Gmail has another competitor, this one coming from Middle Earth. The Hobbits over at Planet-Tolkien.com have launched Shiremail, an email service that offers a 1 gigabyte storage amount for its members. Because they were not blessed with Google’s resources, Shiremail costs members 3.50 (pound sterling) a month.
Cell Phone Q&A Service To Challenge Search Engines
IssueBits.com, a telecommunications information company, has created a question answering service called Any Question Answered. The service was designed to help customers find answers through text messages. AQA differs from search engines in that you receive an answer to the question you posed, not a list of links that may have the information you seek.
SocialGrid Looks To Change Google Into Free Dating Service
As search engines look to expand their role in the web universe; Google with Orkut, Yahoo with HotJobs, SocialGrid.com is looking to make Google into an online dating service using tools already available to the search engine. SocialGrid does this by having users insert searchable metadata tags into their personal web pages.
Three Business Lessons From The US Postal Service
There was a buzz in the air recently about the US Postal Service. Seems as though they were running into a budget deficit in the billions.
The Critical Ingredients for Great Customer Service
I never thought I would get to a point in my life where all I wanted to do was to “simplify it”. Like it or not, I guess I am there. I am not saying I am “old”, I just remember a time when “Spam” stayed in a can and when viruses were something you could avoid if you washed your hands frequently. Now, both of those words arouse thoughts of annoyances in my busy day.
Tips for Curing Bad Customer Service
Bad customer service is everywhere these days – unmanned front desks, surly servers, clueless staff, employees talking on the phone, and managers who refuse to acknowledge a customer. It’s no longer an exception … poor service has become the norm.
Customer Service Is Dying- and I’m Not Feeling So Good Myself
Have you ever called a company and been greeted with the phrase “Hold, please”? How do they know you can hold? They don’t even know who you are. Maybe you can’t hold; maybe you have 10 seconds of juice left on your cell phone and your hair is on fire. Then you finally get someone on the phone, only to be told, “I can’t actually help you; I’m just paid to apologize, and I’m really sorry about that.”
Do Your Employees Really Need Customer Service Training?
If you go to the doctor with a headache, do you demand a particular treatment before she examines you? Of course not! Well then, why do managers send their employees for customer service training — before they know what the problem is? Another common mistake is to bring in a motivational speaker to talk to staff that has to fight dysfunctional work processes day after day. It’s like putting a band-aid on a cancer. Even the best employees can’t do their jobs if the job itself is an obstacle course!
8 Ways to Boost Service Business Revenues
Service-based businesses are fundamentally different to product-based businesses. Service providers experience different sales and marketing problems (or challenges), and often have more complex relationships with clients.
Choosing Your Outsource Service Provider
You have carefully weighed the advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing and finally decided to outsource your project. Is there a surefire way to choose an outsource service provider (OSP) that best fits your needs? Is there an established selection procedure that can be applied on all occasions? Is there a complete list of requirements that a potential OSP should meet? Even if this article doesn’t give you an affirmative answer to all these questions, it will help you avoid costly blunders.