Pain Drives Innovation

by T.Flodeen on February 8, 2010 · 0 comments

by: Tom Flodeen, VP and GM of Customer Support – Mentor Graphics Corporation
Most of us believe we are great change advocates, but the reality is we also all like stability. Especially when it is stability in our own operation. I have learned over the years that change is often the result of pain. As long [...]

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According to data from the Future Foundations think tank, one in eight employees throw in the towel and leave their job before they reach a competent level of performance. Why they fail to reach a competent level is more about training and the skills of their manager than it is about the employee.

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Just in the past few years we have noticed a trend where companies are consciously limiting or denying customers direct phone access to technical support staff. They are in fact reverting back to a Call Back support model that was pretty standard back in the early 1980’s.

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What is Your Customer’s “Statusfaction”?

by bstephensOctober 7, 2009

Escalations are the bane of all service managers and are often a result of poor communications about unresolved customer cases. Keeping customers informed of what you are doing to resolve their issue is key to driving their ultimate service satisfaction. Unnecessary, low value escalations, often times occur when a customer finally gets fed up with waiting for their issue to be resolved or hearing something from the engineer, and escalates their case. These escalations result in higher per case costs, needless interruptions, lower customer satisfaction and frustrated technical staff. So how can you improve customer “Statusfaction”?

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Ten Listening Tips for Effective Leadership

by dscharfenbergOctober 7, 2009

Listening is not the absence of talking, but the presence of attention. Listening is not simply hearing, it is a matter of understanding. It requires participation, action, and effort. Listening is the glue that holds conversations together. And it is absolutely essential for effective leadership. Here are 10 valuable tips to increase your listening skills…

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