We’re all consumers and customers, and at some point we will have experienced the automated call systems that companies of all shapes and sizes have implemented to drive their telephonic customer service systems.
On the increase is speech analytics – a computer controlled system which analyses the speech of a caller which can be used to [...]

Everybody’s heard of the old adage ‘the customer is always right’. However, in the ever increasingly tough environment of business today, customer care and customer relationship management is more important than ever.
That’s why organisations are sending more and more of their customer service staff on soft skills training. But what are some of the key [...]

Let’s look at the last few tips in this series of articles designed to remind you what not do when dealing with an angry customer.
Tip Seven: Don’t be an ostrich
Burying your head in the sand and ignoring the problem isn’t going to make it go away. Chances are it will swim around at the back [...]

This is the second article in a series of three reminding the recipient of a customer complaint of behaviour and actions that they should avoid.
Tip Four: Don’t take it personally
Unfortunately, you have drawn the short straw for the customer to vent their spleen. Their anger may be directed towards you, but it’s not you they [...]

Even the best businesses suffer from complaints from time to time. Of course, we all hope everything has been planned and organised so that problems don’t occur in the first place, but it’s inevitable that a few tricky situations will slip through the net.
This is the time when your customer service soft skills training really [...]

Many organisations wisely spend their money on putting individuals on management training courses in order to enable them to maximise the potential of their teams and individuals. It’s good news for UK industry, as it solidifies its position as a world leader in the ‘knowledge industry’, which has talented and trained people at its core.
Many [...]

There is an American ‘relationship counsellor’ (a loose term) who controversially advocates you should treat your wife, husband, girlfriend or boyfriend like your employee.
The argument is something like this; there should be an expectation of positive attitude and contribution, levels of trust, understanding and compassion, and negative behaviour if not curbed should result in dismissal.
This [...]

Many organisations spend a great deal of time and money in attracting new clients to try and help boost their business, or in the case of the current economic climate, just to stay afloat.
What many wise company leaders realise is that investing effort into retaining their existing client base, and looking for opportunities to extend [...]

If your business is good, and orders are coming in, it often feels like you might not have to the time to take a step back for a spot of analysing. Well, many very successful organisations are sending their management teams on management training courses to better their analytical skills. One such field worth looking [...]

In an effort to improve the efficiency, effectiveness and excellence of public services, the Government has a scheme for Customer Service Excellence. It was designed to provide a “practical tool” for delivering customer centric service to a high standard.
The Customer Service Excellence Standard focus on areas which research has indentified as most important in the [...]

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