Top 7 Benefits of New Customer Service Technology

We all know that Customer Service has always been a critical component of all successful Businesses. However, you may not know about some of the latest Customer Service System Benefits.

If you are still using the same Customer Service Technology from 3 to 5 years ago, you may find this information helpful to help Increase your Customer Satisfaction, Improve Staff Productivity and Increase your Sales this year.

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Here are the Top 7 Things New Customer Service Technology Can Do for You this Year:

1. Customer Service Feedback You can now automate customer surveys after each request for help is completed and get feedback on how you are doing.  If something went wrong or was delayed, this allows your customer an opportunity to give you the feedback directly vs publishing the feedback on a public social network like Facebook, Twiter, LinkedIn or Yelp.

2. All Customer Service and Support Requests are Consolidated in One Place The new systems allow you to consolidate the many ways your Customers want to request help or support.  Facebook, Twitter, Website Forms, Chat Forms, Phone Calls and eMails can be automatically converted to tickets or requests in the system.  Some of the new Customer Service Systems automatically convert a voice mail into a Ticket. Having all your requests, in one location, saves time and makes you and your staff much more productive.

3. Real-time Reports & Dashboard How fast do you respond to your Customer Requests for help? Do you know how many requests are overdue? Do you know the status of the top 10 critical customer service requests placed this week? How much time do you spend each month preparing activity reports for management? The new systems have real-time reports and special dashboards that give you this information 24 hours / 7 days per week.

4. Workflow Automation You can automate many aspects of your customer service workflow.  For example, when you receive a help request, you can automatically send the customer or prospect a confirmation that you received their request. You can also automatically send them updates as you progress answering their question. If a help request is received from a key customer executive or a manager, the request can be automatically escalated and put on a special report or flagged. These features greatly improves staff productivity and improves the Customer's impression of your responsiveness.

5. Knowledge Base for Employees You can replace procedure manuals with a Knowledge Base for your internal staff.  The new systems are easy to use and update.  You create one central location for all documentation.  New and existing employees can use them for references and training material.

6. Self Service Help for Customers and Prospects You can reduce the number of help requests by publishing easy-to-use self service help information for many customer questions. The new systems can help identify repeat questions that can be answered once and put on the Self Service Help page. Most people prefer Self-Help these days.  Surveys confirm that most bank customers prefer going to an Bank ATM machine now vs  going into a bank, waiting in line and talking to a Bank Teller.

7. Mobile App for Smartphones and Tablets In 2014, Smartphones will represent over two-thirds of all phones sold in America.  During the last two years, small 7” Tablets exploded in popularity.  Many of the new systems have Smartphone or Tablet applications that keep you updated all day long. You can process service requests at the office, at home, out having coffee or on-site at a customer.

These are just seven of the many ways the new Customer Service Systems can help you profitably grow your business. Some of the new smaller systems are free for 1-3 users and the larger systems can cost $200 per user per month.   Many of the Customer Service and Support Systems can be implemented in a few days or within 2-3 weeks.

Photo Credits: Courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

How to Find and Hire Top People Faster for Your Business?

The other day I was browsing the Zendesk website to learn more about their Customer Service / Help Desk solution for one of our clients.  As part of my review, I always look at the jobs postings (to see how fast a company is growing) and also scan the company Youtube videos. I came across their recruiting video called "This is Zendesk."  I didn't plan on watching the whole thing.  However, the more I watched, the more I liked it. The video sucked me in, bit by bit.  After watching, I called over my business partner to watch it and give me her opinion.

We both thought it was great and walked away being very  impressed with the company and the people. If I was looking for a job, I would have wanted to work there... all from a simple video.

The job market for top people is getting more and more competitive. There are so many bad companies to work for out there.

After watching this video, you too may want to work at Zendesk. .... or you can produce one of these videos for your own company today.

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So, one of the Secrets to finding and hiring Top People is to... Produce a fun low-budget recruiting video about working at your company.

