The FT Word

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Welcome

to the April 2014 edition of the FT Word. Topics for this month:

VIP customers and VIP satisfaction. What you can and should do differently for special customers.
Managers matter. Quantitative proof that good managers decrease turnover and increase job satisfaction.
The good physician. An inspirational quote.
Announcing a new venture for FT Works, ChurnSquad, that will minimize customer churn and maximize revenue expansion.

FT Works in the News

ChurnSquad! In support, we know that churn is not a good thing: losing customers means a loss of precious recurring revenue, loss of the organization’s investment in the customer, and, all too often, bad word of mouth. We also know that growing the base is a good thing: it’s much easier to convince a customer to buy than to lure a new one, the added purchases contribute to a larger stream of recurring revenue for the future, and the positive vibe is contagious.

We know that the cultivation of customers is not something that support organizations can do alone: it is, or should be, a company-wide effort. But all too often turf wars and data silos complicate the collaboration. This is why, in concert with a long-time colleague of mine, I am launching ChurnSquad, a consulting and service venture that targets churn (the customers that leave) and identifies anti-churn strategies and prospects from a joint marketing-support perspective. My colleague, Olivier Delerm, provides the marketing expertise and yours truly the support expertise.

We offer a series of tailored services starting with a blueprint (to identify the causes of churn and possibilities for revenue expansion) to implementation assistance and creation of metrics to better track churn. You can find out more at www.churnsquad.com — or simply contact me. We’d love to design an anti-churn program for your organization.

Will you be attending the TSIA Technology Services World conference in Santa Clara, CA on May 5-7? I will be there! Would love to see all of you at the FT Works booth. Make an appointment if you’d like to be sure to see me there. (Otherwise you will chat with one of my wonderful collaborators, so your visit will be informative in any case.)

Curious about something? Send me your suggestions for topics — or add one in the comments — and your name will appear in future newsletters.

Regards,
Françoise Tourniaire
FT Works
www.ftworks.com
650 559 9826

About FT Works

FT Works helps technology companies create and improve their support operations. Areas of expertise include designing support offerings, creating hiring plans to recruit the right people quickly, training support staff to deliver effective support, defining and implementing support processes, selecting support tools, designing effective metrics, and support center audits. See more details at www.ftworks.com.