Observed

Keeping the door open allows for an engaging and sustainable conversation. When that happens, customers feel valued, leave happy, and are more willing to return.

I read a great post by Seth recently.  It was about the value of keeping the conversation with customers open.

It reminded me of an exchange I had a few weeks back with a customer at the video store where I work part-time.   On particularly busy Friday night, a customer I hadn’t seen in a while came up to my register to rent some movies for her and her kids.

Everything was going smoothly.  I was even able to sell her a candy bundle and agree to spend the extra 5 dollars to renew a month of half-off rentals.

Then, when I totaled the transaction, the system told me that she owed about 20 bucks in late fees from some movies rented months ago.  This is the point of the conversation where I’ve learned to keep the conversation open, making sure I set the expectation that they need to pay their late fees while giving the customer room to negotiate.

So, the conversation went something like this. (more…)

Imagine a Web site where you could have a seamless, live chat with a customer service rep, 24/7. LiveAdmins does this. Nifty, yes?

When I write content for a site, I’m trying to make the user feel as if they were in a conversation. The sound, look and feel of the copy are meant to engage and involve the visitor.

So, it was really cool to stumble on LiveAdmins.  It’s a Web tool that offers a visitor the option to be part of a real-time conversation that supports the user’s experience while it enhances the site owner’s prospecting.

Or, as they describe themselves on their Facebook page:

We provide online customer support services through Live Chat. Our company is also proactively involved in providing exposure to our clients products through efficient Internet Marketing strategies.

Does anyone care to speculate why phone sex is (was?) popular? Is there something *special* about aural (ahem) stimulation? Something for which humans are hard-wired?

All hat and no horse.  That pretty much describes the feature piece in today’s New York Times about the demise of the phone conversation.

Yeah, I know that phone time is trending downward and that texting is trending up.  But the author’s anecdotal musings do little to advance insights into why, who and the like.

I don’t know about you, but I still spend a LOT of time on the phone, including time with clients, vendors and other colleagues.  Mostly, it’s for the sake of efficiency.  It’s also because there aren’t many better ways (other than face-to-face) to create a sense of personal connection and I-care-about-you trust.

Judging from the frequency and number of clients who want to talk with me on the phone, I’m not alone. (more…)

An interesting post in lawyerist.com recently made the case for being prepared for walk-ins.  The writer says that whether a firm thinks it’s a good idea or a bad one, at least have a sense (or, better yet, a written plan) of what happens when someone just shows up.

If you’re like I am, you’re saying, “When someone just shows up and walks in the front door?  Don’t you mean if?”  (more…)

This clip offers six best practices for client-satisfaction interviews and surveys. Doug Stern outlines how to get the most out of your investment–and how to really set yourself apart. (more…)

The Jan.7, 2010  New York Times ran a wonderful article that speaks volumes about vendor-client relations. The tortured tale of a designer and his client reminded me of the importance of being nice. (Read it all the way to the end.) (more…)