ParaFest '10 - Call for Speakers

Speaking at ParaFest ‘10, being held at the hip, rock-n-roll Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas, is a great way of sharing your passion and expertise with industry peers and colleagues. Parature is seeking customer service experts and industry thought leaders who want to share their Parature Customer Service™ software and industry knowledge with users attending the conference. All session speakers will be entitled to one (1) complimentary conference registration OR one (1) night complimentary guest room.

Sessions

ParaFest ‘10 will feature both industry and product specific sessions. We invite presenters to submit proposals on Best Practices in Customer Service & Support Using Parature Customer Service™ Software.

Sessions will be 50 minutes, to include presentation time and a question and answer period. We are accepting session proposals online and you may submit more than one proposal. The submission deadline is Friday, January 15, 2010.

For users not interested in a speaking opportunity, we welcome your ideas for topics you would like to see presented at ParaFest ‘10.

ParaFest '10 - May 4-6, 2010 - Las Vegas

We announced today that our sixth annual users’ conference, ParaFest ’10 will be held May 4 - 6, 2010 at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas. This customer focused conference will allow Parature users from around the world to gain invaluable knowledge from industry experts and thought leaders, while networking with colleagues and peers.

ParaFest ’10 will feature hands-on training sessions led by the Parature Professional Services team and a diverse mix of customer service and support best practices sessions led by Parature customers as well as other industry experts. Attendees will have a unique opportunity to exchange ideas, share industry insights and trends, and network with their peers as well as Parature executives and staff. The popular ParaFest Zone will be available for participants to meet with Parature experts and partners, experience new product features and learn tips and techniques on how to further strengthen their investment in Parature Customer Service™ software.

“We are delighted to be bringing our customers, partners, employees and other industry experts back together in Las Vegas for ParaFest ‘10,” said Parature Founder and Chief Strategy Officer, Duke Chung. “ParaFest provides our customers with the opportunity to share some of the most thought provoking discussions around customer service and the customer experience today and is just another example of how Parature continues to deliver the compelling technology and leadership that the industry and our customers have come to expect from us.”

Parature is seeking customer service experts and thought leaders who want to share their Parature Customer Service software and industry knowledge with users attending the conference. Session proposals are being accepted online until January 15, 2010.

Attendees registering for ParaFest ’10 by January 31, 2010 will receive a $200 discount off of the regular rate. Please visit the ParaFest website for conference registration and additional information.

White Paper - The Cult of the Customer

The customer experience has never been more important than it is in today’s service environment. Customer service is driven by the customer experience and the people inside a company provide that experience – whatever employees experience on the ‘inside’ is similar to what customers will experience ‘on the outside.’ This thought provoking white paper will compel you to ask the following:

• Is my company in alignment?
• Does every employee understand the vision?
• Do our employees love their jobs?

The Cult of the Customer explores concepts, lessons and strategies that will show you how to build a customer service culture that will make your customers and employees ‘amazing.’ Read this white paper to discover powerful customer service and experience concepts that can help increase:

• Customer loyalty
• Employee morale
• Employee loyalty
• Value to your customers
• Your bottom line
• The value of your brand

Webinar - The Cult of the Customer

For more in-depth insight in to the concepts, lessons and strategies that can help your organization to have a customer focused culture and begin to create amazing experiences, attend the free webinar:

The Cult of the Customer
When: December 9, 2009 – 2:00pm EST
Where: Online
Cost: Complimentary

Watch this Webinar

In today’s environment, the customer has never been more important - customer satisfaction and retention are critical to any organization’s success, and customer service is essential to that end. The most efficient and successful customer support departments are versatile; providing their customers with a preferred method of support. Today’s customers are tech-savvy and require so much more than simple phone support. Integrated multi-channel service options, such as self-service via knowledgebases and downloads, live chat sessions, mobile applications, and easy issue escalation paths via the Web must be implemented to empower support teams to provide the level of service that customers expect. 

This webinar features John Ragsdale, vice president of technology research for the Technology Services Industry Association (TSIA). His area of expertise is in creating strategies for improving the overall customer experience and services operation through technology.

If you missed the webinar, the recorded version is available here. Share your thoughts and continue the discussion here.

A copy of this presentation is available in our SlideShare profile.