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Please comment with any other great company videos that would get a new employee excited to work for your company.

Top 5 Reasons the New iPads are Really Hot

Apple rolled out the new iPad Air and the iPad Mini with Retina in November 2013 and many of the reporters and analysts complained that there was nothing new or exciting in the new products. They questioned if Apple still had it....

Well, I beg to differ with them!

Here are five technology reasons why the new iPads are really HOT and why you should consider buying them.

1. A7 CPU Chip - Specially designed by Apple.  It's a new 64-bit processor. Only Mainframe computers and Engineering Workstations used this type of chip before this year. Prior to this 64-bit chip, all major tablets (and smartphones) had 32-bit chips or smaller. Why is this important? Starting in 2013, just about all the developers are writing and rewriting new Applications for this new 64-bit chip... allowing for much more powerful and larger tablet (and smartphone) applications for business and for personal use. In 2014, look for amazing new apps and new solutions that were never thought of before for a tablet.
2. M7 Motion Chip - Specially designed by Apple. The M7 does two things: increase battery life (up to 10 hours) and add the ability to monitor and report internal sensors (It measures motion from your iPad by pulling data from the accelerometer, gyroscope, and compass) and in the future external sensors (devices).  In the next 3-5 years there's going to be an explosion of wearable computers, office sensors, home sensors, retail shopping sensors and sensor monitoring apps. Again, look for new exciting apps and solutions that never existed before... starting in 2014.
3. Retina Screens - Both Tablets now have high-resolution screens to help see display information. Your ability to read text and see numbers on spreadsheets just improved. The iPad Mini Screen is bigger than most other similar sized tablets. It makes a big difference when reading web pages. You have less scrolling up and down while you view information.
4. New Apple iWorks Apps - Apple's version of MS Office (Word, Excel & Powerpoint) are now Free with the purchase of any new Apple  Tablet (or iPhone). iWorks (Pages, Numbers and Keynote) auto syncs with each Apple iPad, iPhone, Mac Computer and the Cloud Storage (iCloud). The user interface for iWorks Apps is wonderful. The iWorks Apps are not perfect... but a great addition to the iPad world.
5. Weight, Size & Feel - The weight and size was dramatically reduced in the iPad Air.  You just have to pick the iPads up and use them to truly understand the improvement. There are lots of great tablets out in the marketplace.  However, when you pick up and feel an iPad there's just something just different about the whole experience. Try it!

The new technology in both these Apple tablets should be good for the next 3-5 years. Overall, a very smart business or personal investment.

Note:  This article is only focused on the new Apple iPad technology.  We do not try to compare the iPad with the other tablets.

Photo credits: Apple

iPad Air or iPad Mini Retina? ...Top 10 Tips for Business

If you're planning on buying a new iPad, you have to decide which size works best for you and your business.

The good news is that both the iPad Air (10") and the iPad Mini Retina (8") have the latest technology in the tablet industry and are rated very high by most of the industry reviewers.

Below are Top 10 Tips for selecting an iPad, a description of my ideal iPad and some Final Tips when considering buying an iPad.

