http://www.dind.com/blog/testimonials/ en-us Fri, 18 May 2012 20:03:48 PDT Fri, 18 May 2012 20:03:48 PDT SiteCrafting.com GearBox 1.1 (beta) http://www.sitecrafting.com/blog/customer-service-be/ I recently received a gift certificate to a popular online merchant, aka Company. I'm not telling who Company is, because I like them, and I don't want my comments to be taken the wrong way. The entire thing was a fiasco, but I ended up with a nice warm and fuzzy feeling, simply because the merchant actually cared about my experience. Here's the important parts:If something goes wrong, tell the customer whyNever have an action with out a success or error messageIf you can reasonably accomodate the customer's request, do soRespect your customer's scheduleIf the customer isn't happy, ask them whyI won my gift certificate in a raffle, and to actually get it, I had to email one of Company's marketing people. That part was easy, and so I pointed my browser to Company's online store. I happily added a bunch of stuff to my cart. Once I had filled up my cart with schwag, I went through the registration and information process, and ended up at the payment page.On that page, there was a nice field for adding gift certificate numbers, and so I put mine in and hit 'Submit'. Nothing happened. No error message, no confirmation, no indication that I'd entered a valid number. There was no way that I would proceed from here, because I didn't want to deal with a refund hassle, so I just emailed my contact at Company. She told me that she would get in touch with the people that manage their store, and let me know when it was fixed.The next day, she sends me an email saying that the store is now fixed, and that I should try again and let her know if the problem persists. It does, so I return the email. Then she connects me directly with the store managers at the merchant (Merchant), and I get a new contact (my third, there was one in-between the lady at Company and this one), and am told that I'll either have to call their toll free ordering phone, or order via email.I much prefer to email people than to call them, especially if I don't know the person I'm calling, so I email off my order. I ask that they remove my credit card number from their mail program when the order is complete, and they happily oblige. Finally, my free stuff is coming.About a day later, I receive a shipping notification from Merchant, which lists one of the items $2.00 more than is displayed on the site. Normally, I'd be a bit ticked off, but this time I decide the fight is not worth the effort, especially because I am getting a ton of free stuff from them. The following Monday, my stuff arrives, and I'm happy. The next day, I receive a request to fill out a survey about my experience, and I let them have it. I give them the lowest possible score on their webstore, and on product knowledge (the difference in price caused that). I also put in that I'd like to see trinkety stuff in the store - keychain, stickers, pens and the lot - because it would have been fun to plaster Company stickers all over everything I own (I know, I'm a tool). I send off the survey, thinking "That's the end of that, no one follows up on these things". Two days later, I receive a phone call from a guy named Jason (name changed), right as I start my lunch break. Nice timing, Jason. That shows that they care enough to not interrupt my work day.Jason wants to know if he can ask me some questions about my survey results. After a my brain resets, I answer his questions. (Conversation is paraphrased)Jason: Why did you give us a low mark on product knowledge?Me:  Because the pricing was inconsistent between the website and manual ordering. I didn't want to pursue it because I got a free certificate, and it didn't seem worth it.J: Oh, ok. And why the low mark on our website?Me: Because your gift certificate processing system didn't work, forcing me to order via email. (It's probably because I got the certificate direct from Company, and something wonky happened with the database.)J: I see. Well, we are working on that, and hopefully it won't happen again. Also, I want to let you know we're looking into getting the stuff you recommended.Me: Wow, cool. Even though the ordering experience sucked, I like how customer friendly both companies are. They were prompt, answered my questions, and made sure that I was a valued customer, even though I was getting most of the stuff on their dime. The survey follow up was especially important, because you have to actually pay people to call up customers and ask why they had a bad experience with the process. I imagine that job is terrible, but it made me feel like they care about me. And that's something you don't see very much in the Internet industry. Fri, 20 Oct 2006 09:17:00 PDT http://www.sitecrafting.com/blog/dollars/ Two dollars is a small amount, but two is a magical number. Despite it's seeming insignificance, two represents the difference between doing a job, and doing it right.One summer while I was still in college, I worked in a brewery in Colorado waiting tables. I recommend that everyone work in a restaurant