Category archives: service

 

 

Sony to add photo editing to PlayStation 3's repertoire this week?

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Limber up those thumbs gaming gurus, because a new challenge may be on its way to your PlayStation 3 console: photo editing. PCWorld is reporting that Sony will be rolling out some new “photo editing software” for the PS3 early this week. Tweaking photos aside, the software’s ultimate purpose will be to provide access to and allow the sharing of digital stills through the company’s PlayMemories Online (and your other Sony portable media devices), which is set to launch later this year. The report states that the software will be on sale here in the US on Tuesday and carry a price tag of $18 — a 30-day trial will also be available. What say you PlayStation Legion? Are you ready to retouch your stills with a D-pad? Sony to add photo editing to PlayStation 3′s repertoire this week? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Mar 2012 09:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink | PCWorld | Email this | Comments

 

5 Ways to Cost Effectively Increase Customer Service

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Customer service is important to running a successful business. What differentiates many of the most prestigious businesses in world with other companies in the same industry is frequent attention in improving and maintaining quality customer service. Treating the people who buy from your store, be it physical or virtual, with respect and courtesy will go a long way in ensuring future business transactions. Here are 5 tips for improving customer service. Customers like to feel appreciated. In today’s society, the number of competitors in any industry is increasing everyday, so it is not enough to simply offer a niche item. Therefore, customers like to know they are recognized and appreciated for giving their business to you when it could have been given to any one of your competitors. This can be achieved with a simple, “thank you.” Inquiring if the customer needs help is another way to provide quality service. In the virtual world, use a FAQ section or help link with a way to contact the company for assistance via email or telephone. However, it is important to keep in mind that you should beware of becoming a nuisance. There is a local massage parlor I frequently visit in order to relieve stress. However, the company persisted in calling me after every visit until I had to actually ask them to please stop. This was not that big of a deal, but demonstrates how you should tailor customer service as to not be too intrusive. Overstepping boundaries can be worse than no customer service at all and it is important to realize when your company would benefit from pulling back a little bit. Do not fain your interest in the customer. Here, it is especially important to remember that the customer is the reason the business makes money in the first place. Be honest and sincere. Do not fake your interest because this will be perceived as both rude and inconsiderate. Making a customer angry can have very dire consequences. With the Internet, people will not hesitate to give negative and condemning feedback under the protection of anonymity. Do not take offense if the customer criticizes particular actions or comments on ways to improve your business. Instead, use this as a way to learn from your mistakes. Honest feedback is critical to enhancing quality customer service. Be quick to offer ways to rectify the situation with a possible refund or a discount on the next purchase. This is particularly important. By offering a solution quickly to a problem, this will be seen as turning an otherwise negative view into a positive perspective; a complete 180 in terms of customer service. Some of the companies I enjoy shopping with the most are the ones I have previously had problems with that were quickly resolved. The reason is because I know that in the future, if I have a problem with any aspect of the transaction, the company will not hesitate to quickly rectify the problem. By resolving issues quickly, customers will gain trust in your company. It is this trust that keeps customers coming back again and again. A good business rule of thumb is that, “80% of your sales come from 20% of your clients.” This means that repeat customers provide a very substantial amount of profit to businesses. In order to get these repeat customers, you first need their trust. A loyal customer that frequently purchases from your store is one of the best indications that your business will be successful. Word of mouth is an extremely powerful tool, and the frequent repeat customer will likely recommend you to their friends and colleagues for their needs as well. It is important to note that gaining these loyal and frequent buyers is virtually impossible without adequate customer service. Remember to thank your customers for their business, but do not be too intrusive in seeking feedback. Critique and criticism will occur naturally as inevitable problems will arise. However, take this opportunity to learn from your mistakes and quickly remedy the situation. A quick resolution will install trust in the customer who will then be more likely to purchase from your store in the future and account for a large percentage of sales. Did you enjoy this article? Got any feedback regarding this industry? Don’t be shy, comment below and let us know! For more useful articles, please don’t forget to subscribe to the

 

TiVo Premiere 500GB coming Sunday along with lower prices for service, XL and Elite DVRs

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The new TiVo Premiere featuring an upgraded 500GB hard drive (65 percent more storage than the old 320GB unit) that we spotted this morning is official, and will start shipping March 25th — but that’s not it. As we also noted, it only requires a one year service agreement at $14.99 per month or $12.99 for users with multiple boxes, which is cheaper than last year’s $19.99 / month package (Lifetime Service is still available as well). If you need more hard drive space, THX Certification or more tuners then you’re also in luck, as price cuts are in order for the 1TB Premiere XL (down $50 to $249) and the 2TB Elite models (down $100 to $399). The new pricing should let multi-TiVo homes compete even better with cable company DVR offerings, and once the new multiroom boxes arrive this summer things should only get better. Stake out various online retailers or your local Best Buy to snag one or three on Sunday, but until then check out the press release after the break for all of the numbers. Continue reading TiVo Premiere 500GB coming Sunday along with lower prices for service, XL and Elite DVRs TiVo Premiere 500GB coming Sunday along with lower prices for service, XL and Elite DVRs originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Mar 2012 13:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink | | Email this | Comments

 

Virgin Mobile USA restores service, apologizes for the inconvenience

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A dozen or so hours after the carrier came clean with its most recent outage, Virgin Mobile USA service has been restored. Data, texts and calls should be flowing normally now, and the company has stated that those still experiencing issues should “try removing your battery and restarting your device.” Not recommended? “Visiting your nearest T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon or Boost Mobile retailer.” Curious, right? Virgin Mobile USA restores service, apologizes for the inconvenience originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Mar 2012 10:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink | Virgin Mobile USA (Facebook) , (Twitter) | Email this | Comments

 

