Taking care of Business
| Category: Customer Service | Date: 2003-11-28 |
So youve set up your online business and youre ready to go. You feel like your online status has changed. Now you get to call some of the shots. You feel like youve grabbed some of the awesome power of the Internet. Forgive me for laughing but it wont be long before you realize just how little power you actually have.
As online business owners, we are still online consumers. Only now, our very business is dependent upon the treatment we receive from other online companies. We need products and we need services - and they had better work if we expect our business to be successful.
We are often at the mercy of other online companies - and those who ride rough-shod over their customers are right at the top of my list of Internet Pond Scum. I write a whole weekly column just to expose them. But today, Im going to tell you about one of the higher Internet life forms Ive come in contact with lately. We could all learn a lot from this company.
A little background:
iCop is in the process of setting up its corporate structure. Since merchant account providers want contracts, it isnt feasible to contract with one until that legal entity is fully in place. In the meantime, we need to out-source our online payment service. What a nightmare!
I have personally gone through four different services. Two disappeared into the night taking the money with them. One was sold and the new owners couldnt bother to answer email or return phone calls. Of these three - two of them were LARGE companies. The fourth was missing fraud control systems causing problems for clients due to some fraudulent transactions on the part of Internet thieves.
Having gone through these harrowing experiences, I just spent a month researching online payment out-sourcing companies. Most charge exorbitant fees - hold back unnecessarily high amounts of your funds - for ridiculous amounts of time. Their "Terms and Conditions" are created to protect themselves and to heck with you. Theyll do as they please.
Most of the services I tried to investigate couldnt even be bothered to answer my email - much less talk to me on the telephone! Remember the telephone? Its that thing that allows us to speak with someone right now. Its that thing we used to use to leave someone a message - knowing they would call us back! Its that thing that should ALWAYS be answered during business hours.
And then it happened ...
I was hit by a breath of fresh air! I ran into an out-sourcing company run by what I can only call, "Real Pros."
Remember now that I was loaded for bear as I conducted my search. I ask the HARD questions and I expect answers. I want things to work and if they dont - I want them fixed. Heres what I found at one particular company ...
They have a toll-free telephone number and - SURPRISE! Someone actually answers the phone during business hours. I called them three times just trying to make a decision as to whether to hire their service. This is one of the mistakes people make when choosing online services. Remember - YOU are hiring THEM. You are about give THEM part of YOUR income. You have a right to have your questions answered.
This company knows how to use a telephone rather than trying to avoid contact with their clients. I spoke with three different people there - including a technician. All were friendly, patient and helpful. All questions were answered fully and without hesitation. I didnt find myself being "shined-on" a single time. Downright astonishing!
Their service is reasonable in every way - including cost. Everything is simple and everything is geared toward the clients best interests. "Terms & Conditions?" Fair and not bogged down in meaningless legalese. Add to that - people running the company who are truly interested in serving their clients success. What a concept!
I signed up!
My account could be set up instantly. During the course of setting up the shopping cart, I ran into one small glitch. I realized later that - being the techno-idiot that I am - it was my own error. At the time, I sent an email to the company and the glitch was corrected - on THAT end - FOR me.
It needed to be fixed - they fixed it - and without comment that it was my own fault. Nor, did I receive any comment when I asked another question due to my own failure to slow down and read directions. I simply received their - very patient and very pleasant - answer to my question.
Now, heres the piиce de rйsistance. One evening last week a tornado hit the city where I live. Downtown Fort Worth being devastated by a tornado was newsworthy and it hit the wires. The very next day, I received the following email:
Hi jl,
Just checking in with you to make sure youre ok after the storm that passed through Ft. Worth yesterday. I heard on the radio this morning that three people were killed with over 100 people injured. Wow, mustve been a big one! Hope you didnt sustain any damage.
Take care,
[Signature], Vice President, Operations [Company]
Now THAT, Dear Readers, is Customer SERVICE! It took him about two minutes to write it and its going to pay BIG dividends for his company. Not just from me, but from every customer who receives this kind of treatment.
Yep - a breath of fresh air!