Top 10 Tips for Selecting an iPad Air (10") or iPad Mini (8") Retina

1. Hands - If you have big hands, you may be more comfortable using the iPad Air for typing and for touching icons and screen links.
2. Eyes - There's good news and bad news... the iPad Air and the iPad Mini Retina have the same screen resolution.  That means that type, icons and just about everything will appear smaller and sharper on the iPad Mini. If you have a hard time seeing or need reading glasses, you should really test both the iPads before purchasing a tablet.
3. Travel & Commuting - The iPad Mini Retina is ideal for any type of  personal and business travel.  It just goes everywhere.  Plus you can do all your reading, watch movies and listen to music during your travels.  Many people say that if you travel with a laptop, you should buy an iPad Mini. Some people are buying an iPad Air for the Office or Home and an iPad Mini with Retina for Commuting and Traveling.
4. How Will You Carry the iPad - Key Question.  Do you have something to carry an iPad? If it is going into a woman's purse or a man's small "European case", the iPad mini is a no-brainer.  If you carry a business case or messenger bag, then the iPad Air will work fine.
5. Video and Photo Editing - The bigger the screen the better when it comes to editing photos and videos? Enough said.
6. Hours Working on the iPad - The longer you work on an iPad the more you will want (and need) a bigger screen. The iPad Air is the one to buy.
7. Watching Training Videos or Movies - Either iPad works well. The iPad Mini with Retina is now extremely sharp and clear so you don't strain your eyes watching a smaller screen.
8. Reading eBooks, Comics and Magazines - Either works.  The iPad Mini size is more like reading a paperback book.
9. Work with Spreadsheets, Writing and Small Group Presentations - The bigger the better in screen size. Buy the iPad Air. Note: Either iPad (or an iPhone) can be plugged into a standard projector and used to make presentations (with the Free Keynote Presentation App).
10. Games - You need entertainment during your work breaks.  The iPad Mini with Retina screen and a super-fast 64-bit processor is the perfect size for gaming.

My Ideal iPad

If I was going to buy a new iPad, I would order the following:

• 32-GBs of Memory - You need to think 4-5 years of useful life with the iPads.  They are incredibly built and they have the newest 64-bit chips that will be used for all future apps during the next 5 years. If you travel, you want space for video rentals, photos and videos.
• Cellular (ATT, Verizon or T-Mobile) - Most people at some time will be away from WiFi and need Cellular Data Services.  The new 4G LTE Technology is going to be around for the next 5-10 years. Also, note that WiFi only iPads do NOT have GPS Mapping functions.
• Apple Extended Support and Warranty - Apple also has special business programs to help you save money on services and support.  Visit the Apple Stores and ask for a Business Specialist to learn more.
• Case / Cover - You need to protect your investments.
• Bluetooth Keyboard - Sometimes you just need a real keyboard for major projects.  The bluetooth keyboards work great and increases the typing speed for most people.

Apple iPad Mini Retina 2013 via Apple PR

Final Tips

• We don't recommend buying an iPad 2 anymore for business, unless there is a very specific application.  The memory size is limited to 16GBs and may not be enough memory for new and upgraded applications over the next 3-5 years.  In addition, the plug/adapter uses the old Apple standard and NO future accessories will be made for it.
• The weight is less of an issue when comparing the iPad Air and the iPad Mini Retina. The key is to decide on the size of the screen, not the weight as much.
• The iPad Mini - NON Retina is still for sale.   However, Apple limits the memory to only 16GBs. Before buying  iPad Minis for the office, evaluate its use of the next 3-5 years.

Photo Credits: Apple Media

Please contact us if you have any questions or need additional advice with your specific business situation.

Don't Let Your Mobile Professionals Use Free WiFi at Starbucks

You have to be crazy to let your mobile professionals use the Starbucks Free WiFi without using a low-cost VPN App on their Smartphone, Tablet or Laptop. I'm not trying to pick on Starbucks (although it helped get your attention didn't it?).  This issue exists with most FREE WiFi services, including Airports, Restaurants, Cafes, McDonald's, Starbucks, Hotels, etc.  It's a bigger concern when you travel overseas.

If you are wondering... A virtual private network (VPN) enables a Desktop, Laptop, Smartphone and Tablet to send and receive encrypted data across open public networks like WiFi. In many small businesses, VPN is more secure than their own private company WiFi network.   Wikipedia has a more technical description of a VPN Network

Why You Should Care

There's a popular free hacker app called FireSheep that lets anyone sitting near you in a room see (and copy) everything you are browsing, sending and receiving over a Free WiFi connection.  All your passwords, emails,  browsing, client info, business transactions, reports... you get the idea.  If you have any doubts how easy this is to do, just read the FireSheep Test in this article.

