Client Management Archives

Accounting for Irate Customers

Published in Business on March 13, 2016

What is it about customer support that drives us mad? Not just for those of us that manage and provide customer support, but ourselves as consumers. Is it that as a society we have lost all faith in the ability to get what we perceive to be quality service that we immediately begin each engagement with a chip on our shoulder?

As a consumer myself, I can attest to this feeling. Try picking up the phone, calling your bank, maybe your ISP, or god forbid a government agency. All I want to know is why my bill is so high, or why my network is performing so poorly. You follow all the phone prompts and somehow the call is disconnected, or you’re in the wrong group. Let’s say you get to the right group, but they’re unable to assist and have to push you over to another group, but that group is unfamiliar with your problem and you have to start from scratch. Sound familiar?

This is the sad reality of customer support these days, and as someone that runs a company that also provides customer support, it provides for a challenging dilemma. Whether we like it or not, it’s these experiences that create an overly negative disposition to working with support that our teams have to work with.

Lessons Learned From The Cab Industry

Published in Business on April 26, 2015

When was the last time you were in a cab? How awesome of an experience was it when you did? Was it memorable?

I’ve spent the past two weeks on the road, splitting my time between Las Vegas, San Francisco and Minneapolis. I found myself spending a lot of time getting from point A to point B and often using a cab, for a variety of reasons.

In Las Vegas, they are the only option; granted there are car services providers at the various hotels. In San Francisco they are just outside the hotel door and give the impression of convenience; at least getting around town. Same applies in Minneapolis.

It’s really no wonder that services like Uber have been so disruptive to the industry.

Accounting For The Squeaky Wheel

Published in Business on October 7, 2014

This has been on my mind for a while, likely because of how big of an issue it is for me. I didn’t realize how big of an issue it is though until I started doing some research.

I came across the most eloquent description:

It means that if you bitch loud enough, you’ll eventually get your way.

If you’re unfamiliar with the term, phrase, and you run a business you should acclimate yourself with it quickly. As an entrepreneur, as your business grows you will have to contend with it on a daily basis. I find it a very dangerous dilemma.

Know Your Clients

Published in Business on March 29, 2013

I don’t know why I don’t write more about business, finances or projects, but maybe this is the start.. who knows..

What I do know is that I sat in a great talk this weekend by my good friend Steve Zehngut, Founder and CTO of Zeek Interactive. To get a sense of how awesome they are just check out their Google tagline:

Managing Client Expectations

Published in Business on June 28, 2011

This is something that I have been wanting to write about for some time. For one reason or another I always fail to do so. Often it’s because I have that little guy on my shoulder telling me that if read by the wrong person it could be interpretated incorrectly and it could have negative impacts on me personally or professionally. Well that being said, the hell with it…:)

I’ll focus this specifically to managing expectations on projects. Now note that managing expectations shoud be something you strive and work towards in everyday things, from sexual relationshiops to professional ones. I’ll write about the sexual ones later…