http://clarityaccounting.disqus.com/Blog for Clarity Accounting, online accounting software for small businessesenFri, 29 Aug 2008 15:06:57 -0000http://www.clarityaccounting.com/blog/index.php/2008/08/27/email-customer-service/#comment-1916417I think you're right: ALL customer service reps need to be well trained, motivated and empoyered to actually help customers. I think this is easier for small companies to accomplish than large companies, but there are obviously both good and bad exceptions.dgebhardtFri, 29 Aug 2008 15:06:57 -0000http://www.clarityaccounting.com/blog/index.php/2008/08/27/email-customer-service/#comment-1896056I'm sure you will be able to implement the best customer retention strategy possible when you are no longer limited by physical form. You can visit clients in their sleep and gently program the following messages into their subconscious, "You have no problems with Hubspot, you LOVE Hubspot, you will tell ALL of your friends about Hubspot" :) Now THAT is the new frontier of marketing :PmaychuThu, 28 Aug 2008 12:15:10 -0000http://www.clarityaccounting.com/blog/index.php/2008/08/27/email-customer-service/#comment-1895981There are definitely advantages of being a small company in terms of providing a more intimate level of customer service. The real challenge for small businesses is that most of them wants to grow. It is really hard to say to yourself "No, I don't want to double my client base because I want to remain a small business". I think the key here is to give customer service team members the level of flexibility they need to do the best they can. Haven't you ever called into a call center where the customer service reps are not very useful? A great example of this is mobile phone companies. You may call in because you are annoyed about something and all they can say is "I'm sorry, our policy is ....blah blah blah" until you say, "that's it! I want to cancel my plan!" and they immediately say, "I'm sorry to hear that sir, let me transfer you ..." and you are transferred to their specially trained "customer retention department" where they will offer you all sorts of deals and kick backs. It would be more time efficient if every person you speak to is a trained "customer retention specialist".maychuThu, 28 Aug 2008 12:09:41 -0000http://www.clarityaccounting.com/blog/index.php/2008/08/27/email-customer-service/#comment-1884160Excellent post, May! Providing responsive, personalized service can be one of the greatest strengths of a small business.<br><br>My company, Cerebris, is a very small business with all of two full time employees. We try to answer support emails for our time tracking service, <a href="http://LiveTimer.com" rel="nofollow">LiveTimer.com</a>, as soon as they arrive. Our customers seem to appreciate working with people who are intimately involved in the development and planning of our service. We're usually able to answer questions and solve problems right away. It's almost impossible for large companies to match this level of service, so we try to make the most of this advantage.dgebhardtWed, 27 Aug 2008 22:26:19 -0000http://www.clarityaccounting.com/blog/index.php/2008/08/27/email-customer-service/#comment-1881057You can sleep when your dead. (smile)brian halliganWed, 27 Aug 2008 21:02:47 -0000http://www.clarityaccounting.com/blog/index.php/2008/08/27/email-customer-service/#comment-1878953Great idea, by the way - we'll definitely pass on the suggestion to add "preferred contact method" to forms.Ellie MirmanWed, 27 Aug 2008 18:18:44 -0000http://www.clarityaccounting.com/blog/index.php/2008/08/27/email-customer-service/#comment-1878939That's definitely our next step - right now we have a couple couches (with orange pillows of course) but we'll be coming out with HubSpot sleep pods soon for sure!Ellie MirmanWed, 27 Aug 2008 18:18:05 -0000http://www.clarityaccounting.com/blog/index.php/2008/08/27/email-customer-service/#comment-1878656I think maybe a feedback form that allows people to choose how they would like to be contacted would probably be the best option. If they pick phone, there could be a section that asks them when would be the best time to contact them. That way, people who want to be called are actually asking to be called and they will be expecting a call at a certain time of the day. Do you happen to have Sleep Pods at Hubspot? That would be a great investment for the health and well-being for those people who are taking "shifts" :)maychuWed, 27 Aug 2008 17:57:08 -0000http://www.clarityaccounting.com/blog/index.php/2008/08/27/email-customer-service/#comment-1878569I think you were faster than 4 hours. I shall try blogging about Hubspot again around 9 pm my time to really test your response time :PmaychuWed, 27 Aug 2008 17:50:52 -0000http://www.clarityaccounting.com/blog/index.php/2008/08/27/email-customer-service/#comment-1878557We still sleep at HubSpot. We just take turns sleeping. Shifts. Somebody has to pay attention to that forum! <br><br>Moreover, this is a great article. I still always prefer to pick up the phone when someone has a question, so I can make sure I understand what they need. But, I always ask if it's a good time to be calling.peter caputaWed, 27 Aug 2008 17:50:04 -0000http://www.clarityaccounting.com/blog/index.php/2008/08/27/email-customer-service/#comment-1878330Thanks May for the great words about HubSpot! It's true we don't sleep. We just surf the web to respond to comments about us. Seems I just made the 4-hour cutoff?Ellie MirmanWed, 27 Aug 2008 17:32:07 -0000