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SitePoint tribune |
Issue 413: September 11th, 2008 News, Rants and Case Studies for Web Design Professionals |
Introduction
We'll start this edition by discussing why you need to sometimes bite the bullet and say sorry. The power of the simple apology is seriously amazing. Next, we'll jump into the dark corners of the SitePoint web site archives, and discover some useful further reading on customer service. Never thought content theft would happen to you? Maybe it's happening, and you're not aware! We'll take a look at Copyscape, a terrific resource that has been around now for a number of years, helping to combat web plagiarism. Then we'll wrap up with my thoughts on Google Chrome--is this possibly the start of the decline of Google? Hope you enjoy the read! Miles
Miles Burke
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Editor's PerspectiveLearn to Say SorryEarlier this year, I organized a loan for my new house with my usual bank. All went well, they approved it quickly and before long, I had removalists at my door. Then the trouble began ... payments not deducted, double payments deducted from the wrong accounts, inept bank employees who tried to argue with me, more double deductions ... the list goes on. After a while, I was close to giving up--even considering changing banks and organizing new loans. Then, one day I got a telephone call from one of the handful of managers who handle this bank's business in my state. He opened with "I owe you an apology." I was over the moon! This manager had taken the time to phone me and say that he'd heard about my plight; he wanted to assure me they didn't believe anyone should be treated the way I was. Not once did he even attempt an excuse, nor blame others. Here was an executive who was in charge of dozens of bank branches and yet, he took it upon himself to call and say that he and the rest of the organization he works for were sorry. This manager was attentive and keen to hear my views. We ended the call fifteen minutes later with him providing his cell phone number, and asking me to call if other issues arose. We've all been there. A web site project goes awry or one of your team makes a mistake, and before you know it, you are metaphorically huddled under your desk, frightened that the client will call. What your client wants to hear is "sorry." Everyone is human and when mistakes do happen, what we all want is for our suppliers to recognize when they have erred and offer a simple apology. It costs you nothing besides a few minutes of your time, and believe me, you'll feel better being proactive and apologizing before the client gets a chance to be angry. So, swallow that ego and make the call--you'll be relieved afterwards, and your client will respect you for it. I'm still with that bank and the service has improved. I've even recommended them to my colleagues, based on that manager's one call. Wouldn't you rather your clients do the same?
SMS enable your website or application
Click here for your free trial now. From the Archives:Customer ServiceThe SitePoint web site is full to the brim of content, so much so that you'll be excused if you have only read a tenth of the thousands of pages the site contains. I hope to regularly delve into this great resource, and point you towards some little-known gems. This week, we'll take a look at the easiest way to retain your clients--by giving great customer service! Back in 2004, Andrew Neitlich asked How well do you handle interruptions?, then proceeded to relate a pertinent anecdote after being on the client side of some unusual customer service. In another blog, Andrew unveiled five easy steps to handle uncomfortable client situations with The virtues of falling on your sword at the appropriate time. Want to know the basics on customer service as well as tricks to make your mother proud? In 2000, Sarah Leon gave us The 10 Do(s) and Don't(s) of Outstanding Customer Service, while more recently, SitePoint's own marketing expert, Shayne Tilley, finds a great analogy between customer service and a nightclub dance floor--and shows he has some impressive moves--in his article, Get Out and Boogie on the Customer Service Dance Floor!
What's New:Google ChromeYou would have to be living under a rock to not hear about Google's latest release, the Google Chrome web browser. First theorised by John Rhodes back in September 2001, and also suggested by Jason Kottke in August 2004, Google Chrome is seemingly big news on the technology front. In the last week or so, thousands of blog posts have cropped up, either loving or hating the technology and/or browser experience. My interest though, is different. For a company who used to use the mantra "It's best to do one thing really, really well" (see point two of their philosophical Ten things page), Google certainly has been doing more than one thing for quite a while. They've been madly buying up any web start-up that has a hint of innovation, including that little video sharing site. They've been building Google Apps and other tools in direct competition to other open source and commercial companies, and now they've launched a web browser? Google have been clear about their dislike of monopolistic companies, yet here they are, pursuing their very own monopoly. It is often said that some of the innovative companies in history have always stuck to one niche and not spread themselves too thin. This is sage advice that I've given many business owners over the years, and a strategy I'm always mindful of in my own dealings. The recent Google strategy, however, indicates a sign of greed or loss of direction. How long before this blurring of strategy starts to hurt the Google we've grown to love? Stay tuned!
Site Spotlight:CopyscapeHaving been the victim of yet another web site copyright theft this week (the third time in two years: words, designs, and all!), I was reminded of a handy service I have used intermittently for a few years. Copyscape offers both a free and paid service, scouring the web for possible plagiarism of your web site text. It's an extremely useful method of keeping an eye out for content thieves, and I encourage you to take a look at it right now--using the free version to check for duplicate content from your own homepage. Fingers crossed that you'll find no cases of theft. Their Premium service enables more powerful, unlimited searches for copies of your web pages, and tracks cases of plagiarism with ease. Their Copysentry service automatically monitors the Web for you, emailing the moment a possible plagiarism is found.
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and powerfully. That's all for my first issue--I hope you've enjoyed reading! I'll be back next week with more thoughts on the business of the Web. See you then, Miles
Miles Burke
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Welcome to another edition of the SitePoint
Tribune. I'm Miles Burke, and I'm excited to be joining the Tribune team
after being an avid reader for at least the last five years.
We all
know forums are a great place for networking, getting advice, or getting
answers to problems we couldn�t solve on our own. But did you know that
your participation in a forum can drive high quality traffic to your site
too? Josh explains why.
Ever
wanted to do more with your iTunes library? In this tutorial, Jack shows
you how you can leverage the Yahoo Music API to create video timelines of
your favorite artists�and get your hands dirty with Flex and AIR along the
way! Oh, and there are more books to be won...
Jeff
Veen is a high-profile author, speaker, and user experience consultant who
has lead design teams at companies such as Adaptive Path and Google. Jeff
took some time out to answer a few questions submitted by the SitePoint
Forums community.