Categoria: CRM, Customer Service

Non rifiutate mai un cliente pagante

su da Gian Carlo Mocciin CRM, Customer Service, Customer ExperienceLascia un commento

NOTA AICEX: Spesso e volentieri imprenditori e manager puntano maggiormente ad implementare progetti e prodotti che loro stessi prediligono piuttosto che ascoltare quello che davvero il cliente desidera avere e quindi comprare. L’esempio riportato nell’articolo è quello di Bill Gates e di Microsoft: ascolta, impara ed adattati.

1402351167-never-turn-down-paying-customer01

One of the biggest problems I see with new entrepreneurs is that they don’t know what a successful business is supposed to look like, and there’s a real tendency to do what sounds good, as opposed to what works in the real world.

The latest feel-good advice making the rounds is that you should be highly selective about the business you are willing to do and the clients you want to engage with. After all, if you’ve got to focus – and we can all agree that you do – why not focus on the kind of work you want to do and the kind of people you want to work with?

Seems to make sense, doesn’t it? It does … if you don’t mind living hand-to-mouth for the rest of your life.

In 30-plus years in the high-tech industry and beyond, I’ve never once seen that strategy work, but I have seen it fail dozens, if not hundreds, of times. More importantly, some of the world’s most famous entrepreneurs and companies would never have achieved a fraction of their success if they’d followed that ludicrous advice. And neither would any of the successful founders and companies I’ve worked with.

Related: How to Know When to Change Direction

I’ve got a story for you. You may have heard a popular spin on it before, but this is what really happened. Continua a leggere “Non rifiutate mai un cliente pagante” →

Cosa ci insegna Bruce Springsteen sulla Customer Experience?

su da Gian Carlo Mocciin CRM, Customer Service, Customer Experience, Customer Neuroscience, Marketing, LoyaltyLascia un commento

Bruce live at Aaron's Ampitheater in Atlanta on April 26, 2014.

NOTA AICEX: chi non conosce il detto “Costa meno mantenere  i clienti esistenti che acquisirne di nuovi”? Sembrerebbe non sia solo una questione di costi ma anche di “share of wallet”: i clienti esistenti consentono di accrescere il business molto di più dei nuovi clienti. Resta da chiedersi come mai le aziende insistano nello spendere tempo e risorse nella ricerca “del cliente in più”. Bruce Springsteen ci dà qualche dritta…

One of universal truths is that it’s easier to grow your business organically with existing customers than to constantly acquire new customers. Everyone seems to know this. But most companies still spend the majority of their time and resources generating new business.

When I used to work in the advertising world, we called new business, “the lifeblood of the agency”. Working on existing client accounts was considered boring. It was all about the thrill of the pitch.  That’s where the best talent and the best thinking was focused.

But, the reality is that it’s easier and cheaper to get more business from your current customers than to constantly chase new customers. Continua a leggere “Cosa ci insegna Bruce Springsteen sulla Customer Experience?” →

WHEN NOT TO ASK FOR THE SALE

su da Gian Carlo Mocciin CRM, Customer Service, Customer ExperienceLascia un commento

NOTA AICEX: reputazione e user experience sono fondamentali quando il cliente approccia una azienda per acquistarne prodotti e servizi.

When you’re on the wrong side of a user experience it’s easy to clue into the little things that count. I had an experience with my domain provider that caused me to stop and think about customer experiences that influence choices.

Let me explain. Have you ever agonized over naming something? It could be a project, a course, or in my case a domain name. Domain names can be difficult to choose, because many short, easy to remember, promising names are taken. There’s a lot of pressure in choosing and purchasing a domain name and it’s usually accompanied by analysis paralysis, as well as second guessing.

In my situation, I had chosen a name for a website business I was considering, but after much thought (and delay) I called my domain provider and asked if I could have a return on the purchase of the domain name I chose.

I knew this was a long shot (you will sometimes have a week to change your mind, not several) so I was prepared for a “no” answer. When I received the “no”, I asked if a credit was possible (always have a back-up plan). Again, I was prepared to hear – sorry we can’t do that. What I didn’t expect was a pitch to buy another product. They were willing to give me a discount if I decided to buy another one of their services.