at some time in their life. It teaches you a lot about life and service. While I was working there, I began to understand the value of such a small amount, and how much good work is worth.If you don't know, servers (at least in the US) rely on tips as their soruce of income. In Colorado, I earned a paltry $2.25 per hour, and that was only enough to cover the taxes on what I earned in tips. Washington is a little better, because retaurant owners are required to pay the minimum hourly wage, unlike Colorado where tips count towards that sum.Often, the difference between a great tip and an average tip is two dollars, and the same is true between average tips and poor tips. In a place like the one where I worked, the average customer bill was around $12 ($8 for dinner, $4 for a drink). When 3 or 4 people came into eat, they usually ended up ordering about $40 worth of food and drinks. On that total, a 10% tip is $4.00. A 15% tip is $6.00. That's a two dollar difference, but it makes a huge difference for the server. The actual value of $2 is small - sometimes I can find that much in the seats of my car, and it costs me more than that to do my laundry. The result of the extra $2 is huge. Your server is happier, and happy servers mean better service, increased patronage, and more satisfied customers.What it comes down to is that the $2 represents a willingness to go the extra mile,  or the difference between just doing something, and doing it right. Or the difference between doing something right, and getting it perfect. I've heard many stories about people that wanted to make a website - to help their business, to show off their talents, or just for fun - but they balk when they hear what their idea is going to cost. Many people miss the fact that it takes effort to do anything, and whether the cost of that effort is time, money, or blood and sweat, the difference between doing it right and not is huge.This happened to me last year. For every day for about two weeks, and when ever I wasn't in class or asleep, I was working in my studio on a piece for my senior art exhibition. Every day I'd get up at 8:00am, and work until around midnight. I hated the piece while I was working on it because it was so much work, and took so much effort. But, I realized that I had come up with something that could be really good. And so I put in the effort to make sure that it was perfect, that every component of it worked like it was supposed to. When I was done, the only words that I could use to describe it was 'Wow.'For all you developers out there, heed my words. If you take the time to do your projects right, it will only benefit you. Encourage clients that are willing to let you do your job the way you know how. And for anyone looking to hire someone to make a website, establish a level of trust with your developers and then let them do their job. It's ok to want proof of their abilities, but if you don't trust them they will only disappoint you. The $2 attention to detail ends up producing products that are much more valuable than you could ever imagine. From the client point of view, if save two minutes of work a thousand times, that adds up to two thousand minutes, or 33 and a third hours. Little by little, those small savings add up into something huge. And for developers, having a few really happy clients makes more clients that are willing to refer you to people they know. And that means better work, and continued success. Anybody can do this, but you have to actually work for it. And make sure to go that extra mile for the people that take care of you. Wed, 15 Nov 2006 10:39:00 PST http://www.sitecrafting.com/blog/my-new-car-help-website/ I just got a new car - a Volvo 240 Wagon. I can't wait to take it on a road trip. This is the first time I've gotten my own car, and so I've been dealing with all the licensing, emissions, and insurance paperwork that goes along with buying a car. I've learned two important things from buying the car, and I want to share.Explanations are essentialMy first priority once I had bought the car was to get it insured. So I called up the agents that my family has relationships with, and asked what it would cost to get insured. Of the two agencies, I got two very different responses to that question. The first one told me what insurance I had previously been on, and explained what each part of it was. I don't understand the legal insurance mumbo jumbo, so hearing stuff like "Personal Injury Protection pays for medical bills of your passengers" or "Comprehensive coverage protects against theft, fire, ..." and so on, was a very helpful thing. The other agency just said "What kind of insurance do you want?" Granted, that agent didn't know what kind of insurance I had before, but how am I supposed to know what is available, and what their terms mean? Don't assume that your customers know all the idiosyncrasies of your business. When I'm talking to someone who is an expert in a field I'm not, I want them to tell me what I need to know, and then what I should know.Telling me what the insurance was, and what it covered was a very helpful thing, and it made me