The good news is that some of your existing apps already offer secure data protection. Google Apps and most Banking Apps have encryption built into their service to protect your data over the internet. However, you need to check your other apps to confirm if they are secure when using a Free public WiFi connection.

Is it hard to use?

No.  The new companies have made this a lot easier. You need to select a vendor, sign up for a service level, download the app and turn it on. That's it.

VPN Costs

In the past, VPN services were very expensive and only large companies used them.   Now like much of the new technology today there are free and low-cost versions of VPN. Some services are less than $10 per month per user. The cost is low and the protection is very high.  The challenge is always finding the best solution for you and your business.

Small Business VPN Vendors

Based on our research to date, we just started testing the following low-cost VPN services. Cloak for the all Apple Users: iPhone, iPad and Mac laptops ProXPN for Windows, Android, Apple Smartphones, Tablets and Laptops.

Does anyone have any other suggestions for Small Businesses on a tight budget?

Photo Credit: adamr with freedigitalphotos.net

Top 10 Tips for Setting Up a Partner Program

We've been working with various partner programs for the last 20 years. Some very good... many NOT so good.

Today, setting up partnerships in business is a standard practice for many new companies.

It's a lot of work to do it right. Since so many companies now have partner programs, it's also very hard to compete with all the other companies pitching their programs.  So how do you stand out from the crowd? How do you get your partners to use your product over the competition?

Here are our Top 10 "Must-Have" Tips for setting up a successful partnership program:

1. Give Partners a Free (limited, but usable) copy of your application - Establishing a "Freemium" model is very popular these days.  However, the "Puppy Dog" close is a better description of why you want to do this.  Salesforce.com used this technique to get started with partners and... well, look at Salesforce now. If you're not familiar with technique, the "puppy dog" close is a technique modeled after a parent bringing a child to a pet store to "just look" at the puppies.  The Store Owner offers to let you bring one of the puppies home for the weekend to "just see if your kid likes the puppy."  As we all know, your child will never let the puppy go back to the store on Monday... so the parent goes back to buy the dog.  It's worked for decades selling cats and dogs... and it works with selling partners as well.  Get them to start using your product or service every week.
2. Create Marketing Automation Campaigns for your Partner Program - Establish four campaigns (over time):  prospect partners, new partners, experienced partners and one for your special top-rated partners. Include the following:
   • Monthly Partner Webinars - Build better relationships with your partners than the competition. Keep them updated and interested in your programs.
   • Monthly eNewsletters - Keep them up-to-date with your products, services, customers, industry updates and recognition.
   • Update Social Marketing Programs
   • Video Success Stories
3. Set up a Special Phone Number and assign a Partner Specialist (even if you only have one person available).
4. Build a Partner Dashboard / Portal including:
   • Reward and Recognize partners to win them over to you
   • Provide an easy way to share information, logos, collateral, success stories, etc.
   • Registration Forms for new partnerships
   • List the Top 10 Partners - Rank your Top 10 Partners each month, quarter and year.
5. Make Joint Phone/Internet Sales Calls with your top ranked partners initially... and others when you have additional resources.
6. Build a Marketing Template Library - Make it easy for your partners. Give them tools to build your sales.  Other companies are doing this.  Partners usually go to the easiest sale. If you're too difficult to work with, they will go to other easier options.
7. Join or Set up a LinkedIn Groups - Regular groups that you actively promote and manage. The key is regular activity.
8. Set up Your Own MeetUp Groups around the country.  Start with one Meetup Group locally and grow as your resources permit.
9. Conduct Quarterly Partner Review Meetings with the Management Team. Keep them short initially.
10. Plan an Annual Company Partner Meeting. Start small and let it grow as you grow.

As you know, there are many more projects and tasks needed to build a successful partner program. I hope this list starts some conversations going with your team. Feel free to add your comments or other tips below.

Photo credit: freedigitalphoto.com

Contact Us to help you set up a Partner Program for your company or start-up