I get a lot of new blogs suggested to me and most I subscribe to and read for few days and stop reading them after a while, at which point I unsubscribe… I only stay subscribed to those I like to read or gain value from. The latest I came across is Doug Hanna's site. It's got a lot of information that can generate some good ideas.
Yesterday I made my first trip to visit our new office
building located next to the University Mall, and I am extremely excited to
make the move. The office is in the
final stages of being built, and as the first tenants, we were able to help
design the office layout.
Massive amounts of windows, a proper kitchen, and the layout and location of offices all add value for our company and will make us operate even more efficiently. What I'm most pleased about, however, is the center section of the office, which will be designated for Customer Care.
I have really enjoyed our stay in the Corporate Research Center, and it's been a great place to work. In fact, we'll be maintaining a stealth office here for special development projects, as well as maintaining some other smaller offices for other needs.
One of the challenges we've overcome with our growth is expanding to new sections in our current office building. While we've been able to make the most of it and actually benefit from the challenges, having our entire technical support team in this new arrangement will allow us to communicate even more effectively, as well as be even closer to members of our development team (right now we're only twenty yards away… but that will shrink to about four yards).
The move will be exciting. Thanks in large part to Shierod Russell and Kirk Averett,
the move will be smooth and even while moving our phone system and office
computers, we'll still be able to maintain our immediate response time to our
customers!
One thing it seems our Customer Care team and SMB Sales team re-addresses every few quarters for our customers that sign up for our services online is the welcome email they receive.
2. Welcome email with domain and email set-up instructions, including links to webmail user manuals, administrative control panel manuals, and instructions on how to configure desktop email clients.
3. An email which lets them know how to contact us and to let them know about our company blog.
The challenge we face is that there is so much information we think is vital for our new customers, or we think our customers think is vital. Yet, the realistic nature of this beast is that people want the information that they want when they want it, and would prefer not to read though a long email to find it.
Through one of my co-workers,
If you check out the comments, you can see some people LOVE the shorter notes with simplicity, and some would rather have a longer email with the details.
Ben
Our Customer Care team at Webmail.us guarantees an immediate response time, and while that doesn't promise a reply within a specific number of minutes, I can generally say that the reply normally comes within five to ten minutes, but sometimes it's a little longer, and we do track the response times.
Based on volume though, it can be a few minutes before the ticket is reviewed, but one challenge is the actual troubleshooting. While some issues are easy to figure out based on the information provided by the customer, some do take some real digging before we know what the scoop is. Sometimes the issue even has to be escalated to other engineers with more technical knowledge or even with access to more tools.
In frequent cases were escalations occur, we need more information before we can finish troubleshooting or before escalating the issue. When we write or call back, we like to try and obtain all the information we'll likely need, as this prevents us from having to interrupt the customer again and again and ask for more information which delays the time of the ultimate resolution.
I have another blog devoted just to soccer, but I'm so over the moon because of the performance of my players, I've got to share! The Virginia Tech Soccer Club scored seven… and let in zero in our first domestic game of the spring season.
It's not winning by a bunch of goals that excites me, after all, we've put nine past the Virginia Military Institute's soccer club a year and a half ago, and seven past UMD-Baltimore County last fall… but what's positive is the ruthless approach to the game our players displayed, and their ability to score seven goals out of ten chances.
When such an emphasis on focus, tight organized defending, aggressive and fast attacking, and most of all, finishing chances is put on a team for several weeks, it's rewarding and exciting to see the rewards in the first game, and creates a positive feeling and expectation for the remainder of the season.
I normally indicate whether or not I'm happy with a game based on how we play, not just the result, and despite the big win, I can truly say I'm actually excited about how we played… but the score is fun to say ;)
This morning it when I woke up and popped my head outside I realized that it is a special day, or was a special day now that there is just over an hour left in it. I'm guessing that most of the few that catch this blog may not have known that March 21 is the first day of Spring.
When I talk with someone about working for our Customer Care department here at Webmail.us, one question I always ask is what tactics the applicant likes to use when dealing with an upset person on the phone.
Whether the issue is something on our end or not, we're always eager to identify what it is, and when it's something we can help with, we do. But when someone on the phone is upset, my personal opinion is that they may have had experiences with other companies wherein they must clearly purvey their level of frustration in order to get help right away (and may not know that immediate help is what our Customer Care team provides if they've not ever worked with us before).
There always exists too the possibility that they've just had a rotten day all around… for all we know, it's pouring rain where they live, they woke up to find their beloved pet passed away during the night, their car broke down, and right before calling us, the principal of their child's school just called them to report misbehavior, and to top it all off, they're getting an error when trying to download an email. All we can know for sure is that the person on the other end of the phone is upset.
So what then is the best way to handle this?
I have my own view… and I feel many people do the same, but may not think of it as a tactic per say… just what they naturally do by instinct (although I'm sure many do the opposite).
It's simple… just listen.
Let the person talk, and let them get everything out and off of their chest. Let them explain that their frustrated, what they've done already to try and fix it in vein, why it's important for this to work right now, and let them again explain that they're frustrated. Let them get it all out. As they do, acknowledge their pain… by listening, and confirming (maybe with the odd "uh hmmm" or "hmmm") to reassure them that you are still there on the phone listening.
Listen… avoiding at all costs any urge you may have to interrupt or any urge you may have to defend yourself, company, or your product and instead, just listen.
Then, when it's your turn to speak, confirm you've listened by summarizing their problem… but just the meat so you can let the customer know you were listening and confirm what you've understood to be the issue. Then acknowledge that you understand why it's causing pain.
Next… let them know that you're there to help… but incase you may have to escalate the issue, add on "and if I can't, I'm going to find someone who can." Besides assuring them of help, that also adds one other point in a subtle way: ownership of the issue. I'm going to help and believe I can solve this for you, but if I can't solve this for you, I will find someone who can.
That's much different from passing them up the chain to whomever may get the ticket when you escalate it, and this gives comfort to a customer who needs it, and that's one component of Customer Care.
When my good friend and co-worker, Brian Matthews , and I do an
interview together for someone applying to work with us at Webmail.us, there's
one question he frequently asks, and the answer is one I'm always eager to
hear. It's normally restricted to
applicants to our Customer Care team, but I've heard him ask applicants for
other positions as well. The question
is, how one would describe great Customer Care? Now for anyone reading this who may apply, let me please forewarn you
that Brian often includes parameters for the answer… but it's worth
it to give that a good think if you are applying to a role in our Customer Care
department.
Today was my first day back in the office after my longest vacation since joining Webmail.us… I got to travel with the Virginia Tech Men's Club Soccer Team, whom I'm fortunate enough to coach in my spare time, to Barcelona, Spain.
Still though... there's no place like home and I'm happy to be back and in fifth gear at the office :)
VTSC to
This morning when I left the home I shut the door on my ’95 Ford Taurus for the final time. It doesn’t drive (probably as a result of not having transmission fluid which is because of a leak which stemmed from two broken motor mounts) and until last night hadn’t even been started since August.
It serves no more purpose other than to be an eye sore, so I finally got around to arranging for it to be picked up by a local charity. Still though, it was a fine automobile, and one I drove from tip to tip of the east coast on many occasions. It was in the shop a few times, but more than likely that was a result of my driving style than anything else.
I really enjoyed the Taurus and have many fond memories and experiences that occurred in it. I’m actually sorry to have to give it away. Had I time or interest, I would have loved to keep it to work on it and learn about how cars work with the Taurus being my practice car. Alas though, learning about car motors and such is not an interest of mine at this point and thus it’s not a priority.
Ah, but what a nice ride I had in my Highlander on the way to work :)
