High-Tech, High-Touch Customer Service, Unabridged

by Micah Solomon

In an age of Twitter, smartphones, and self-service kiosks, high-tech but still high-touch customer service is the answer. Today's customers are a hard bunch to crack. Time-strapped, screen-addicted, value-savvy, and socially engaged, their expectations are tougher than ever for a business to keep up with. They are empowered like never before and expect businesses to respect that sense of empowerment- lashing out at those that don' t. Take heart: Old-fashioned customer service, fully retooled for today's blistering pace and digitally connected reality, is what you need to build the kind loyal customer base that allows you to survive- and thrive. And High-Tech, High-Touch Customer Service spells out surefire strategies for success in a clear, entertaining, and practical way. Discover: - Six major customer trends and what they mean for your business - Eight unbreakable rules for social media customer service - How to effectively address online complainers and saboteurs on Yelp, Twitter, TripAdvisor, and other forums for user generated content - The rising power of self-service- and how to design it properly - How to build a company culture that breeds stellar customer service High-Tech, High-Touch Customer Service reveals inside secrets of wildly successful customer service initiatives, from Internet startups to venerable brands, and shows how companies of every stripe can turn casual customers into fervent supporters who will spread the word far and wide- online and off.

Genres: Business, Nonfiction, Social Media

Audio CD

First published May 16, 2012

About the author

MICAH SOLOMON (Seattle, WA) has been named by the Financial Post as “a new guru of customer service excellence.” He is a top keynote speaker and consultant on customer service issues, the customer experience, and company culture. A successful entrepreneur, he coauthored the bestselling Exceptional Service, Exceptional Profit. His expertise has been featured in FastCompany, Inc. Magazine, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Forbes.com, NBC and ABC television programming, and elsewhere.

Reviews

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good practical advice.

[Thom Disch · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was fine. Written in 2013. Unfortunately the content comes across as dated. The change of the social media landscape makes this book less meaningful than it was when first written.

[C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid customer service principles applied to the digital age. It tells how to use technology to anticipate the wants and needs of customers, and to fulfill them before the customer is aware of those wants or needs. There are plenty of specific real world examples. I didn't learn as much as I expected; much of the content wouldn't be new to anyone who's spent time in customer service.

I like the parenting analogy. Customers want a business that functions like a home run by a caring parent. What a child might encounter living in a safe and secure home with loving, responsible, responsive parents.

It shows how technology makes anticipatory customer service easier through communication, data, and algorithms. The writing style is engaging, with just enough humor.

Notes
A good response to a problem can make things even better than if there hadn't been a problem. It brings customer closer to you, because they've gone through event with you, making them feel like you're on same team.

Use data about customers to anticipate their desires. Example: Netflix recommends movies you'll like. Customers enjoy and are starting to expect this anticipation in tech services.

Your customer service tech and tech-driven service processes must operate in a way that doesn't just respond to customers, but protects them from mistakes on both your parts. Your tech and processes should act like they're standing at customer's side, anticipating what they want and need next.

Make customers feel remembered, cared for, and left alone by communicating with them and taking care of potential problems before they arise.

Ensure all automated messages have an option for customers to reach a human at your company.

Reduce need of social media feedback by ensuring customers know where to reach you 24/7 (email, phone, web form).

Digital arguments are an exponentially losing proposition. Even if you win the argument, you lose the customer, and potentially many more who see argument.

Don't appear to cyber-stalk customers who give negative feedback. Make a reasonable attempt to contact, then leave the ball in their court. If they reply, show that you're on their side. Don't take a courtroom approach, proving your case with data. Apologize and accept fault immediately and fully. Satisfy customer and do something extra. Then ask, as a favor, not a demand, for customer to amend or withdraw original negative comments.

If customer complains online, ask their permission to contact them privately by phone. It's much more effective at defusing tensions than online conversation.

Make customer data easily available to customer service reps, so they can give anticipatory service.

[Thomas Jr. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book on customer service. It has me thinking now about how we could be more anticipatory.

The examples are from the usual cast of characters Amazon, Apple, South West Airlines, 4 Seasons etc. Most of the examples are from companies in the expensive end of their industries (Southwest is now almost always the most expensive option when I fly). I would love to see a book like this about how to offer good customer support on a budget.

Hampton Inn, for example, has exceptional customer service and yet is very cheap 3 star hotel. I would love to read a book about how Hampton gives 4-5 star service while maintaining 3 star prices.

The book shares a great example of bad customer service with the example of a high end grocery store in a nice part of town. The only grocery store I get a personal greeting at is our local dollar store. "Hi welcome to dollar tree" is the greeting I hear every time I visit.

So basically this book is great. But, if Micah Solomon wrote a second book on customer service for economy brands I would buy it in a heartbeat.

[Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Micah Solomon has updated his earlier brilliant book and thinking about customer service to include social media, high-tech applications, and the virtual world we're all living in these days. His insights will allow you not only to survive in this world, but to thrive. He's got insightful thinking on all the traps for the unwary business that social media, for example, represents, as well as strategic insights into how you combine the technology with great customer service. To get all that social media working for you, you need Micah Solomon's brilliant new book.

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thinking about this book with my customer hat on, there is nothing in it that isn't complete and obvious common sense. Thinking about some of my recent customer experiences, it's clear that for businesses, this is not.

I'm not sure there is anything new in this book that hasn't been said elsewhere already but it's always nice when your research supports the other research you've done and what you've already learned.

[Shubhra · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are many great tips for good customer service. I specifically enjoyed "And the point is" summary. The content looks more like a collection of articles from other books. It doesn't seem to have anything original and tends to get boring and soporific.

[Jag Randhawa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book for anyone trying to figure out how to improve customer service and how to leverage modern social media tools to serve customers.

[Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Has some valid points

[Brian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Don't waste your time

[Mills College Library]

658.812 S6895 2012

[Rodrigo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tem boas dicas e é objetivo. Me ajudou bastante.

[Loretta]

DNF.

This was not engaging for me and I found very little helpful for my venture other than to consider hiring a media manager.