think that the agent was looking out for me. She told me what I had been covered for, and then asked if that was what I still wanted. The other agent gave off an air of detached professionalism - get the job done and then get the client out of the way.This can help you two ways: first, explain what you're asking on website, and why you need that information. Second, being more open in this way helps your customers feel better about doing business with you.Information ASAPI also need to get my emissions checked because Pierce County has problems with air quality. I went to the Department of Licensing website to find hours of operation, and found live webcam feeds of their testing stations. (http://www.emissiontestwa.com/waittime.aspx) I can see right away how long I'll be in line to get that task taken care of. Instead of just giving me the information I needed, they gave me more information that I might find useful, and it really is useful. I can plan my trip better, and if wait times are too long at one location, I can pick another. Kudos to the State for taking the effort to do a job right. For you web designers, remember to give your visitors all the information they need, and then what they can use to make their experience better. Thu, 07 Dec 2006 11:36:00 PST http://www.sitecrafting.com/blog/exceptional-service-personified/ I know, I know. We all know how great Les Schwab is (which is ultimately the point of this entry). Where else do you pull into a parking lot and have a guy (or girl) throw their tools down and sprint to your car to see how they can help you? Before I begin, I should set the stage. I get home from work Wednesday, and my wife tells me that the check tire pressure light is still on in the car. I've been "solving" this problem by continually adding air to the tire - not a great long term solution, I'll admit. It's kinda like adding water to a lake with a leaking dam. Anyway, we are scheduled for a vacation tomorrow that involves driving, so I decide it's better to take care of it for real at this point.So, there's no real question about where to go. I decide to head over to the Lacey Les Schwab center. I pull in the lot, and notice it's 6:08pm. I am relieved to see that all the bays are open. A guy comes flying out of nowhere to see how he can help. After talking with him, I head into the customer service waiting area to check in and notice that the hours posted on the door show they're already closed.  I feel horrible, but decide to pay attention to the service I receive "after hours". In the lobby I see five people and an employee on the phone. I overhear her say, "Well, actually, we closed at 6:00, but we're still here and you need help so come on down". While I wait, I decide to settle in to watch and learn. I plan to pay very close attention to see what is going on around me, to see if I can detect any frustration from employees that are still taking customers 15 minutes after they closed. Below are a few quotes I heard while I was there:From the service bays - "Anyone needing something to do needs to jump on bay 1 for a flat repair, bay 2 needs rotation..." From the service bays - "Let's make sure we keep our areas clean"From the employee on the phone -"You need directions here,  take yada, yada yada...no, it's OK we're still here and glad to help".Not once -- not once, did I hear someone complain about the fact that they should already be closed or that they had already worked a full day.At 6:38, 30 minutes after I arrived, my car was ready. "No charge, just please consider us for tires next time you need them." All my cars have Les Schwab tires on them. If yours don't, they need to. I wonder if we should start giving away free beef with our websites? :)Service to me is paramount, and we at SiteCrafting continue to strive for service perfection. Les Schwab is a model to all of us seeking to earn a living in a service business. I'd love to hear about a great service experience, so please share. Thu, 24 May 2007 17:32:00 PDT http://www.sitecrafting.com/blog/im-reading/ So, some people are interested in what others are reading at the current moment. So I thought I'd give you a view into the sorts of things that I focus on when I'm not working on conquering the web universe. The fact is, I am always looking for new books and new things to learn. I recently finished a book that was recommended by a client called Indomitable Spirit by Chuck Ferguson which calls itself "The essential guidebook for a lifelong journey of leadership  and the rewards of meeting them". While I'm not certain that it is the greatest book I have ever read on leadership, I believe that the message is very positive and one that reminds us in the service business that what we really are are "caregivers". People appreciate the extra mile and the little things. I don't mean to trivialize it, but it's pretty straightforward and basically tells us we need to take care of those that take care of us. I am in the middle of Now Discover Your Strengths, and Seth Godin's Small is the New Big. The bottom line is I like to read. I am always looking for a good book. If you have some