This website uses technical, customisation and analytical cookies, both first-party and third-party, to anonymously facilitate browsing and analyse statistics on use of the website. Learn more
Search results
-
Reinventing Customer Service
Dixon, MatthewArticle HBS-R1806F-EService and Operations ManagementCustomer service jobs are notoriously joyless, and callers' experiences with reps can be just as unsatisfying. But T-Mobile has a new operating model that's making both employees and customers happier. There are no rows of service agents robotically responding to random calls as quickly as possible. Instead, T-Mobile relies on colocated, collaborative teams of reps who manage specific accounts in a given locale, with a focus on autonomous problem...Starting at €8.20
-
Stop Trying to Delight Your Customers
Dixon, Matthew; Freeman, Karen; Toman, NicholasArticle HBS-R1007L-EService and Operations ManagementThe notion that companies must go above and beyond in their customer service activities is so entrenched that managers rarely examine it. But a study of more than 75,000 people interacting with contact center representatives or using self-service channels found that over-the-top efforts make little difference: All customers really want is a simple, quick solution to their problem. The Corporate Executive Board's Dixon and colleagues describe five...Starting at €8.20
-
The End of Solution Sales
Adamson, Brent; Dixon, Matthew; Toman, NicholasArticle HBS-R1207C-EIn recent decades sales reps have become adept at discovering customers' needs and selling them "solutions." This worked because customers didn't know how to solve their own problems. But the world of B2B selling has changed: Companies today can readily define their own solutions and force suppliers into a price-driven bake-off. There's some good news, though, according to the authors, all directors at Corporate Executive Board. A select group of...Starting at €8.20
-
Stop Trying to Delight Your Customers (Spanish version)
Dixon, Matthew; Freeman, Karen; Toman, NicholasArticle HBS-R1007LReduce the need for repeat calls by anticipating and dealing with related downstream issues; arm reps to address the emotional side of customer interactions; minimize the need for customers to switch service channels; elicit and use feedback from disgruntled or struggling customers; and focus on problem solving, not speed. The authors also introduce the Customer Effort Score and show that it is a better predictor of loyalty than customer satisfa...Starting at €8.20
-
Dismantling the Sales Machine
Adamson, Brent; Dixon, Matthew; Toman, NicholasArticle HBS-R1311H-ESales leaders have long fixated on process discipline, monitoring reps' conformance to "optimal" behaviors and their performance of specified activities. Recently, however, this sales machine has stalled. The approaches that once led to predictable progress in a sale do not work with today's customers, who are empowered with more information than ever before. The new environment favors creative and adaptable sellers who challenge customers with d...Starting at €8.20
-
Kick-Ass Customer Service
Dixon, Matthew; Ponomareff, Lara; Turner, Scott; DeLisi, RickArticle HBS-R1701H-EService and Operations ManagementWhy are consumers increasingly dissatisfied with the quality of help they get from customer service departments? The authors' surveys and interviews with contact center personnel worldwide suggest that companies don't hire the right people as frontline reps, nor do they equip them to handle the increasingly complex challenges that come with the job. Every rep can be classified as one of seven types, say the authors. Supportive "Empathizers" const...Starting at €8.20
-
What Today's Rainmakers Do Differently
Dixon, Matthew; McKenna, Ted; Channer, Rory; Freeman, KarenArticle HBS-R2306D-EMarketingAs "doer-sellers," professional services partners are responsible for not just delivering services but also the entire business-development process. As "rainmakers," they must build awareness of their expertise in the market to generate demand, identify and close new client business, deliver the work to the client, and then renew and expand the relationship over time. But there is a growing problem with this long-standing practice: Clients are mu...Starting at €8.20