The Right Answer

Going from some of the slicker service sites on the Web to consultant Donna Hall's "The Right Answer" feels a little like going from exclusive downtown department stores to that little gem of a shop right in your own neighborhood. You won't see the big brand names or fancy displays, but everything's right there for you to touch and the relentlessly upbeat proprietor is at your shoulder with advice and help in finding what you need. Hall's interest is in the front-line CSR's (customer service representatives), and she's got good tips for them – and for the people who recruit, manage, train and lead them. You'll find the best of it in the Article Archive and the Free Tips: advice on satisfying challenging customers, staying customer-focused, keeping valuable CSRs on the job, and more. There's no top-down guide to good service management here: Hall keeps the focus on the customers and the people who deal with them directly, and she does it very well indeed.
Adapted from a review in Harvard Management Update's "Web Sites for Managers."