, call your customers back just to thank them for giving you the opportunity to handle their service requests.

3. Greet every customer like a special friend.
Customers are thrilled when they deal with service providers who seem genuinely glad to work with them. Your whole face needs to light up with joy when they walk through the door. Greet them quickly and sincerely. If you are on the telephone, don't forget that your customers can hear a "smile" in your voice. Remember, you are talking to another person, not a headset. Even the tone of your customer email messages needs to sound friendly and gracious.

4. Ask your customers detailed questions about what they like and dislike.
Invite feedback by asking your customers to tell you how they felt about their service experience. Rather than reading from a survey or a script, simply chat with your customers and ask them what they like and dislike about doing business with you or your company. Ask open-ended questions that encourage their suggestions for improvements. For example, "Mr. Schmidt, I'd love to hear your thoughts and ideas on how we can make it even more fun to do business with us."

5. Make your customers feel important.
Feature your key customers in the company newsletter or, with permission, post their comments on your website. Introduce them to other employees when they come in to do business. Notice and acknowledge their accomplishments. For example, when one of my clients was featured in a local magazine. I purchased a copy of the magazine, attached a hand-written congratulations note and mailed it to him.

6. Communicate with your customers frequently. Stay in touch with your customers. Be proactive in keeping them posted about the status of their order or complaint resolution. Send them birthday and holiday greeting cards. Pick up the phone and call just to say, "Hello." Make sure there are no strings attached such as a sales pitch.

7. Reward your customers for their loyalty.
Don't ever take your regular customers for granted. Frequently remind them that they are genuinely appreciated. Extend a loyal customer discounts or waive small fees such as shipping expenses when they place their next order. Send them hand-written "thank you" notes that include a small gift such as a pen, gift card or calendar.

Vendors are customers, too. Treat the people who provide you with products and services with the same respect you treat your paying customers.

"Everybody can be great... because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love."
~Martin Luther King, Jr.

source :Debra Schmidt [newsletter@loyaltyleader.com]

Entahlah, Kenapa Prita...

Entah, kenapa Tuhan berikan sakit itu pada Prita
Entah, kenapa Agustus 2008 itu kakinya melangkah ke sana

RS International megah ada indikasi memberikan diagnosis yang berubah
sehingga ia ngotot minta hasil rekam medisnya
namun, mereka tak jua memberikan hak yang dipinta
keluh kesahnya melalui email ke rekan sejawat menjadi petaka

Entah, kenapa mereka itu meradang menerima keluhan
Tidak cukup hak jawabnya di koran sebagai bantahan
Dilanjutkan! ke ranah hukum karena pencemaran
Lebih cepat lebih baik bila ibu muda ini dibui di lembaga pemasyarakatan

Entah, kenapa hukum tak berhati nurani
menyuarakan hak yang berujung ke terali besi
seolah telah mati toleransi komunikasi di negeri ini
jangan..jangan lagi terjadi...

Prita, sang malaikat yang malang
kepiluan dalam dunia layanan pelanggan yang makin tak terkesan
menyeruak dalam kisah arogansi kekuasaan
semoga membuka mata hati kesadaran...
hukum bukanlah akhir dari segala kebenaran...
semoga ada jalan keluar dan hati nurani menemui keadilan...