Download the Coremetrics success story

Every day, more than 2,000 online business sites globally – with transactions representing over $20 billion per year – rely on Coremetrics to optimize their online marketing.

Most significantly, the company’s clients are happy. Yet not that long ago, Coremetrics recognized it was time to take support to the next level to drive client satisfaction.

“We recognized the need to provide our clients the 24×7 help needed, but in a scalable way,” said Paige Newcombe, senior director, Global Client Services. “The metrics spoke to the need to offer new support solutions to our clients.”

Download this customer success story and discover how leading marketing optimization software provider Coremetrics increased customer satisfaction, loyalty and revenue with Web self-service.

How to Tell Anyone Anything - Discussing the Issue

If you have been following this blog series faithfully, you have seen the first steps in painlessly having difficult discussions with your staff: starting in a safe place, asking good questions, and acknowledging people. Now, in this final installment, we get to the fun part: getting the issue itself on the table, whether it is performance, attitude, or even personal issues like hygiene.

When you do these first three steps well, you will find that you can now be extraordinarily frank about whatever you want to discuss – IF you do the following two things:

Step 1: Boil the issue down into facts

I am a huge baseball fan. And do you know what my friends usually say when their favorite teams lose? Things like “they stunk” or “they choked.” Here’s the problem: these terms are not only threatening, they are completely useless. There is no such thing as an anti-stink drill or a non-choking procedure. What really happened is that their team dropped a critical pop-fly in the eighth inning, or the opposing team had a more accurate pitcher on the mound – and *that* is what you can actually change.

So suppose someone literally stinks, because they don’t shower as often as they need to? The facts are as follows: “Some people are more sensitive than others when people around them get active and sweaty.” Now, instead of criticizing a person, you are troubleshooting a problem. Let’s look at how to describe some other situations factually instead of emotionally:

Emotional: You act disengaged when you are on the line with a customer. You don’t care enough.
Factual: I can see why customers sometimes react badly to you. You jump right into problem-solving – but if you acknowledge a customer first, they would feel heard and probably treat you better.

Emotional: Your performance hasn’t been up to par lately.
Factual: Normally, a typical employee handles X transactions per day. Your productivity has been about 40% of that recently.

In general, the more factual you get, the easier the discussion will go – and when people push back, get even more factual. Suppose, for example, you are talking with a support rep who has a problem getting angry with customers, and he replies, “You’re wrong, I don’t get angry”? Break this down into “I notice that you say X to customers in certain situations, and here is how they react.

Step 2: Make the other person part of the solution

Boiling a situation down into facts is an important way to bring an issue on the table, but don’t stop there! Your goal isn’t just to present issues and make people squirm – or worse, tell them what to do and risk getting “yessed” with no real progress. Your goal is to create positive behavioral changes. And the best way to do that is to invite the other person to solve the problem. Use phrases like these, and be sure to state them in the same breath as your problem statement:

• Where do you think we could go with this?
• How would you solve this problem?
• What is your take on the situation?
• What do you think might be the reasons for this?
• What would you propose?

Statements like these have two important benefits. First, you are encouraging honest dialogue. Would you rather be told, “I’ll stop doing this forthwith” and have it still keep happening – or have someone frankly acknowledge their struggles so you can address them? I thought so. More important, you are showing the other person the respect of solving problems collaboratively, and that respect, in and of itself, is a big factor in your success.

Techniques like these are extremely powerful, not only because they work so well, but because they have the accumulated wisdom of decades of behavioral psychology behind them. And when I made this approach a cornerstone of managing my own call center teams, it was truly magical to watch people grow, change, and even welcome my feedback. So put them to work yourself, and discover the secrets of being able to tell anyone anything.

Rich Gallagher is a communications skills expert, author, and former help desk executive. His book What to Say to a Porcupine: 20 Humorous Tales that Get to the Heart of Excellent Customer Service (AMACOM, 2008) was a national #1 customer service and business humor bestseller that was a finalist for the 2008 Business Book Awards, and his latest book How to Tell Anyone Anything (AMACOM, 2009) explores the mechanics of difficult workplace conversations. Visit Rich online at www.pointofcontactgroup.com

Parature and ThePort™ Network Announce Strategic Partnership

Parature announced today a referral partnership agreement with ThePort™ Network, social media solutions provider for associations and nonprofit organizations. Parature and ThePort Network, both software-as-a-service (SaaS) providers, have a significant focus on the association and nonprofit markets.

