Comments on: Sirius v. Audible: Two Customer Retention Programs http://www.jambrose.ca/sirius-v-audible-two-customer-retention-programs/ Interactive Digital Media Sun, 28 Feb 2010 02:04:09 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Jason http://www.jambrose.ca/sirius-v-audible-two-customer-retention-programs/comment-page-1/#comment-4266 Jason Thu, 23 Jul 2009 22:22:59 +0000 http://www.jambrose.ca/?p=258#comment-4266 I just called today to cancel because of the music royalties fee on top of the $2 per additional radio raise back in march. The CSR was very helpful and set me up with 5 months of Sirius everything for $20 per radio. So I set up all three of my radios on this plan :) Jason I just called today to cancel because of the music royalties fee on top of the $2 per additional radio raise back in march. The CSR was very helpful and set me up with 5 months of Sirius everything for $20 per radio. So I set up all three of my radios on this plan :)

Jason

]]> By: jambrose http://www.jambrose.ca/sirius-v-audible-two-customer-retention-programs/comment-page-1/#comment-3605 jambrose Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:54:15 +0000 http://www.jambrose.ca/?p=258#comment-3605 Update: I just got an email from Audible: <blockquote> Dear Jayson, We know you currently have your account on hold, but in case you're missing some great listening, we're giving you a FREE short story – Stephen King's 1408. Think of it as our gift to you for being a loyal member. We've chosen this story because there's nothing quite like having an author perform his own work – and when it's the masterful Stephen King as both wordsmith and narrator, the result is a chilling thrill. In 1408, King takes you inside a world of yearning and paranoia, isolation and addiction where the now politically incorrect habit of smoking plays a key role in the fate of Mike Enslin. This best-selling author of "true" ghost stories decides to spend the night in New York City's most haunted hotel room; will he live to write about it? We hope you enjoy King's story. Thanks, as always, for listening. Sincerely, The Audible Team </blockquote> This is a great system. I think I will be going for a book (if I can get it to work with my Blackberry). Update: I just got an email from Audible:

Dear Jayson,

We know you currently have your account on hold, but in case you’re missing some great listening, we’re giving you a FREE short story – Stephen King’s 1408. Think of it as our gift to you for being a loyal member.

We’ve chosen this story because there’s nothing quite like having an author perform his own work – and when it’s the masterful Stephen King as both wordsmith and narrator, the result is a chilling thrill.

In 1408, King takes you inside a world of yearning and paranoia, isolation and addiction where the now politically incorrect habit of smoking plays a key role in the fate of Mike Enslin. This best-selling author of “true” ghost stories decides to spend the night in New York City’s most haunted hotel room; will he live to write about it?

We hope you enjoy King’s story. Thanks, as always, for listening.

Sincerely,

The Audible Team

This is a great system. I think I will be going for a book (if I can get it to work with my Blackberry).

]]> By: Matt http://www.jambrose.ca/sirius-v-audible-two-customer-retention-programs/comment-page-1/#comment-2956 Matt Tue, 02 Jun 2009 01:19:08 +0000 http://www.jambrose.ca/?p=258#comment-2956 I have worked for SIRIUS for about a year, with my customer service experiance of about 7 years I do pretty well and I like making people happy. I see people with 10-15 supervisor calls a day. Since I started, I didn't have one! There is no need for a customer to speak to a supervisor when you know more than they do. Supervisor do schedules and keep tabs on you. If you need permission to actually do something, they say go ahead and you put it through. So they do nothing to help you. As a customer service rep you have the power to make a customer happy, which is all they want really. I have spoken to many upset customer where the first thing I hear is "Manager". But, they never do get to speak to one as I make the happy before it gets to that point. I have worked for SIRIUS for about a year, with my customer service experiance of about 7 years I do pretty well and I like making people happy. I see people with 10-15 supervisor calls a day. Since I started, I didn’t have one! There is no need for a customer to speak to a supervisor when you know more than they do. Supervisor do schedules and keep tabs on you. If you need permission to actually do something, they say go ahead and you put it through. So they do nothing to help you. As a customer service rep you have the power to make a customer happy, which is all they want really.