Insert dumbfounded look here. An ewww feeling slowly crept into my mind. This is the kind of stuff that gives sales a bad name. It seemed to be a situation of a company taking advantage of a customer’s situation to up sell on another product. I spent money on a domain name I wasn’t happy with and I was willing to live with the consequences, but I wasn’t prepared to make another purchase to solve my problem of being stuck with a previous purchasing mistake.

I’ve always had fantastic customer service experiences with this company, so I was more than surprised. There are other details to the story, but the gist of what I’m trying to share is that sales and the customer experience is part of a business’s brand.

Yes, brand is about logo and packaging and tag lines and other visual stuff which communicates style, but it’s also about what you stand for and how you communicate that with the people you interact with. Brand is style and substance. After a customer purchases something, they connect you with how that made them feel. If they’re unhappy with a purchase, they connect that to how they felt about how it was handled.

This applies to selling a product, a service, or your skills. It applies to real life relationships too. If you’re flaky in your day-to-day life, you’re probably flaky in business too. I worked for a boss once that flip-flopped on decisions like a fish out of water. It was the most frustrating experience to work for him and unfortunately, since he represented the company, I walked away having yucky feelings about the company as well.

Reputation is everything, and if you have a good one it’s because people trust you and know what to expect. They know what you stand for. They know your quality, service and value. If you let them down, it affects your reputation. If you treat them like a cog, it affects your reputation. Being treated like a cog is the worst feeling.

In my particular situation, I appreciate all of the positive experiences I’ve had with this company, as well as previous purchases, so I’m more than willing to let this experience slide and continue as a customer, though, a cautious customer.

They’re a company and I get that they’re trying to sell products and want to grow in their field (who doesn’t!), but a little sensitivity goes a long way. Negotiations and exchanges are part of life. Timing and context is everything – in business, in comedy and life.

On a side note, I found a wonderful site you might be interested in. It’s a tumblr blog called Unsplash.com. Photographers submit their photos for people to use and the talent is incredible. The photo I used here was taken by Jonas Nilsson Lee.

Ciao, for now. F.

Source : http://filiokondylis.wordpress.com/2014/05/30/when-not-to-ask-for-the-sale/

AICEX

8 passi per introdurre la Cultura del Cliente in Azienda

su da Gian Carlo Mocciin CRM, Customer Service, Customer NeuroscienceLascia un commento

Nota AICEX: “People Satisfaction for Customer Satisfaction” recitava un vecchio slogan. Le aziende sono fatte di persone, quindi è inevitabile che le persone abbiano un ruolo centrale sia lato fornitore che lato Cliente. Talvolta lo dimentichiamo salvo poi ricordarlo quando la situazione evolve come non vorremo.

Declining budgets often lead to reduced staff levels and diminished services. To me, this does not make sense. I believe that it is during the down times, when service should be at the forefront and retention of loyal customers even more of a focus.

This is a guest post by Anthony Mullins, corporate trainer with Elite Coaching Alliance. When price wars fail to drive revenues, businesses often look to service to give them a competitive advantage. Many big business marketers are returning to a “service sells” mentality, however, many sell great customer service and few deliver. The problem is that few marketers have ever truly served a customer.
Throughout my years in business, I have had the opportunity to interact and develop a customer service philosophy. It is inherent that when you are in a service-based business, there will be times when your customer is compelled to offer you their feedback. It is what you do with this feedback that will shape the future and their impression of your business.

“Every company’s greatest assets are its customers, because without customers there is no company,” –Erwin Frand

Upon reflection, most all of my interactions with displeased customers were not the result of a poor product, but rather a disappointing customer experience. Why is that? Because, product is not personal, customer service is. Briefly, I would like to share with you eight critical steps to establish a customer service culture.

1. Customers are the reason for work, not an interruption of work

Continua a leggere “8 passi per introdurre la Cultura del Cliente in Azienda” →