news online exchange - april 2012

News Online Xchangeserves to give up-to-date information on the products and services under the NMS brand, as well as news involving the Web and Mobile industries.

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JANUARY 2011 ISSUE JANUARY 2011 BUSINESS NEWSLETTER APRIL 2012 ISSUE APRIL 2012 BUSINESS NEWSLETTER

WHAT IS BILLING??A customer billing is any kind of business event where a business collects money from a customer for goods or ser-vices provided. Lots of companies have customer billing service depart-ments, and in some industries, customer service and customer billing go hand in hand. Good customer billing practices and competent customer service help build customer loyalty and retention, where a business keeps its initial customers and thrives.

These days, lots of companies use customer billing software to issue informa-tion about what customers owe. In many cases, customers will have ques-tions about their bill, or they will want to change services or modify their agreements to get lower charges on their bills. In these cases, good customer service can help the business hang onto customers, and bad customer service can drive them away. This is where lots of companies use skilled human customer service agents to help deal with problem solving that will eventually lead to customer etention.(Continued on the next page)



Generally, the first part of a customer billing cycle is auto-mated. That’s where a bill goes out to the customer for a spe-cific amount. Where the human customer billing or customer service individuals come in is when there is “feedback” on the automated billing, where a customer picks up the phone and calls the company. Customer service people will verify the identity of the caller and look at his or her account to see if that customer is being treated fairly.

In addition to conventional customer service, customer billing agents sometimes play other similar roles in how the business works. Many companies will authorize customer service agents to give out specific discounts based on various criteria in order to satisfy a customer who is complaining about their bill. All of this may be handled on a statisti-cal level by larger software programs that help business leaders identify what discounts or practices will help them keep their customers.

Automatic renewal is a neat feature for people who offer a subscription service. It lets you bill your cus-tomer automatically, usually on a monthly or yearly basis, to renew the service. Automatic renewal has become a way of life for many of us. You get monthly bills from utilities, the Phone Company, and sub-scriptions you have purchased.

What about the customer? Well, it can be great. Your bills are automatically paid in a timely manner so you never have to worry about interruption of service.

But automatic renewal can easily be misused by the vendor. A number of companies set their billing to auto-matic renewal when you first sign up for a service. This can be very convenient, especially if you are notified when billing occurs and have an easy way to question the billing or cancel the account.

Technology has made automatic billing even easier. Now you do don't need paper bills or even email notification. Your payments can be automatically deducted from a credit card or other account.

Well, yes, it is great for the vendor. Paperwork is elimi-nated and a steady stream of income is almost guaran-teed.

Isn't this great? It's so convenient!

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The similarity between today’s customer bill handling and customer service environments shows how companies deal with customer complaints. These kinds of setups also help customers who simply don’t understand their bill, or want to make adjustments based on changing needs. Although a great deal of the process is automated, the best companies offer human agents without an extremely long wait time, so that customers can still feel that they are being well served when they do have to talk to an actual person.

AUTOMATIC RENEWALCustomer Service Or Sneaky Billing?



When using automatic billing, keep these suggestions in mind:

Make it clear to the customer, at the time of sale, that billing will be automatic.

Send automatic notifications to your customer showing each bill and payment information. Use this as an opportunity to thank your customer and even to showcase new products and options that they can buy.

Provide a quick, easy way for customers to reach your customer service group or function. This should always be done!

Give your customer a simple, easily found method to convert automatic payments to manual.

If your subscription renewal is yearly, or some other period longer than a month, make sure to let your customer know

that the renewal is coming up and will be handled automatically. Use this as an opportunity to sell additional

products/services or to remind them of the benefits of your service.

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There is a 48% chance that a happy customer will spread positive word of mouth.

Happy customers will tell an average of 5 people about their positive service experience.

Every 3 happy customers will bring in one new customer through positive word-of-mouth advertising.

78% of consumers have chosen not to complete a transaction or purchase because of poor customer service.

86% of consumers have completely quit doing business with a company because of negative service experience.

73% of consumers have chosen to spend more money with a company because of a history of good service experiences.



What to Do About Refund Requests?Do you just ignore it, leave it alone and hope it will go away? Do you seek professional attention? Do you fight back or pay it back?

There are two basic reasons why somebody will request a refund. The first basic reason is because they simply change their mind

and decided that your product isn't what they wanted. The second reason is

a bit more malicious. Someone might decide that they want to keep your

product for free without having to pay for it. As a result, they ask you for a

refund. In both cases the person asking for a refund might be extremely

rude. Your reaction needs to be both professional and calm. What you need

to realize is that there is no way to really salvage a professional relationship

with somebody who is rudely requesting a refund. It is a bit of a fool's game

to try to rationalize with these people.

If you charge a subscriber for a return, the processing fee should

be emphasized in the copy of the policy. This is to avoid irrelevant

disputes. Imposing hidden charges always results to bad publicity.

Here are some tips on managing a return request:

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Consider offering credits, service swaps and other equal

exchanges to minimize cash refunds. However, this should only

stay as a request and not as an order, unless the return policy

states otherwise.

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Whenever you realize that a subscriber who is availing a refund

has been aggravated by some company faults, try reaching out by

giving the subscriber simple gifts.

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When there are return transactions, expect there are also return

frauds. These two exist with each other. Both can be lessened by

simple quality assurance checks before anything is sent to the

subscriber.

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Secure all information retrieved during the transac-

tions. Always honor the privacy of subscribers. And

do not sell their information or accounts to spammers

or other syndicates.

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The return policy should be explained to subscribers

before they start with their subscription. Ensure that

customers understood the fact that a return is only

allowed when a list of conditions are satisfied.

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It is best that a copy of the return policy is published

online on the company website. Verification emails

should also contain either a copy of the policy or just

the link of the webpage that contains a copy of the

policy.

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To illustrate and interpret the return policy, it would be

nice to use the company blog. Post blog entries to

inform subscribers about the return policy especially

its limitations.

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To an ordinary man, a FAQ (Frequently Asked Ques-

tion) - format interpretation of the return policy is

easier to understand. This enhances communication

and understanding between the business and

subscribers. Requirements to avail a refund is also

better understood when the requirements are

itemized or numbered.

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It should always be understood that a return policy is

created to protect subscribers from human errors

committed by the business itself. It ensures that

customers receive the quality of service they want.

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GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE WHAT DOES

LOOK LIKE?Great customer service is achieved by following a set of business rules.

How to provide unforgettable customer service:

NEXT MONTH ON NOX:

Live Operators provide efficient, quick and 100%satisfaction guaranteed service for your End-Users.

EMAIL SUPPORT & ESCALATIONS defined!

Focus on customer loyalty. Work to create loyal customers instead of just satis-fied customers.

The customer isn’t always right, but they’re always the customer. Respect the precious input you receive from your customers and act upon it.

Focus on service. Service is more than a smiling face and a pleasant attitude. Anticipate your customer’s needs. Concen-trate on friendli-ness, helpfulness, and wait time.

Always be honest with your customers. Communi-cate with your customers the way you would like to be communicated to when you are the customer.

Educate your staff about your products and services. Every hour of training is worth its weight in gold. Noting can replace a well trained employee in the customer service process.

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news online exchange - april 2012

Business