I have spoken to many upset customer where the first thing I hear is “Manager”. But, they never do get to speak to one as I make the happy before it gets to that point.

]]> By: Matt http://www.jambrose.ca/sirius-v-audible-two-customer-retention-programs/comment-page-1/#comment-2955 Matt Tue, 02 Jun 2009 01:16:17 +0000 http://www.jambrose.ca/?p=258#comment-2955 Yah I am sure they are everywhere unfortunately. We get the same training, except with SIRIUS it is 95% customer service as our tools are very easy to use. I think speaking proper English allows for better customer service and you don't have to rely on scripts. Yah I am sure they are everywhere unfortunately. We get the same training, except with SIRIUS it is 95% customer service as our tools are very easy to use. I think speaking proper English allows for better customer service and you don’t have to rely on scripts.

]]> By: jambrose http://www.jambrose.ca/sirius-v-audible-two-customer-retention-programs/comment-page-1/#comment-2954 jambrose Tue, 02 Jun 2009 01:12:20 +0000 http://www.jambrose.ca/?p=258#comment-2954 <a href="#comment-2952" rel="nofollow">@Matt</a> I started my career in a Compaq call centre in Ottawa, Ontario. We only served the US queue. Everyone got the same training: three weeks of product and customer care training. We listen to live calls, covered scenarios, when to escalate, etc... Our call centre got awards, but I also worked with guys who would hang up mid-sentence to make it seem like they were acciden @Matt I started my career in a Compaq call centre in Ottawa, Ontario. We only served the US queue.

Everyone got the same training: three weeks of product and customer care training. We listen to live calls, covered scenarios, when to escalate, etc… Our call centre got awards, but I also worked with guys who would hang up mid-sentence to make it seem like they were acciden

]]> By: Matt http://www.jambrose.ca/sirius-v-audible-two-customer-retention-programs/comment-page-1/#comment-2952 Matt Tue, 02 Jun 2009 00:57:16 +0000 http://www.jambrose.ca/?p=258#comment-2952 Again, another note. The three call centers in Canada compete with each other for Quality. Whatever call center has the best quality they get prizes, BBQ, gift certificates, and other incentives. I think this really helps and you are correct, proper training should be given to agents in other countries. Again, another note. The three call centers in Canada compete with each other for Quality. Whatever call center has the best quality they get prizes, BBQ, gift certificates, and other incentives. I think this really helps and you are correct, proper training should be given to agents in other countries.

]]> By: Matt http://www.jambrose.ca/sirius-v-audible-two-customer-retention-programs/comment-page-1/#comment-2951 Matt Tue, 02 Jun 2009 00:55:03 +0000 http://www.jambrose.ca/?p=258#comment-2951 Nice pic by the way. If that is the way it was prices would be cheaper;) Nice pic by the way. If that is the way it was prices would be cheaper;)

]]> By: Matt http://www.jambrose.ca/sirius-v-audible-two-customer-retention-programs/comment-page-1/#comment-2950 Matt Tue, 02 Jun 2009 00:54:10 +0000 http://www.jambrose.ca/?p=258#comment-2950 Also, it really get me going when people hate SIRIUS because of the customer service. If all the call center contracts were in Canada or the US there would be no issues. However, since the contracts must go to the lowest bidder by law, there is nothing that we can do. Very unfortunate. If I had a business, which I will soon, the interview process would be much more in depth as many customers cancel because of the customer service they have. When I hear people like yourself having a bad experience, it makes me angry because I really do enjoy the service. Also, it really get me going when people hate SIRIUS because of the customer service. If all the call center contracts were in Canada or the US there would be no issues. However, since the contracts must go to the lowest bidder by law, there is nothing that we can do. Very unfortunate. If I had a business, which I will soon, the interview process would be much more in depth as many customers cancel because of the customer service they have.

When I hear people like yourself having a bad experience, it makes me angry because I really do enjoy the service.