“As a leader in on-demand customer service software, we are delighted to enter into a partnership with a proven social media solutions provider,” said Parature Founder and Chief Strategy Officer, Duke Chung. “Parature is one of the fastest growing customer service and support software companies in the United States and this partnership is a logical next step to expand our footprint in the association and nonprofit communities.”

“As the leader in providing social networking communities for associations and nonprofit organizations, we are very excited to partner with such an outstanding organization as Parature,” said Bob Cramer, CEO and Chairman of ThePort Network. “This partnership opens new opportunities to help organizations utilize our Social Media Solutions to better engage their members and provide members new ways to connect.”

ThePort™ Network, Inc. delivers Social Media Solutions that help nonprofit organizations and associations engage their members. With our integrated suite of proven social media solutions, organizations build online communities that promote new activity among constituents, generate more participation, and ultimately create more support for the organization. ThePort customers include such world-renowned organizations as Sierra Club, Arthritis Foundation and American College of Healthcare Executives.

How to Tell Anyone Anything - The Power of Acknowledgement

When you coach someone, you are probably hoping it will go something like this: first, you ask someone to change something. Then the other person politely nods their head and says that forthwith they will start logging their cases better, being nicer to customers, coming in on time, showering more often, or whatever.

But it doesn’t ever seem to work that way, does it? Instead, you often hear excuses, defenses, and their side of the story. And I am here to tell you that these things are all *wonderful* to hear. Why? Because they give you the chance to use the most powerful coaching tool of all: acknowledgement.

You see, the only reason that people ever argue with you, push back against you, or “yes” you without buying in is that they feel you don’t see their view of the world. Think carefully about the last time your boss called you out about something – how did you feel inside? Ring-a-ding-ding. We all contain an almost magical ability to justify and defend ourselves, no matter how “right” the other person is. Which means that our usual approach of showing people how wrong they are is generally doomed to failure.

Which means that one of the most powerful tools in coaching is a secret that has long been used by hostage negotiators, crisis counselors, and psychotherapists in their most difficult situations: acknowledge the other person’s view, each and every time they open their mouths. This step feels like “kissing up” to the uninitiated, but in reality it opens the door to productive dialogue. Because when you acknowledge the other person’s view of the world – which is not the same as agreeing with it – they lose the power to argue with you, and you gain the power to get more of what you want. (We’ll talk about that in the next blog installment.)

Let’s look at an example: suppose you have an agent who is rude to customers. Compare these two dialogues:

Without acknowledgement:
Chris Cranky: It’s all the fault of these stupid customers. They have no idea what they are doing.
You: That doesn’t excuse you from being polite. I expect you to be much nicer to people in the future.
Chris Cranky: (sigh) OK boss …

With acknowledgement:
Chris Cranky: It’s all the fault of these stupid customers. They have no idea what they are doing.
You: It must be frustrating when people don’t learn our product and take up your time.
Chris Cranky: You bet. I really feel stuck in situations like these.
You: Most of us would. Maybe I can help. I notice that when customers frustrate you, you sometimes say things like, “It sounds like you have no idea what you are doing.” How do people react to that?
Chris Cranky: Pretty badly!
You: Would you be OK saying something instead like, “Lots of people find software like this confusing when they are new to it. Would you like to hear about some learning options we have?”
Chris Cranky: Sure, that might help me set boundaries more comfortably.

When you break down nearly any coaching situation, taking an acknowledging stance turns defensiveness into productive dialogue – even in very difficult situations. Try it yourself and see what a change it makes!

Rich Gallagher is a communications skills expert, author, and former help desk executive. His book What to Say to a Porcupine: 20 Humorous Tales that Get to the Heart of Excellent Customer Service (AMACOM, 2008) was a national #1 customer service and business humor bestseller that was a finalist for the 2008 Business Book Awards, and his latest book How to Tell Anyone Anything (AMACOM, 2009) explores the mechanics of difficult workplace conversations. Visit Rich online at www.pointofcontactgroup.com

Rosetta Stone Focuses on Customer Success with Parature Customer Service™ Software

Parature announced today that Rosetta Stone Inc. (NYSE) , a leading provider of technology-based language learning solutions, selected Parature Customer Service™ software to efficiently manage their customer service and strategically support their customer-centric focus.

