Lessons Unlearned

Customer service is of particular importance to the technology industry; customers rely on technical support services when they have a problem with a piece of hardware, software, or a consumer device. The current darling of the technology industry is Apple, and you don't have to go farther than the Genius Bar at your local Apple Store to see how Apple approaches customer service, creating a fantastic customer experience that ensures rabid fans.

Most people think of customer service as a department, and it's true--virtually every company has some sort of customer service division. But customer service is also a technology industry all on its own, with a wide array of software and hardware required to support customers with product and service questions.

This book gives an insider's view of the customer service industry, providing insight for those of you battling mediocre service every day. If you understand the tools, vocabulary, and metrics that power customer service, you can definitely demand better service from your providers, and understand how to appropriately deal with service issues. And for those already working in the customer service industry, hopefully this book will provide you with some new best practices, worst practices to avoid, and maybe even a laugh or two along the way.

John Ragsdale is the vice president of technology research for the Technology Services Industry Association (TSIA). Ragsdale’s area of expertise is in creating strategies for improving the overall customer experience and services operation through technology. Ragsdale drives TSIA’s highly regarded technology research agenda, delivering insightful, thought-leadership research and analysis on the most pressing business issues facing services leaders to enable them to better plan and execute their service strategies. Prior to joining TSIA, Ragsdale spent over six years at Forrester Research as vice president and research director. During his career, Ragsdale has held product management and marketing positions at various service and support technology vendors, including Clarify, AnswerSystems, Platinum Technologies, and Nortel Networks. He has been involved in customer service throughout his career, including over ten years managing both the internal and external customer support organizations at J.C. Penney, before moving to the Silicon Valley in the mid-’90s. With his in-depth industry analysis experiences, Ragsdale brings an extensive understanding of the technology and vendor landscape for services. He leverages those insights to help guide TSIA members in making informed technology, business and investment decisions.