Today’s currency: Retaining Customer

Today I am sure no one needs to be told that "The more birds a yard can support, the fewer insects there will be to trouble the gardener the following year."

Retaining customer and having a flourishing business year after year is what each company strives for. Just think of a product, and voila !! it is offered to you at your doorstep. There is NO dearth of availability of any product.In this cut throat competition where it takes no time to replicate the same product by another company it has increasingly become important to provide prompt service/support. A satisfied customer is not only going to stay with you but will also bring along more customers. A very important thing to understand while handling support is, NO ONE contacts the company if they are having a wonderful day or to Thank you. You are under their fire ONLY when there is an issue. And usually, keeping calm when having an issue is not inherent to human nature. So, expect and be prepared to handle frustrated people.


Belongingness :
The first and foremost feeling to be imbibed in the person who is handling support is 'belongingness'. You ARE the company and NOT a mere representative! You are Not some struggling, immature, hapless person trying to make a living and it is expected that you will be able control what they can not control.

Handling customer expectations and issues in an online game 'Realm of Empires' has been an enlightening experience on how besides knowledge, it is the words and attitude that can mould a dissatisfied, sometimes abusive, hyper customer to someone who not only becomes a valuable customer but also helps spreading the word around. Some rules, we as a team, have adhered to and has helped us handling over million players.

Attitude :  We all know to follow the mantra 'Walk your talk'. Go a step ahead and 'Let your walk be their talk'.
In an online game, a disgruntled customer has nothing to lose and very easily loses his cool throwing a tantrum. It is your attitude which is going to make the customer either get worse or get back to normal. Remember, we all are humans and succumb to polite words. Always maintain your class. Your politeness, tact and skill will get your customer thinking about his approach and correct himself.


Response Time : It always helps if the issue has at least been addressed , even if not solved within 24 hours of being reported. It gives a sense of 'Yes, you are being heard'.

Content : Even when answering to an individual, it is important to keep in mind that your replies could be shared with a few thousand to a million customers. So, its best to keep the replies short and clear. Longer, complicated replies usually confuse the customers. Go by the saying “Say little, do much, and greet everyone with a pleasant countenance.”

Expectation management : Responding to  very polite, long term customers who share their ideas, concerns which cannot be implemented or carried out is crucial to keep the core base happy.This is something which is difficult as it hurts the sentiments of users, being turned down. Showing respect even when declining the requests helps.

'We're honored to have your suggestions and feedback. It's very motivating to be thought of so highly and having a fan base trying to help us grow our business.However, implementing these would not be technically ( giving  a reason) possible.'

Having a dedicated support engineer who truly understands the environment, the project plans and the deadlines proves to be an invaluable asset and plays a crucial part in success.Support forms the backbone of any company.

We are looking for interns for positions to work from home in support, marketing, business & creative writers, illustrators and programmers. Join the fun!

Virtual Team: The creative collabration

Email sent ! Meeting accepted ! hello, yea please share your screen !! A typical conversation between two people in the same office, in the same building two floors away from each other.
ANNOUNCEMENT : CEO on video conferencing from head office.. tune in ! And probably you are just sitting two rooms away from the CEO and see him 3 days in a month walk in and out of his room...

My point is, even if your colleague is one cubicle away or 2000 miles away, ALL teams are virtual. In a profession nothing is verbal. Non-verbal, un-written communications are forgotten and usually irrelevant. Every data required to work is available online via file sharing. Almost each one of us are working remotely in some capacity. This gives rise to the concept of being 'Location Independent' specifically for creative careers.

This shift towards becoming 'Location Independent' rather than being 'Location Dependent' has helped companies tap talent resource from all over the world. Is it really a cake walk to work in a virtual team spread all over the globe ? What are the basic skills to work in a virtual team ?

ACCOUNTABILITY is the key to success. This is the biggest challenge the team lead has when working with remote workers. It's a normal feeling for your manager to imagine you are chatting, eating, watching TV on the company dime. To build a trust, establish a regular way to communicate. Be responsive. Convey each days work, however negligible. Establish a pattern to be at your desk. Your desk should be your own personal space with absolutely NO intrusions when you are working. This leads me to the next very essential rule to stick to.

PRIVACY : When working remotely, it is very easy to slip to a relaxed pace of working. Don't take the slippery road. Stick to a discipline. Make your family members, friends, neighbors understand that working from home does not necessarily make you available for them always at any time of the day, specially during your working hours. Only when you maintain your privacy others will respect your private space. This will also ensure focus on your work increasing productivity.

With these two most important areas to adhere to, you are ready to conquer the world with your technical skills and knowledge by working on your communication skills.

COMMUNICATION: " Writing is today’s currency for good ideas.” When working remotely the biggest disadvantage is you are working blind. Faceless interaction can lead to misinterpretation.The lack of visualization and contact has to be balanced with very clear, continuous and effective mode of communication. Learn to write out your thoughts. Key to this is to know your work. Virtual teams require a good infrastructure to overcome the lack of personal interaction. During my experience of making Realm Of Empires extensive use of chats, screen sharing, video-conferencing , audio-conferencing in addition to one‐on‐one conversations and email has been constantly maintained by the CEO

And finally there is this last bump to cross. Adjusting to each others time zone. Well, it is difficult to bend your complete life style accordingly but if you look at the benefits of having flexible hours to maintain work / life balance it would not come in your way.

In my experience, to be part of an international team is very exciting. You get to know the various management techniques in different cultures,have a pool of diverse ideas, broader experience and exposure thereby maximizing your output.

We are looking for interns for positions in marketing, business & creative writers, illustrators and programmers. Join the fun!