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Building a business is like building a relationship. We all slip up at some point and make mistakes. It’s how we deal with our shortcomings that really matters…and learning from them.

As a dissatisfied customer, I learned three important lessons in customer service today:

1. Don’t annoy your leads/clients
2. If you do irritate them, respond to their frustration in a timely manner
3. Not matter the situation, be polite and professional

Receiving  customer complaints via web forms and email is proving to be less and less effective. The main reason: response time. Our follow up expectations have skyrocketed in this digital age of real-time data.

How long is too long? Many users would agree that a response within 24 hours is necessary. Others are less patient.

So you or one of your employees made a boo boo. As a business owner, what are the right steps to take when responding to your customers’ complaints online?

Help your customer one to one:

• Use Click-to-Call and Live Chat on your site so people can get in touch with you immediately (and free). Don’t anger your customer more by forcing them to wait on hold and pay for it.
• Set up Twitter/Facebook pages and monitor them regularly. It’s important to know what people are saying about your company–good and bad.
• If a customer complains, respond honestly, transparently, professionally and address their concern. Don’t try to hide and ignore bad reviews/Tweets. It can backlash into a bigger issue.

Always try to move the conversation to a more private setting. Offer to help your customer over email, chat or phone. New ways to complain in real-time are developed every day. Don’t risk getting a bad reputation and put your customers first.

Nancy E.

Is there even a point asking the question have you ever felt stressed using technology? What about this instead…

Do you own a TV, cell phone or laptop? I know you’re raising your hand up high.

Technology-related stress has been fully integrated into our daily lives. Maybe this type of stress isn’t so bad if you see it as daily office- job workout routine…or something.

At the Montreal Agendize office this morning, our hearts started pumping hard when the portable A/C unit blew a fuse. This triggered the wireless router to turn off, booting all of us offline. Dealing with these types of issues in 100˚ heat will make you break a sweat. Other than burning some calories, stress is never good for your health.

I recently tweeted an article posted on @bitrebels by Diana Adams (@adamsconsulting) that mentions a poll conducted by Stinky Ink focusing on employees stressing aver technology:

40% of those polled said that technology issues were more stressful to them than family or financial issues.

That’s a powerful statistic knowing that money is the leading culprit in most divorces in America.
So what’s the solution so technology doesn’t drive you to throw your computer out the window (like this guy) or end your marriage? It’s all about choosing the right partner and tools:

1. Don’t be afraid of trying new things

You won’t find a perfect match unless you play the field. Be open to get help and try out new tools that are proven to help your business grow. A conversion button like Live Chat and Click-to-Call can increase online sales by 25% and more.

2. Be picky when choosing between technologies

Do your homework so you don’t waste time downloading or purchasing tools that won’t work for you. Take some time to research: read online reviews and ask your friends what they use. Don’t always settle for big name brands. Sometimes the best help is free…this goes for apps too!

3. See flexibility as a major point of attraction

Flexibility is more than a bonus these days…it’s a requirement! Choose a product that is easy to work with so you’ll enjoy every step in the process. You don’t need to be a computer geek to get stuff done online. A company like Yola for example, makes it so easy for anyone to build a professional website.

How do you manage technology- related stress at your workplace? Which online tools help calm you down and how do they contribute to your business plan? Post your comments below!

Thanks,

Nancy E.
@nanceEss

Our Sales and Marketing Director, Flo shares her latest experience with an online form. Her frustration tells a common story: why forms are not ideal for converting customers.

You can’t get anything today without filling a form. As soon as you want to download a document, attend an event, subscribe to a simple newsletter or even ask someone for help—you’re forced to fill a form.

Frustration Factor 1. Too much to fill in.

Endless fields can turn your visitor off from visiting their website, attending the event or ever wanting to read a newsletter. I tried signing up for a webinar last week and I was asked to fill out 21 mandatory fields!

Advice: Keep your forms short and you’ll convert better. Read more on the @Marketo Blog.

2. Don’t get too personal.

Users rarely feel comfortable sending off their private info to an unknown receiver. I don’t know what you want to do with my personal data and you can at least warn me that you’re forcing me to subscribe to your newsletter. I wasn’t interested in the company that was hosting the webinar last week, yet they continue to bombard me with product and sales information. It took me 5 minutes to find the link to unsubscribe! Like most people, I’ll fill in fake name, email and more just to go through the steps as fast as possible.

Advice: Would you rather receive false data from a long form or real contacts from a shorter form? Get to the point right away.“By removing an unnecessary form field, you’ll increase the likelihood that a visitor will fill out and submit the form,” writes SEO Consultant, Aaron Bradley (@aaranged).

3. Treat me like a human because I am one.

Why is it when I shop at a store, the cashier will usually ask me if I found everything I need and thank me for shopping there, but when I purchase and download a white paper online, I’m rarely thanked and often lost at the end? Companies are quick to bother me with automated links and ads, but rarely consider me a real shopper even when I’m spending real money.

Advice: Please make me feel like a real person too. Make it easy for me to ask you questions and most importantly, value my business. Adding a simple Call Me or Chat button at the end of your form can add the human touch element that’s often missing online.

-Flo