|
Welcome Webinar: Wow Your Customer in the First 30 Seconds of a Support Call What happens during the first 30 seconds of a support call sets the stage for the entire interaction and could determine whether the customer relationship will be a long, happy one or short-lived. Join us for a live Webinar with Rich Gallagher, Great Customer Connections author and former customer support executive, to learn how to optimize those precious few seconds by implementing effective communication techniques. Gallagher will share proven best practices strategies for building a solid rapport in 30 seconds, setting expectations, defusing hostility and more. Bonus: The first 100 Webinar attendees will receive a complimentary copy of Rich Gallagher’s book “Great Customer Connections.”
|
March 30, 2009  |
|
|
|
 |
|
| Top Google execs: $1 salary, no bonus, no options
The number of CIOs planning budget decreases continues to rise dramatically, according to 208 IT executives surveyed in January, 2009. More than half of IT heads (53 percent) now plan to slash budgets in response to unfavorable economic conditions, up from 40 percent in a similar survey conducted in October and 17 percent in the first quarter of 2008. Fifty-nine percent of CIOs are implementing IT hiring freezes, up from 46 percent in October and more than one third (34 percent) have begun reducing IT headcount, up from 23 percent 3 months ago. More CIOs plan cuts to IT compensation costs; 35 percent of CIOs plan a decrease in the coming year, up sharply from the 18 percent reported in October. Nearly a third of CIOs (31 percent) say they plan to reduce their full-time, in-house staff; an increase from 21 percent in October and 14 percent in the first quarter of 2008 while close to half (48 percent) plan to reduce spending for contractors and temporary workers, up from 26 percent 3 months ago. More than two-thirds of CIOs (68 percent) say current economic conditions are causing purchasing decisions to undergo closer scrutiny by other business executives in their company. With IT increasingly under the microscope, cost cutting is a priority for many CIOs. Almost half report that the percentage of their total IT budget allocated to new projects will decrease and 49 percent have already begun freezing or canceling IT capital spending. CIOs most frequently cite travel restrictions, hiring freezes and holding off on discretionary IT projects as cost cutting measures they have already begun implementing. The percentage of CIOs slashing their training budgets increased sharply to 46 percent, from 25 percent 3 months ago. With cost cutting top of mind, some CIOs are looking for alternative IT models; 38 percent of CIOs say they are more likely to consider on-demand services and SaaS as a result of the unfavorable economic condition.
The benchmark report shows that companies continue to maintain or increase their level of mobility support, with Best-in-Class companies increasing their mobility budgets year-over-year as a percentage of total IT spend by 27.4%, proving how important mobility has become to delivering greater productivity and workforce effectiveness. This study reports how Best-in-Class companies -- those that are performing in the top 20% across multiple metrics -- have found additional efficiencies through consolidated central device management and security, judicious and selective outsourcing of some support functions, and driving compliance to IT standards for mobile devices, whether enterprise- or employee-procured. So entrenched, in fact, that between 2006 and 2009, those companies with current mobility initiatives in place rose from 59% to 84%, while those with no plans decreased from 19% to just over 1%. Mobility's importance is only increasing in importance as a younger demographic enters the workplace. It is also becoming the convergence point for new information and data distribution services, including Unified Communications, mobile Software-as-a-Service (mSaaS), and the truly mobile Internet.
Hewitt's survey of 228 large U.S. companies representing 4.5 million employees found that more than 80 percent of employers made layoffs in the past 24 months, and 45 percent intend to make further reductions in the next 12 months. The good news for those impacted employees is that severance programs have remained virtually unaffected by the economic downturn. More than half (51 percent) of companies offer a standard one-to-two weeks of pay for every year of service, and another third (33 percent) vary their payouts based on a formula that typically combines years of service, salary level, and/or grade. In addition to cash payments, most companies provide at least one benefit after separation, which may include health care coverage, retirement benefits, disability, financial assistance or life insurance. Not surprisingly, health care coverage is the most prevalent benefit offered. Thirty percent of companies provide full health care coverage during the severance period and then offer COBRA at the end of the severance period. More than one quarter (26 percent) provide COBRA coverage immediately, with the employee paying the full premium. Most companies (72 percent) also provide outplacement assistance to severed employees. But as companies look to make additional cost reductions in response to ongoing economic conditions, many say they will take a closer look at their severance packages. According to Hewitt's survey, one in five companies (20 percent) plan to make changes to their severance plans and nearly a third (31 percent) are unsure. Of those making changes, 43 percent plan to reduce cash payments, and one in five (21 percent) plan to reduce benefits.
|
|
View a demo and receive a gift card How would you like to make your customers happy, drastically reduce your customer support costs and receive a FREE $50 Barnes & Noble Gift Card? View an online demonstration of Parature Customer Service(TM) software and receive a $50 Barnes & Noble Gift Card as a thank you for your time. |
| Happy workers = productive workers
|
|
Get expert views from industry thought leaders David Kay and Tim Hines as they explore support's role as brand driver, marketing phenomenon and all around hero for driving profits through customer satisfaction. Download your complimentary copy today. More books can be found
in the RecognizeServiceExcellence.com Required Reading section:
http://www.recognizeserviceexcellence.com/ |
|
This white paper provides a step-by-step game plan for solving your support agents' worst nightmares, based on the author's experience in successfully "turning around" support performance, as well as current research in the psychology of how we communicate with people. In the process, you will learn how specific, procedural skills -- both for how your agents respond to customers, and how you coach your team -- can change everything about how your interact with customers, in a way that will impact both your support metrics and your bottom line. |
| Manage
Your e.Newsletter Subscription Editorial
suggestions, feedback & comments: Advertising
Information: Thank you for reading
RecognizeServiceExcellence.com's weekly newsletter! |
|
||||
