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There was a mad scramble for Voice Response Units (VRU) systems till someone realized that customer service had little to do with cost cutting and everything to do with differentiation! Banks had their love affair with the ATM machine, till someone realized that they werent exactly good for business. The smart banks moved back to tellers and platform staff. Online everything is great for 24x7 operations and lower costs. However, this model, without a supporting human touch is not getting netbank into the ranks of Citibank. Human beings want service. Good service is still good for business. Now, smart companies all over the world are putting customer service back to the center of their business strategy. Technology has leveled the playing filed and increasingly, competitive differentiation comes from outstanding customer service. Technology is leveling the barriers between alpha companies and also-rans, making great customer service one of the few ways companies can distinguish themselves. Retail, online, and phone shopping channels are expanding, increasingly prompting customers to demand a seamless--and painless--experience. Refining time-tested concepts and coming up with cutting-edge ideas is critical for managing rank-and-file workers and measuring what customers think. So how do world beaters compete on customer service? Well, with innovative ideas and technologys help of course! Lesson number 2 is also being learnt: Happy employees = happy customers! In this story by Business Week, they have identified 25 champions in customer service. Yes, IT has enabled their success. However, they would not be where they are had they not learnt lessons 1 and 2. That requires thinking beyond IT. Read the story>>