Beware of Email Scams

Since January of this year, two scam emails escaped my filters and got into my inbox. This is annoying. But more than that, it tells me how increasingly cunning and savvy these fraudsters are becoming. From this ABC documentary of Nigerian 419 scams I posted over two years ago, I know scamming isn't a small operation.

Addicted to Significant Nothings

"Gwen, you're a 'significant nothing' addict." So says an old friend of mine. 

Earlier today, I touched base, shared how my week went, with an old friend of mine. We have fallen into this little weekend routine over the past few weeks, which is something I find very relaxing to do. It almost feels like a healthy mental massage of sorts. This week's discussion was a spin-off of last week's; I told him what answer I gave to a previously standing question about how I wanted to be thanked.

Why Competition is Healthy

I'm very unhappy with my PLDT MyDSL service. 

I've had the service for a couple of months. It worked great at first but after its initial two and a half weeks or so, things went from great to bad to worse. Despite alleged efforts by PLDT to restore service quality, the service remains effectively useless as the connection is so unstable, it's not even as good as a cranky 56kbps dial-up. The biggest irony of it all, however, is this: a service downgrade is my best option.

Things Customer Service Representatives Should NOT Say to a Customer

• We're sorry for the inconvenience... (I don't need you to be sorry. I need you to resolve my issues pronto!)
• We regret to inform you that we are unable to help you... (What? Isn't HELPING me your business?)
• We have forwarded your request to the appropriate department... (What good does that do for me? It doesn't matter to me if you've forwarded my request to the CEO; I need results, not reports!)
• With all due respect, ma'am... (That's a prelude to a disrespectful comment so cut it.)
• But... (That's not helpful. Didn't your training coach tell you that three-letter word is a no-no? (*rolls eyes))

When a customer contacts customer support, they need help. I am stating the obvious because the customer service industry needs to be reminded of that fact. If you are the director for customer care or its equivalent for any respectable organisation, my advice is for you to try using your own services and try interacting with your own service agents so you know how your customers feel.

It's a painful irony that whilst more and more businesses are recognising the importance of keeping their customers happy, the gap between the service customers expect and the service they receive is widening. Something is terribly wrong with the industry called customer service. And yet, the solution is quite simple: LISTEN TO YOUR CUSTOMERS. For a great many of businesses, you're only hearing us out.

Excellent Service is Customer Service

In 2008, Accenture, a global management consulting company published compelling evidence attesting to the importance of a customer's service experience in shaping their purchase decisions. This isn't just for the outsourcing industry or for those in the offshoring business; this is a concern of every business across all industries.