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RescueTime

 

Being in the time management business, RescueTime is all about expedient service. RescueTime specializes in time management tools that allows workers to understand how they spend their computer time. The company truly understands what it means to have a two-way dialogue. With 573 Topics powered by 1179 people with help from 3 employees, this forum is defintely one of the most active in Get Satisfaction.

The way this site is managed is very user-friendly and above all, it is constantly updated every four hours. There are three tabs: recently active questions, recently active ideas and recently active problems. In addtion, these tabs are organized into tags that can easily be found by other people through keywords used to describe companies, such as Firefox or Beta.

If customers have a similar problem, they can share the solution from the administrator with their friends on Twitter, Facebook or Del.icio.us. Also, customers can subscribe to the RSS feed.

The overheard tab bridges the public Twitter stream into Get Satisfaction’s support network. Customers can follow the “tweets” related to RescueTime. Anyone can convert a tweet into a Get Satisfaction discussion.

The three administrators are Joe, Brian Fioca and Tony. Although Joe doesn’t have a profile or other kinds of accounts, his rapid fire responses are very much appreciated by consumers. Unlike some administrators who responds to problems in a few days or even weeks, Joe responds to complaints within hours. He has made 470 replies and 85 of them have been marked useful.

Not to be outdone, Tony responds to complaints just as quickly as Joe. Although sometimes, his solutions may not be the right ones, at least he is trying. If there is a delay in his responses, he apologizes. He actively participates in sharing of information with consumers.

            Brian Fioca is another administrator who responds within the hour to customer complaints and problems. He walks the customer step-by-step and seems extremely knowledgeable and asks the right questions.

            Web 2.0 is all about developing excellent relationships with customers. Learning about the benefits of web 2.0 and how to engage the consumer is important to companies who are trying to maintain good customer service and overall reputation. Government officials should look into this before they try to push new legislation.

           

Expedia

 

Expedia is one of the largest online travel companies out there. However, customer service is lacking on both the online and offline components. Everywhere online, customers would rant about their negative experiences and still Expedia would do nothing to solve their complaints. On the website, customers are encouraged to ask questions and report on negative experiences, but according to some customers, their negative postings were either edited or turned down.

On Get Satisfaction, Expedia is a poorly managed forum. There is not an administrator in sight and meanwhile, customers are complaining left and right. One customer complained about the cancellation fee of $35 that was charged weeks in advance. The complaint was reported seven months ago and was never addressed by the administrator. Similar complaints were reported but no administrator addressed the problems.

Web 2.0 is all about a two-way conversation and an avenue for companies to engage the customers in a meaningful dialogue. If customer service is lacking, why does Expedia want to participate on Get Satisfaction, when it does not want to improve on its services? What is the point of setting up a blog for customers to complain and not address any of it?

How to apply Six Sigma concepts to PR

Efficiency. That’s what I’m about. If I am assigned a task, I try to figure out a way to complete it in the most quickest and efficient way possible, guaranteeing maximum results.  Imagine my reaction when I found out about the Six Sigma program and how it can be applied to PR.

Six Sigma may seem like some strange business concept, but it is really easy to understand. And did I mention that your boss or teacher will thank you for bringing this up?

In layman’s terms, Six Sigma provides ways to do things better, faster and more cost-efficient. A method for eliminating defects through hard data, it seems that every facet of business is looking into employing the Six Sigma method.

Part of PR is understanding who the target audience is. The Six Sigma approach begins by understanding the internal and external customers. Your internal clients would be your boss and your external clients would be journalists, analysts or employees. Obviously, the next step would be to understand the needs of you clients so that their needs could be met.

I think all this sounds very basic. But there’s more.

According to Mark Weiner, CEO of Delahaye Medialink Worldwide, the Six Sigma process guides communicators through the following steps:

* Define

* Measure

* Analyze

* Improve

* Control.

Through what is called Weighted Impact & Net Effect, a research formula is created to gauge the effectiveness of a company’s media coverage. Such measurements include story to influence the media and measuring the level of audience exposure, the reader’s level of awareness and recall, and the impact of the story on the reader. Each placement is assigned a score between +100 and -100, and the editorial tone determines whether the score is positive or negative. Then, the figures are multiplied by its Weighted Impact Score to determine its Net Effect.

This strategy can be used for media relations, which includes reducing time for press release approval, improving media targeting, and ensuring that key messages are picked up by the media.

Unfortunately, there are not enough PR professionals who are aware of Six Sigma. Having this knowledge will provide communicators with a competitive edge.  

A Night for Stargazing

Every once in a while, I get to mix business with pleasure. Going to the 40th Anniversary Ruby Gala, hosted by Canadian Children’s Opera Chorus, was my debut into high society and I loved every minute of it.

I felt right at home, wearing a sparkling evening gown and sipping red wine. I was acting like a little girl in a candy shop, schmoozing with the likes of the Canadian Tenors, Quartetto Gelato, Richard Margison and Alana Bridgewater.

The concert was phenomenal. Former CCOC members took the stage and sang pop and jazz selections. Then, the various children’s choruses performed operatic ballads. I was extremely impressed by their talent and genuinely believe that classical music is here to stay. Next up was the Canadian Tenors. I was completely mesmerized as they performed their pop hits and Tomasso Albinoni’s Adagio.

Anyway, I had a fabulous time at the gala. It was not all fun and games for me, however. I had to look pretty and sit in front of the lobby to greet the guests.

Did I mention that I had the chance to take a photo of my hero, Jamie McKnight, from Canadian Tenors?

Here is something you might want to listen to. It’s from Quartetto Gelato, one of my favourite groups. Peter DeSotto did a fantastic job with his rendition of Nessun Dorma. Enjoy!!!!