About the author:
dr. jl scott is the Director of the International Council of Online Professionals (iCop) - and also the publisher of MONDAY MEMO! - the ezine dedicated to upgrading Professionalism on the Web. For your FREE subscription: Monday-Memo-on@MondayMemo.org
jlscott@i-Cop.org
http://www.i-cop.org/
As online business owners, we are still online consumers. Only now, our very business is dependent upon the treatment we receive from other online companies. We need products and we need services - and they had better work if we expect our business to be successful.
We are often at the mercy of other online companies - and those who ride rough-shod over their customers are right at the top of my list of Internet Pond Scum. I write a whole weekly column just to expose them. But today, Im going to tell you about one of the higher Internet life forms Ive come in contact with lately. We could all learn a lot from this company.
A little background:
iCop is in the process of setting up its corporate structure. Since merchant account providers want contracts, it isnt feasible to contract with one until that legal entity is fully in place. In the meantime, we need to out-source our online payment service. What a nightmare!
I have personally gone through four different services. Two disappeared into the night taking the money with them. One was sold and the new owners couldnt bother to answer email or return phone calls. Of these three - two of them were LARGE companies. The fourth was missing fraud control systems causing problems for clients due to some fraudulent transactions on the part of Internet thieves.
Having gone through these harrowing experiences, I just spent a month researching online payment out-sourcing companies. Most charge exorbitant fees - hold back unnecessarily high amounts of your funds - for ridiculous amounts of time. Their "Terms and Conditions" are created to protect themselves and to heck with you. Theyll do as they please.
Most of the services I tried to investigate couldnt even be bothered to answer my email - much less talk to me on the telephone! Remember the telephone? Its that thing that allows us to speak with someone right now. Its that thing we used to use to leave someone a message - knowing they would call us back! Its that thing that should ALWAYS be answered during business hours.
And then it happened ...
I was hit by a breath of fresh air! I ran into an out-sourcing company run by what I can only call, "Real Pros."
Remember now that I was loaded for bear as I conducted my search. I ask the HARD questions and I expect answers. I want things to work and if they dont - I want them fixed. Heres what I found at one particular company ...
They have a toll-free telephone number and - SURPRISE! Someone actually answers the phone during business hours. I called them three times just trying to make a decision as to whether to hire their service. This is one of the mistakes people make when choosing online services. Remember - YOU are hiring THEM. You are about give THEM part of YOUR income. You have a right to have your questions answered.
This company knows how to use a telephone rather than trying to avoid contact with their clients. I spoke with three different people there - including a technician. All were friendly, patient and helpful. All questions were answered fully and without hesitation. I didnt find myself being "shined-on" a single time. Downright astonishing!
Their service is reasonable in every way - including cost. Everything is simple and everything is geared toward the clients best interests. "Terms & Conditions?" Fair and not bogged down in meaningless legalese. Add to that - people running the company who are truly interested in serving their clients success. What a concept!
I signed up!
My account could be set up instantly. During the course of setting up the shopping cart, I ran into one small glitch. I realized later that - being the techno-idiot that I am - it was my own error. At the time, I sent an email to the company and the glitch was corrected - on THAT end - FOR me.
It needed to be fixed - they fixed it - and without comment that it was my own fault. Nor, did I receive any comment when I asked another question due to my own failure to slow down and read directions. I simply received their - very patient and very pleasant - answer to my question.
Now, heres the piиce de rйsistance. One evening last week a tornado hit the city where I live. Downtown Fort Worth being devastated by a tornado was newsworthy and it hit the wires. The very next day, I received the following email:
Hi jl,
Just checking in with you to make sure youre ok after the storm that passed through Ft. Worth yesterday. I heard on the radio this morning that three people were killed with over 100 people injured. Wow, mustve been a big one! Hope you didnt sustain any damage.
Take care,
[Signature], Vice President, Operations [Company]
Now THAT, Dear Readers, is Customer SERVICE! It took him about two minutes to write it and its going to pay BIG dividends for his company. Not just from me, but from every customer who receives this kind of treatment.
Yep - a breath of fresh air!
About the author:
dr. jl scott is the Director of the International Council of Online Professionals (iCop) - and also the publisher of MONDAY MEMO! - the ezine dedicated to upgrading Professionalism on the Web. For your FREE subscription: Monday-Memo-on@MondayMemo.org
jlscott@i-Cop.org
http://www.i-cop.org/
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