The Lessons Companies can learn from their Live Chats

More and more companies have a live chat option on their websites.

It’s a great tool on many levels.

1) It allows companies to connect with users that are unfamiliar with their offerings.

People search internet and come across their website. They are looking for something and they often do not find it immediately.

These visitors love a live chat option to ask for tips. This allows a company to learn a lot about their visitors.

Furthermore, live chat allows a company to communicate with user groups that normally would not purchase the company’s products or services. However, since these visitors did end on the website, they expressed an interest or problem that the company can address.

2) Live Chat can help with conversion

Live chat definitely helps with conversion. It is the perfect tool to persuade any doubting Thomas, and also helps to accumulate questions that visitors are wrestling with to make their decision.

Addressing these questions is often crucial.

3) Addressing irritation / frustration of users

Visitors often turn to live chat because they are irritated or even frustrated with a company. In many cases they tried to contact the company in a traditional way (phone, fax, email) without success.

The service department or the helpdesk must be used to being contacted 24/7. However, in case that that the customer does not get the response/ / service he or she expects, live chat is a great way to retain such a customer.

In short, live chat (when used properly) can give amazing insight into one’s (potential) customers and market!

Just check out some offerings, such as liveperson and nanoRep!

Why Temp Agencies such as Adecco Suffer in the Current Economy

Adecco, the world’s largest temp agency, remains a victim of the current economic downturn. The company saw its Q3 profit slide to 18%.

Adecco’s revenue accumulated to 118m Euro. The turnover of Adecco declined with 5% to around 5.3b Euro. Outsourcing more manpower in the US could not completely compensate for the diminishing demand in Europe. Adecco’s main competitors (Dutch Randstad and US Manpower) noticed that the declining revenues will also happen during during Q4.

 

In France, the largest market for Adecco, revenues declined with 16% during Q3. One of their major customers, Peugeot, recently announced that it will lay off around people.

What does it mean? In Europe, temp agencies are feeling the economic crisis. However, this might only be partly the case. Social media, such as LinkedIn, are becoming more active and are taking over a lot of traditional HR and recruitment functions.

 

Let’s face it – it’s a heck of a lot cheaper for companies to recruit employees or freelancers via LinkenIn or Facebook than using a traditional (and expensive) temp agency such as Adecco, Manpower or Randstad.

 

Unless they can show substantial added value, temp agencies will just not cut it with businesses nowadays....especially since outsourcing companies are proving their weight in gold!

How Temp Agencies such as Adecco Suffer in the Current Economy

Adecco, the world’s largest temp agency, remains a victim of the current economic downturn. The company saw its Q3 profit slide to 18%.

Adecco’s revenue accumulated to 118m euro. The turnover of Adecco declined with 5% to around 5.3b euro. Outsourcing more manpower in the US could not completely compensate for the diminishing demand in Europe. Adecco’s main competitors ( Dutch Randstad and US Manpower) noticed that the declining revenues will also happen during during Q4.

In France, the largest market for Adecco, revenues declined with 16% during Q3. One of their major customers, Peugeot, recently announced that it will scrap 8,000 jobs.

What does it mean? In Europe, temp agencies are feeling the economic crisis. However, this might only be partly the cause for their misery. Social media, such as LinkedIn, are becoming more active and are taking over a lot of traditional HR and recruitment functions.

Let’s face it – it’s a heck of a lot cheaper for companies to recruit employees or freelancers via LinkenIn or Facebook than using a traditional (and expensive) temp agency such as Adecco, Manpower or Randstad.

Unless they can show substantial added value, temp agencies will just not cut it with businesses nowadays....especially since outsourcing companies are proving their weight in gold!

William Shatner’s Latest Marketing Move – His Shatoetry App!

The actor William Shatner is best known for his role as Captain Kirk in the original StarTrek series and movies, as lawyer Denny Crane in Boston Law, and as Frank O’Hara on Psych. Being a savvy marketer, Mr. Shatner has now launched his new app “Shatoetry”, available for the iPhone.

It contains a library of pre-recorded words allowing users to create unique“Shatisms” that play using Shatner’s voice. According to Mr. Shatner, his life story is unique. He therefore wants his fans to “make them say whatever they want him to say”. Users of the application can therefore create simple sentences, phrases, word juxtapositions, etc. They can send words, phrases or even poems to their friends.

The app also allows two users to collaborate online. They can create their own text using Shatner’s voice. For advanced users, the app allows them to compose poetry and haiku... (personally, I am not sure what would be the benefit of that....)

According to Shatner, the app will be updated with word packs for the holidays and special occasions. He prices the app at App Store right now for $2.99.

As a savvy marketeeer, Mr. Shatner posted the following YouTube promotional video: