A very important point to remember at all times is that you need to have a more aggressive Internal SLA vs. the one that you are offering to your customers. I know it sounds self evident doesn’t it, but there are no end of organizations that I’ve dealt with where customers are offered a 4hr […]
INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL SLA’S Read More »
Diagram of a matrix organisation (Photo credit: Wikipedia) With large projects having all the required resources to hand is sometimes a difficult job in itself. While systems and hardware are easily acquired, the skills and specializations that people can bring to bear need time to develop. You could “hire” for it, but to some extent,
MATRIX MANAGEMENT AND PROJECTS Read More »
DMAIC There is a great quote somewhere that goes something like – “If you cannot measure it, you cannot manage it!” … this is so true and especially so in the Customer Service and Operations area. There are great KPI’s (Key Performance Indicators) and not so great ones. The key is choosing the right one
KPIs AND THE IMPORTANCE OF MEASUREMENT Read More »
OK, to start with it’s not a desk that helps people! A help desk is a team of individuals (generally support staff) that provide solutions and resolutions to customers experiencing problems. Generally working at the 1st tier of the support model they are responsible for Incident reporting and resolution vs. Problem Management (I shall discuss
WHAT IS A HELPDESK? Read More »
Jobs, Jobs, Jobs I’ve mentioned LinkedIn a couple of times now (Using LinkedIn to Find a Job, Using LinkedIn Effectively) and find that its a really great tool not only to keep in touch with old work colleagues and keep apprised of whats going on in your industry but also to find a job! LinkedIn’s
As a manager, it is a key requirement to ensure that your team is appropriately trained on the minutiae of the job. How to find customer information, how to respond to customers, dealing with Irate customers and troubleshooting issues are obviously all things that you would ensure that your team receives. However, how important is
MANAGEMENT TRAINING AND SELF IMPROVEMENT Read More »
Continuing our discussion about ITIL Service Strategy, lets start talking about Sourcing. Sourcing is about analysing how to most effectively source and deploy the resources and capabilities required to deliver outcomes to customers. A sourcing decision is key in determining the best combination of suppliers (internal vs. external) to provide the most cost effective and
TO SOURCE, OR OUTSOURCE … THAT IS THE QUESTION! Read More »
The Service Portfolio describes the commitments and investments made by a service provider to its customers across all market spaces. In a nutshell, it states what the company is able to do and how it will do it while also accounting for previously agreed upon commitments. The Service Portfolio also talks about new products and
SERVICE PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT Read More »
In a similar fashion to interviewing and hiring people – the hardest and most expensive exercise is getting the right employee – getting people back into the door is exactly the same. You want that repeat custom as that is what will save you money in your marketing and advertising. One of the key components
8 RULES OF GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE & 8 STEPS TO DEFINE A SERVICE Read More »
What is MindMapping? Stated simply, mindmapping is a technique that uses graphics and text tied together in an effort to increase improve your retention and idea generating capabilities. I know – it sounds like a really “big ask” but bizarrely enough it works! Brainstorming & Studies An extremely useful tool from a brainstorming perspective, having
MINDMAPPING – DESCRIPTION & TOOLS Read More »