“Rosetta Stone is committed to changing the way the world learns languages. With the introduction of our innovative, online language-learning solution, Rosetta Stone® TOTALe™, we are completely focused on our customers’ success and making the learning experience truly enjoyable,” said Jay Topper, vice president of customer success, Rosetta Stone.

Rosetta Stone TOTALe builds on and enhances the effectiveness of the award-winning Rosetta Course™ by seamlessly integrating it with coach-led practice sessions, fun and engaging language games, access to native speakers and encouragement from customer success agents – all live and online. Rosetta Stone TOTALe learners will have their own Customer Success Team providing live guidance and encouragement every step of the way. Whether it’s explaining the method, answering questions or just helping to schedule a Studio session, Success Agents are committed to helping learners achieve their language goals. Parature Customer Service software supports Rosetta Stone and the company’s customer-centric environment via its multi-channel support offerings, including an integrated customer portal, chat, knowledgebase, ticket system, as well as other Parature modules, so that customers can choose their preferred method of support.

“We selected Parature because they deliver on the promise of multi-channel customer service and they understand our strategy and the importance of our customers’ success,” added Mr. Topper. “From the beginning, Parature’s ability to see us as a visionary organization, along with their willingness to accept feedback and to work diligently to help us facilitate our initiatives has been invaluable. Rosetta Stone and Parature share a common philosophy; to listen to our customers and make our products better. This synergy creates a great partnership.”

“Rosetta Stone is known for its customer service and we are delighted that they chose Parature Customer Service software to help manage the customer experience,” said Parature Founder and Chief Strategy Officer, Duke Chung. “Parature is committed to setting the standard for support teams worldwide with our customer service software suite which integrates a customer portal, knowledgebase, ticketing, chat and a host of other modules in one dynamic, tightly unified system that can manage all the support needs of any organization. We will continue championing the way by bringing the most advanced software to market, providing the smartest, most efficient way for organizations to support their customers, increase retention and reduce costs.”

Parature Ranked Number 235 Fastest Growing Company in North America on Deloitte’s 2009 Technology Fast 500

Parature announced today that it ranked number 235 on Technology Fast 500™, Deloitte LLP’s ranking of 500 of the fastest growing technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences and clean technology companies in North America. Rankings are based on percentage of fiscal year revenue growth during the five year period from 2004-2008. Parature grew 565 percent during this period.

Parature Founder, Duke Chung credits the vast market Parature serves, the advanced technology it delivers and their visionary customers with the company’s 565 percent revenue growth over the past five years. “Parature is honored to be included in the Deloitte Technology Fast 500™ for North America,” stated Chung. “To be ranked 235 out of 500 fast growth companies in the country is an outstanding accomplishment. Parature will continue to set the standard for support teams worldwide by providing the smartest, most efficient way for organizations to serve their customers.”

Technology Fast 500™ Selection and Qualifying Criteria Technology Fast 500™ provides a ranking of the fastest growing technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences and clean technology companies in North America. This ranking is compiled from nominations submitted directly to the Technology Fast 500™ website, and public company database research conducted by Deloitte LLP. Technology Fast 500™ award winners for 2009 are selected based on percentage fiscal year revenue growth during the five year period from 2004 to 2008.

In order to be eligible for Technology Fast 500™ recognition, companies must own proprietary intellectual property or proprietary technology that contributes to a significant portion of the company’s operating revenues. Using other companies’ technology or intellectual property in a unique way does not satisfy this requirement. Consulting companies, professional service firms, etc. are not eligible unless they have proprietary technology that contributes to a significant portion of their operating revenues.

Technology Fast 500™ award eligibility requirements include a base-year operating revenues of at least $50,000 USD or CD, and current-year operating revenues of at least $5 million USD or CD. Additionally, these revenues must have more than doubled between 2004 and 2008. Also, companies must be in business for a minimum of five years, and be headquartered within North America.