suggestions, post away. Some of my recent favorites include:Zag : The Number One Strategy of High Performance BrandsBuilt to LastGood to GreatLet my People Go SurfingFeel free to share...thanks.b Tue, 17 Jul 2007 20:06:00 PDT http://www.sitecrafting.com/blog/iphone-web-apps-to-go/ OK, so I promised myself that I would wait until the second generation iPhone so I could let them work out the bugs and lower the price. Then I played with one and realized I had to retire my RAZR for one of these. Aesthetically, it is a knock out, but I can assure you it's beauty is way more than skin deep.I have a hectic life, kids, business, and homebrew. All add up to a lot of demands and juggling. I've tried organizational tricks, Palm Pilot, Windows CE, Blackberry, and nothing, I mean nothing is even close to this. I'll stop gushing so that I can give you some practical examples.   1. No third party syncing applications - it just works!It's Apple so it does "just work". When I delete email or file it on my PC my iPhone knows it and keeps old mail from getting in the way. This sounds like a small thing, but my Palm T|X could not seem to get this. Calendars and tasks simply work.2. Google Maps Yesterday we had a presentation and we all had different ideas of where the meeting was. I simply let Google Maps on iPhone solve it for us in 5 seconds. It even displayed current traffic volume. We were 10 minutes early. Type in "Pizza 98402" and get a bunch of pins locating pizza joints. "Web Design Tacoma" and there's SiteCrafting.3. Web ApplicationsThere are several third party websites with iPhone Applications. I've sampled a few and while many are very basic, some are very promising. From Shopping Lists like OneTrip to Tip Calculators and more a full version of Safari makes for great browsing and Beer recipe formulation. (See I brought it in) Google Maps, YouTube, Yahoo Stocks and Weather are built in.4. The Little ThingsThe phone is polite. It nudges you when you are receiving a call and working on something else, once the call is complete you go back to what you were doing. Apple does a great job of building in ah-ha moments like page zoom, screen rotation, browsing through screens by simply swiping your finger from left to right or vice-versa, and a host of other yet to be discovered finds. I do have some criticisms, including speed of AT&T's EDGE network and some wish it could do this or that a bit differently, but overall it is a fantastic product. It will push other companies to build in thoughtful features and better Web browsing capabilities for Web applications which of course makes me happy, since someone is going to have to build them. :)P.S. - One more thing of note, I did not even mention synching of photos and music, both of which are flawless and result in great sound and beautiful slideshows. I don't even see it as an iPod...strange. Thu, 19 Jul 2007 12:03:00 PDT http://www.sitecrafting.com/blog/sitecrafting-to-expand-new-markets/ Seeing the time as ripe for expansion, SiteCrafting has launched a new venture in an effort to expand into prescription eyewear. SightCrafters, LLC will bring to the eyewear world what SiteCrafting has brought to the web development business. According to Brian Forth, founder and President of SiteCrafting, "it was the next natural step with our business model." Brian sees eyewear as a niche market in which SightCrafters could thrive. He believes eyewear has received little attention from the business community in recent years, suggesting that perhaps it is time for a new player to come in and revolutionize the business.Ken Foubert, a long-time employee of SiteCrafting, sees the connection between the two businesses. He explains why the web has not attracted a large portion of the population both in the region and nationally. "One of the primary reasons can be directly traced to those who require corrective lenses, says Foubert. "Nobody wants to use something they can't see, so we ultimately miss out on an entire section of the population that cannot see our websites."He points out one project for a local organization that was ultimately scrapped when it was discovered that the client's existing website had received 2 visits over tha past 5 years. Subsequent investigation revealed that 94% of the people in the local area suffered from hyperopia (farsightedness) and did not own corrective lenses.With SightCrafters, the goal is to enable this market segment to see again, resulting in even greater demand for web-based content. "We even have plans to embed browsers right into the lenses," says Nick Williams, a relative newcomer to the company.Williams says the technology has arrived, but that there just hasn't been any demand for it. He also suggests that "such advanced eyewear will make it all but impossible to avoid the web," adding that SiteCrafting's products could be available "at the flick of an eyelash."Time will tell if this new venture will be a success. With so much hype already being built up on the day of its announcement, there is no doubt it will leave its mark. The question is, will the visually-challenged see the mark? Tue, 01 Apr 2008 09:48:00 PDT