Published at: www.ft.com
Customer Service -- Some observations.
September 24, 2009
Customer needs may be similar across cultures but customer service is quite different between the U.S. and European cultures. Based on my recent academic related trip/visit to Europe (four countries including Austria, Germany, Hungary, and Switzerland) this U.S. professor found significant differences in customer service and customer satisfaction perspectives. Interesting enough to stimulate and explore potential research study in this area in the near future. Customer service seems to have much lower value in Europe compared to the US -- customer is king or customer is always right seems to have little value in Europe. This professor thinks that the American attitudes, perceptions, values, benefits, and significance related to customer service be given more attention by European business in order to enhance their business profits, customer loyalty, repeat sales, etc. And for us Americans, we realize how good we have it in terms of customer service here in the US only when we leave the country -- may we not take it for granted like we sometimes tend to do!Dr. Raj SelladuraiIndiana University
Customers needs are the same allover E.U.
September 23, 2009
No one could force customers directly, yet good marketing skills and appropriate risk management is always working. Also the rule garbage in garbage out is still the king.
September 17, 2009
Banks across Europe have insisted in recent months any decline in lending is due to a falloff in demand, not supply. Supply is not useful if the line or rate does not make any sense.
The rules of the game must change for Banks
September 16, 2009
Banks are crucial to the proper functioning of a capitalist economy and must therefore be treated differently to other businesses. If a bank is too big to fall it must surrender some of its freedom to operate in the free-market and expose it self to much more stringent regulatory control and government interference (unfortunately)....otherwise the whole system can fall again!