There have been cries of joy and adulation in the halls of The Art of Service.  There have also been cries of pain from hair pulling at the same time… Why??? – Because ITSM Library has finally released the new “Foundations of IT Service Management Based on ITIL® V3!  Allow me to explain…. (You know I will anyway, regardlessJ)

When ITIL® V3 was released via the 5 ITIL® Service Lifecycle Books, APMG (organizing control body over ITIL®) also issued the “Foundations Syllabus”.  This became our reference point for determining our Foundations Program.  What is perfectly clear with the Service Lifecycle is that ambiguity regarding the processes and functions for each phase.  How easy and nice would it have been if they had a table outlining all phases and their respective processes and functions, and then the syllabus using the same? – But alas, alack – no such thing…

So interpretation between the Syllabus and Books comes into play.  We have developed and implemented a very successful Program (based on Exam pass rates), and have now begun our review to ensure that we are delivering the best program to meet our clients’ needs…

Joy and tribulation – the new Foundation texts have arrived – fantastic! – These are going to be our “class Text”.  These are very comprehensive books which cover way more than needed at foundation level.

Screams and yells – the new Foundation book could have come 2 weeks earlier – BEFORE we had nearly finished our review and rewrite!

However – late is better than not at all! – And we are really excited about the Quality of the Foundation Program!

The Good news – The book have clearly listed all processes and functions and where they fit…Superb – clarity reigns – confusion removed – not for us – but for you!

Tomorrow, I want to discuss the role of SLM and where it “fits” in The Service Lifecycle – as this has been an ongoing discussion pint for us here at The Art of Service, especially in the light of the new book!

Till next time Cheers from the ITIL® Australia Team at The Art of Service!

Michael

First of all, nearly all organizations have to do some kind of selling to survive. Some organizations survive because company A sells widget 1 to company B while company B sells widget 2 to company C. But regardless of who you sell your products and/or services to, one thing is very important customer retention. Without adequate customer retention strategies, your business will founder and sink in a competitive sea filled with sharks that would only be too glad to see you go out of business.

If you are an entrepreneur who has an online presence, you have to do several things so your website is able to retain the visitors who do arrive regularly and yet attract more and newer batches of visitors to add to your customer base.

First, you need to provide fresh and updated content to your website on a regular basis. This is key to customer retention online, because your visitors want to see something new each time they visit your website. If you are just providing one type of product, like a laptop, then you should keep talking on a regular basis on your website about the benefits of buying your brand of laptop. You could also talk about laptops in general, by providing a detailed buying guide. This could take the form of a newsletter to which your visitors could subscribe to. If you can find a mailing list somewhere, you can email the people on that list and ask them if they would like to receive a free subscription to your newsletter. If you provide this type of service, people who are inclined to be interested in laptops will probably submit themselves to your mailing list.

To make it painless for such customers, you can even offer a trial membership to your newsletter. This means that your potential subscribers get a chance to opt out of the subscription if they feel it is not in their best interests to stay.

The increasing popularity of balanced scorecard also increased the demand for information regarding this management method. The popularity can be attributed to the extraordinary success of companies that are implementing the system. These developments encouraged other management professionals to study and seek concrete applications of the system. They usually search for real life examples of balanced scorecard success.

Examples of balanced scorecard implementations and success stories can be found on business websites and institutions that specialize on business process management. One can find detailed examples of balanced scorecard application on every major industry. There are examples of system applications in the IT industry, banking and finance, service, and many more. Some examples show the successful application of the system to multinational corporations and global companies that implemented balanced scorecard. Examples are also available for balanced scorecard applications on small companies and medium enterprises.

Non-profit organizations and some government agencies are also implementing balanced scorecard. Their practices are well documented and it could also be studied by management practitioners. These best practices and success stories are important. The examples provide a rich source of knowledge for managers. The experience gained by companies and organizations that implemented balanced scorecard can be a model for their own company.

The balanced scorecard examples and best practices are also important for students of corporate management. Their skills on project and business management can be enhanced by the examples provided. Balanced scorecard success stories can be a useful tool in understanding the intricacies of business management.

The world of telemarketing is making waves in the call center arena, introducing a more efficient way in doing marketing business. Though coupled with limitations as mandated by law (TCPA Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991) and Federal Trade Commission policies (Do Not Call Registry), still telemarketing techniques keep on evolving, finding new ways on how to increase customer satisfaction.

To lead a successful telemarketing operation, the company needs a very strong, sophisticated and experienced telemarketing manager to cope up with the challenges and guide the team on each effort to sustain high quality targets. Coming up with a telemarketing campaign needs full attention to ensure that every team member is equipped with the expertise needed in handling such calls. Telemarketing managers should keep themselves visible in the production floor to make their own evaluations. They can also make recommendations on how agents can improve their performance. Though conveying difficult messages is not easy at times, this is very crucial to ensure consistency and compel compliance to the call flow. They can also give out direct coaching tips to supervisors or team leaders if necessary.

In addition, a telemarketing manager can enforce training when needed. Training is always an on-going process and a careful evaluation on people who needs it is a must. Being a telemarketing agent, one must polish his or her communication skills. It is requirement to speak clearly on every call, while applying a friendly persistent approach to be able to bounce back from customer rejection. Training can definitely take part in honing such skill. Always remember that accomplishing desired results is the lifeblood of telemarketing and achieving this should start by placing the right people do the right job.