AT&T service in the works to let app developers pay for users' data use

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AT&T has been making news all over MWC in the past couple of days. The most recent report from The Wall Street Journal says that Ma Bell is planning a service that will enable app devs and other content providers to pay the carrier for subscriber’s data usage. AT&T’s head of network and technology said today that “A feature that we’re hoping to have out sometime next year is the equivalent of 800 numbers that would say, if you take this app, this app will come without any network usage.” Donovan goes on to say that interest is swirling from companies that offer services like streaming music and video that feed on a steady diet of data and that the carrier’s rollout of LTE would make the new service possible. Imagine if your Spotify habit didn’t eat up a chunk of your precious monthly allotment. Sounds pretty good, eh? We’re going to withhold judgment to see what mobile services adopt the new plan and continue to keep our Yacht Rock playlist(s) to a minimum. AT&T service in the works to let app developers pay for users’ data use originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Feb 2012 14:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink | WSJ | Email this | Comments

 

Man gets served on Facebook, literally

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Being unceremoniously dumped online isn’t the only indignation made easier by social networks. For the first time, lawyers in the UK have been granted permission to serve a legal suit via Facebook . Traditionally, documents must be delivered physically, be it in person, by post or even fax. But, in a pretrial for a commercial dispute, these old-fashioned methods proved fruitless. The prosecuting team then decided to check online, and noticed recent updates on defendant Fabio De Biase’s profile. Satisfied it was currently active, they sought permission to send documents via the website, with Justice Nigel Teare duly obliging. Wondering what that noise is? That’s the sound of millions of mice clicking on “privacy settings” all at once. Man gets served on Facebook, literally originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink PhysOrg | Associated Press | Email this | Comments

 

EMIEW 2 robot connects to the internet, wants to google your stuff (video)

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The adorable, metallic-haired EMIEW 2 has been given permission to go on the internet and it’s going to use that privilege to find exactly where you left that stapler. First, the android uses its built-in camera to take a snapshot of objects and then queries the visual data online to recognise it. Then, as shown in Hitachi’s recent demonstration, it teams up with an array of cameras dotted around a hypothetical office. These help the robot seek out specific objects and guide puny humans to what they need — with some voice recognition thrown into the mix. Skeptical types can watch the robot find and destroy all that lost property right after the break. Continue reading EMIEW 2 robot connects to the internet, wants to google your stuff (video) EMIEW 2 robot connects to the internet, wants to google your stuff (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 08:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink Plastic Pals | Hitachi (translated) | Email this | Comments

 

Dashwire closes up shop, all your data to get flushed on February 15th (update: Windows Mobile devices only)

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Ok, so chances are you probably haven’t thought about Dashwire much in the last couple of years. Last time we covered the service was back in the halycon days of Windows Mobile 6.0, early on in the modern smartphone revolution. In case you need a bit of a refresher, Dashwire was a cloud service that delivered many of the ammenities we now take for granted in mobile device — visual voicemail, threaded SMS, automatic sycing of photos, and status updates. Earlier this year, HTC snatched up the company which last made news with the free, and appropriately-named, Awesome Drop for Android (which seems to be dying a quiet death in the market). Well, the actual Dashwire service has been languishing for sometime now, but the company has decided to finally discontinue it completely for Windows Mobile devices and, on February 15th, will be shutting down its servers and deleting all user content. So, if you’ve got anything still sitting up in its aging cloud, now is the time to reclaim it. Update: Despite the Dashwire service itself (apparently) no longer being listed on its site, HTC has contacted us to clarify that “that Dashwire is only closing down the original/old Dashwire.com service for Windows Mobile devices” and that it has “new services with Tier 1 operators that are live in market.” Dashwire closes up shop, all your data to get flushed on February 15th (update: Windows Mobile devices only) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 04 Feb 2012 14:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink | Coolsmartphone | Email this | Comments

 

Google's 'Bouncer' service scans the Android Market for malware, will judge you at the door

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Google has had its fair share of malware-related problems in the Android Market , but that’s hopefully about to change, now that the company has announced a new security-enhancing service. Codenamed “Bouncer,” Mountain View’s new program sounds pretty simple, in principle: it just automatically scans the Market for malware, without altering the Android user experience, or requiring devs to run through an app approval process. According to Hiroshi Lockheimer, Android’s VP of Engineering, Bouncer does this by scanning recently uploaded apps for spyware, trojans or any other lethal components, while looking out for any suspicious behavior that may raise a red flag. The service also runs a simulation of each app using Google’s cloud-based infrastructure, and regularly checks up on developer accounts to keep repeat offenders out of the Android Market. Existing apps, it’s worth noting, will be subject to the same treatment as their more freshly uploaded counterparts. Lockheimer went on to point out that malware is on the decline in the Market, citing a 40 percent drop between the first and second halves of 2011, and explained some of Android’s fundamental security features, including its sandboxing and permission-based systems. Head for the source link below to read the post in full. Google’s ‘Bouncer’ service scans the Android Market for malware, will judge you at the door originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink | Google Mobile Blog | Email this | Comments

 

Rhapsody officially acquires Napster International, eyes European launch

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After having already acquired Napster here in the US, Rhapsody has taken its expansion one step further, with the acquisition of Napster International. Under the deal, announced today, Rhapsody will continue to offer Napster-branded services across the UK and Germany, as promised , and will eventually migrate Napster subscribers to its own infrastructure in March, with existing personal libraries remaining intact (Napster is already live in the UK, but has yet to make its official German launch). The move will also bring changes to Napster users’ mobile apps and web clients, with Rhapsody promising improved offline playback and enhanced library management tools “in the coming months.” For more details, check out the full PR after the break. Continue reading Rhapsody officially acquires Napster International, eyes European launch Rhapsody officially acquires Napster International, eyes European launch originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 10:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink | | Email this | Comments