Customer Service is Getting Better!

Through the last 5 to 6 years our customer service in the US has been atrocious and I would cringe every time I thought I would have to use customer service on most every product I was using. You couldn't understand what they were saying; they really had no idea what they were doing and we couldn't figure out what the heck to do. I purchased about 1 ½ ago a HP Desktop computer with all the bells and whistles, I also got a 2 year service agreement which I have used a few times and it has paid for that service contract 5 fold.

The greatest part of this is the fact that HP technicians all spoke very clear American English and also knew what the heck they were doing and if they didn't know they would tell you and still try to resolve the problem. They resolved every problem I had and very quickly.

I had a big problem last week with a Microsoft program, Windows Movie Maker, which I have used many times but not on a big project. This project was 7 times larger than any of the other video/movies I had put together with music and pictures. I was confident that I could get it done but was under a dead line to get it done within 5 days. My husband and I worked together scanning the pictures into the computer and got that done in one day. From there on I started placing the pictures in and then the music, all of a sudden the program quit responding and I had to keep rebooting it. Sometimes it would save, sometimes it newouldn't, it was very frustrating and nerve racking, to say the least. I started reading what was on the Knowledge base at Microsoft and found nothing about this problem, I did a Google search and there were a lot of idiotic things to try and fix it, no of them work! I suggest you check with Microsoft and not take suggestions that on out there on the search engines, it could hurt your system and then you have more of a headache.

On the 4th day I finally called Microsoft, I told them the problem and they documented it but told me that I needed to contact HP, the one who held the license and they would help me. I thought, oh boy here we go with a run around game. So I called HP and they were Awesome, helping me out and getting the problem resolved.

The best part is still to come! HP called me the next day after going to the event that we needed this for, and asked how everything went and did they help with the problem. I was very excited and told them, that from my experience I will always buy HP and will tell everyone to Buy HP. Their service is impeccable and you can understand them, they are in the US.

Next day Microsoft call me and ask me if I got the problem resolve. I told them yes and that they needed to update their Knowledge base with the information I had went through trying to get this movie done. They were very receptive and took every step down and assured me that it would be posted to the knowledge base. They thanked me for being so generous with the information and also told me that they are improving their customer service. I truly believe that they are. I could understand the representative very well and I can't be certain but it seemed to me that the rep was from the US. Also when I called originally for the problem the person I talked to also seemed to be American or was very proficient in English.

I really hope we are starting to get the jobs back in the US and our customer service coming back to the US. I know one thing I am more apt to buying products that have a US support team and US customer service. We need the jobs back and also we need to use those people in the US that can get the job done and not frustrate us by poor language or poor customer service. They need to remember Customer service is the best calling card you can have to generate new business.

Carolyn Roome
303-816-7112
http://getyourlifebackonline.com
http://mountaingirlllc.com
Credit Repair 100% money back guarantee!
$500.00 No Monthly Fees, No hidden charges.

Help Your Customer Feel Safe and Snuggly on Your Website!

Have you ever been instantly sketched out by an online purchase that you made? In all likelihood, the reason for that uneasy feeling was bad communication on the part of the seller.

What's bad communication?

Bad communication is instructions that confuse your reader. What's confusing? Anything that can be interpreted in more than one way. An example:

Saying, "You can buy this software for just $80" and then including just one other link on the page which says "Sign up for a membership instantly!"

Which is it? Do I get a "membership" for $80, or do I get the software? Or does being a member constitute getting access to the software? Where is the logical order progression here? Web marketing professionals: do you see the disconnect? Think that might discourage your visitor from clicking? You bet it might!

Bad communication is hitting SUBMIT and sending your credit card info over the airwaves only to get NO product link in return!

Bad communication is receiving emails related to that purchase from an UNKNOWN ADDRESS.

Bad communication is clicking HELP, and being thrust into the hands of a new website that looks nothing like the one you just bought from and makes no mention of the purchased item!

You may know this feeling of purchasing from a company that doesn't effectively communicate with their customer. Is this the same feeling you'd want your guests to experience when visiting and/or buying from your site? OF COURSE IT ISN'T.

The fact is, if someone's making an online purchase from you, then that buyer should NEVER EVER feel instant paranoia after sending you money! You may know that you're a perfectly honest human being with good intentions. But your visiting web guest does not know that. So here's a GREAT reason why you need trained, experienced professionals to build your business website:

Your customer deserves to feel SAFE, SNUGGLY AND WELL-CARED FOR when buying from you.

That means:

- Hiring a professional, experienced web designer to help you build your site

- Hiring a professional, experienced COPYWRITER, to write clear, detailed and unmistakably explicit instructions on how to purchase your product

- Implementing a seamless back office system to run your processes 100% smoothly

- Providing expert customer service in HUMAN FORM, available 24-7 to answer questions

Why go through all this trouble? Because if your customer doesn't feel safe and snuggly after being on your website, you can bet that he won't be back and you won't ever get to know his friends.

General Tips on How to Help Your Customer Feel Well-Cared For on Your Website:

If you plan to redirect people from, say, a sales page to a Help Desk page, then display your LOGO and company name ON BOTH PAGES, with specific references to your product line. This way, your customer can feel confident that he's landed in the right place and is in touch with the key people!

If you set up automated emails to folks who sign up for your website memberships, then make sure those emails list YOUR NAME AND COMPANY NAME as they know it. Don't assume your customer knows that "marketingguy@aol.com" is you when they've just ordered from your site of an entirely different name.

If you're including instructions on how to make an online purchase, they had better be dead-on specific with not a HAIR of room for misinterpretation. And above all, make your contact information readily available on every page of your site.

If you're hoping to become the next specialized guru in your niche, then you'd best give people a few good reasons to qualify you for that status! SAFE AND SNUGGLY means NO CUTTING CORNERS. Want to commit the worst selling crime in the world? Don't test your purchase links before making them live. Trust me, there is no quicker way to make your customer RUN NOT WALK in the other direction!

Did your customer give you his credit card number with promise for payment, but you haven't delivered the goods due to technical failure? That's really bad! Don't ever let this happen, and NEVER make promises in your sales letter that YOU CAN'T KEEP.

Running your own web business is so much more complicated than people think. If you want to lead the pack, build a trusted customer base and keep business pouring in, then really look into getting some professionals to help perfect your system! Trust me, it will pay off in the long run.

Copyright 2005 Dina Giolitto, Wordfeeder.com

Liked this article? Have more of the same emailed to your inbox each month. Sign up for the Copywriting and Marketing Ezine from Dina at Wordfeeder.com and learn to write search engine friendly web copy and market your web based business for free.