Saturday, July 21, 2007
Finding 800 Numbers Can Be Tough
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Sprint to Cancel Complainers' Service
Sprint's recent decision to cancel customers who call for service too often, creates an opportunity for their competitors to highlight better customer service policies and gain current and future customers.
http://www.kansascity.com/637/story/183432.html posted by Lorna Rankin at 8:13 PM
http://www.kansascity.com/637/story/183432.html posted by Lorna Rankin at 8:13 PM
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
"CEOs Think Customer Service Is Great"
Red Tape Chronicles is MSNBC.com's effort to unmask government bureaucracy, corporate sneakiness and outright scam artists. Check out their article on the corporate take on customer service:
"CEOs Think Customer Service is Great" posted by Lorna Rankin at 10:11 PM
"CEOs Think Customer Service is Great" posted by Lorna Rankin at 10:11 PM
Monday, May 14, 2007
Verizon's Easy 0 Service
In a recent press release, Verizon announced the expansion of its "Easy 0" service.
Easy 0 is now available to Verizon customers in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C.
I think it would be helpful and easy for all companies to publish their phone menus. It wouldn't eliminate the issues, but would certainly help. posted by Lorna Rankin at 10:35 AM
Easy 0 is now available to Verizon customers in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C.
I think it would be helpful and easy for all companies to publish their phone menus. It wouldn't eliminate the issues, but would certainly help. posted by Lorna Rankin at 10:35 AM
Friday, April 27, 2007
Llance Kezner has done a superb job of mapping the agent-guided IVR (Interactive Voice Response) technology to the gethuman core principles. Agent-guided technology is where the caller interacts with self-service in a conventional fashion and the progress is monitored and guided by a human agent.
Check it out: http://www.changingcallcenters.com/2007/04/meeting-gethumans-core-principals-with.html posted by Walt Tetschner at 4:33 PM
Check it out: http://www.changingcallcenters.com/2007/04/meeting-gethumans-core-principals-with.html posted by Walt Tetschner at 4:33 PM
Friday, April 13, 2007
Goog411
REPLY: A live person at a fair price would be great, IF it existed. However, given that it doesn't exist, GOOG411 is a reasonable alternative, hitting on three items that are huge for most consumers: It's cheap, convenient and safe. It quickly finds the phone number that you're looking for and connects you at no additional charge. No irritating ads and no need to take your eyes off the road while you write done the phone number. I tested this product several times and had the same easy experience each time.
COMMENT: Have you tried goog411? I have and wasn't impressed. Besides, isn't goog411 sortof the antithesis of what this site is all about? Wouldn't you rather talk to a live person at a fair price (assuming that service were available)?
ORIGINAL POST: I've gotten some feedback on this post Goog 411 is a free, automated voice service to lookup phone numbers. (Damn the phone companies for charging us $1.50 for each 411 call.) Did I mention that Goog 411 was free? posted by Lorna Rankin at 10:48 PM
COMMENT: Have you tried goog411? I have and wasn't impressed. Besides, isn't goog411 sortof the antithesis of what this site is all about? Wouldn't you rather talk to a live person at a fair price (assuming that service were available)?
ORIGINAL POST: I've gotten some feedback on this post Goog 411 is a free, automated voice service to lookup phone numbers. (Damn the phone companies for charging us $1.50 for each 411 call.) Did I mention that Goog 411 was free? posted by Lorna Rankin at 10:48 PM
Monday, April 02, 2007
ATA Self-regulation attempting to pre-empt regulation
The American Teleservices Association (ATA) is holding a conference in Washington DC on legislation that would impact the teleservices industry. They plan to introduce a set of self-regulatory standards at the conference. The ATA has identified five (5) pending bills seeking to impose regulations for inbound call centers. Each of these bills is addressing the need for consumers to be able to reach a human promptly when they need one. The bills are:
Oklahoma H.B. 2783. Customer Service by an Actual Human Being Act. At any point during an inbound call the consumer has the right to “press zero” and get connected to a live operator.
New York A.B. 10446. Establishes the department of insurance shall require every health insurer group health plan, health maintenance organization, or other entity offering medical benefits, whether by insurance or otherwise, to provide residents of this state with a way to bypass the automated telephone answering service of such health insurer, group health plan, health maintenance organization, or other entity offering medical benefits.
Rhode Island H.B. 7660. First, RI HB 7660 requires all cell phone companies to provide their customers with direct toll-free numbers to corporate contacts “other than automated answering system” in order to resolve inquiries relating to cell phone service. Second, it requires cell phone companies to document all customer inquires and record the time, in minutes, spent resolving the issues raised by the customer. Third, “upon resolution of any inquiry or dispute related to billing or service which is resolved in the customers favor, said customer shall be credited on their account one dollar for every minute spent resolving the issue or dispute.”
New Jersey A.B. 2089. Provides that "if a telecommunications company utilizes an automated answering system or response system during normal business hours, the company shall have trained company representatives available to respond to customer telephone inquiries and shall inform customers that they may have access to a company representative in lieu of the automated system.”
New Jersey A.B. 2712. Same as A.B. 2089, but targets cable televisions companies. posted by Walt Tetschner at 10:19 AM
Oklahoma H.B. 2783. Customer Service by an Actual Human Being Act. At any point during an inbound call the consumer has the right to “press zero” and get connected to a live operator.
New York A.B. 10446. Establishes the department of insurance shall require every health insurer group health plan, health maintenance organization, or other entity offering medical benefits, whether by insurance or otherwise, to provide residents of this state with a way to bypass the automated telephone answering service of such health insurer, group health plan, health maintenance organization, or other entity offering medical benefits.
Rhode Island H.B. 7660. First, RI HB 7660 requires all cell phone companies to provide their customers with direct toll-free numbers to corporate contacts “other than automated answering system” in order to resolve inquiries relating to cell phone service. Second, it requires cell phone companies to document all customer inquires and record the time, in minutes, spent resolving the issues raised by the customer. Third, “upon resolution of any inquiry or dispute related to billing or service which is resolved in the customers favor, said customer shall be credited on their account one dollar for every minute spent resolving the issue or dispute.”
New Jersey A.B. 2089. Provides that "if a telecommunications company utilizes an automated answering system or response system during normal business hours, the company shall have trained company representatives available to respond to customer telephone inquiries and shall inform customers that they may have access to a company representative in lieu of the automated system.”
New Jersey A.B. 2712. Same as A.B. 2089, but targets cable televisions companies. posted by Walt Tetschner at 10:19 AM