]]> By: Matt http://www.jambrose.ca/sirius-v-audible-two-customer-retention-programs/comment-page-1/#comment-2947 Matt Tue, 02 Jun 2009 00:48:26 +0000 http://www.jambrose.ca/?p=258#comment-2947 Depending on the call center you get the better customer service you get. This can be partly blamed on SIRIUS but that is how the call center service works. They are contracted out. I am in a Canadian Call Center. There are three within Canada. We serve SIRIUS US though as the contracts are contracted out. If you get an agent from another country, their customer service is lacking, mainly due to the scripts. I can say that we run on little to no scripts. There are things that we have to say, but compared to other contracts I have worked on such as Microsoft and Dell, it is very minimal. However, I am assuming because of the language barrier, they run on scripts. We have to verify the account and ask for the email, we must read a verbatim statement when signing a customer up to let them know we work on automatic renewals, and we must say SIRIUS at the end of the call. That is as far as the script goes. There is no written script for anything, except for the verbatim statement. I have heard many customer say they hang up until they get someone from Canada. As it goes, all contracts have customer service agents from other countries, and myself, I find it very frustrating. If you reach someone from Canada, I can guarantee you all of the information you want is readily available. Sorry for the earful. Again, anything about the service you need to know, please ask me. Not sure if my contract allows it but its our little secret. We will consider it overtime;) Regards, Matt Depending on the call center you get the better customer service you get. This can be partly blamed on SIRIUS but that is how the call center service works. They are contracted out. I am in a Canadian Call Center. There are three within Canada. We serve SIRIUS US though as the contracts are contracted out.

If you get an agent from another country, their customer service is lacking, mainly due to the scripts. I can say that we run on little to no scripts. There are things that we have to say, but compared to other contracts I have worked on such as Microsoft and Dell, it is very minimal. However, I am assuming because of the language barrier, they run on scripts.

We have to verify the account and ask for the email, we must read a verbatim statement when signing a customer up to let them know we work on automatic renewals, and we must say SIRIUS at the end of the call. That is as far as the script goes. There is no written script for anything, except for the verbatim statement.

I have heard many customer say they hang up until they get someone from Canada. As it goes, all contracts have customer service agents from other countries, and myself, I find it very frustrating. If you reach someone from Canada, I can guarantee you all of the information you want is readily available.

Sorry for the earful. Again, anything about the service you need to know, please ask me. Not sure if my contract allows it but its our little secret. We will consider it overtime;)

Regards,

Matt

]]> By: jambrose http://www.jambrose.ca/sirius-v-audible-two-customer-retention-programs/comment-page-1/#comment-2939 jambrose Mon, 01 Jun 2009 19:37:15 +0000 http://www.jambrose.ca/?p=258#comment-2939 <a href="#comment-2935" rel="nofollow">@Matt</a> Thanks for commenting! I appreciate you identifying yourself as an employee of Sirius. Hopefully Sirius Canada also gets around to hiring retention people like yourself. One major issue that I think you have exposed here is that Sirius has all of this information, but does not ensure that it gets to the front-line operators. Support scripts, proper training and call monitoring are worth their weight in gold. "Your call may be monitored for quality assurance purposes". This is precisely the type of thing that should be monitored and incrementally improved. I still think $15 bucks a month is too much, though... <img src="/wp-content/uploads/norad.jpg"> Image: Matt at Sirius USA Social Media Brand Monitoring Command Centre @Matt Thanks for commenting! I appreciate you identifying yourself as an employee of Sirius. Hopefully Sirius Canada also gets around to hiring retention people like yourself.

One major issue that I think you have exposed here is that Sirius has all of this information, but does not ensure that it gets to the front-line operators.

Support scripts, proper training and call monitoring are worth their weight in gold. “Your call may be monitored for quality assurance purposes”. This is precisely the type of thing that should be monitored and incrementally improved. I still think $15 bucks a month is too much, though…


Image: Matt at Sirius USA Social Media Brand Monitoring Command Centre

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