Alyson Stone

Manager, Customer Programs & Publications, Assistly team

Aug 01, 2012 By Alyson Stone

5 Things You Can Do to Build Barrier-Free Online Customer Service

Your customers don’t always know what’s best for them (as Henry Ford said “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.“) but they do know how to leave your brand behind if they can’t find the smooth interaction they need when they are ready to do... Read More

Customer Service

Jul 25, 2012 By Alyson Stone

Content for a Crowd

Writing content for customers at multiple skill levels can feel a bit like teaching a class full of learners from every grade—depending on experience and skill, you have to craft high-quality, reusable content that won’t condescend to one end of the spectrum, or overwhelm the other. Reusable... Read More

Content Marketing

Jul 18, 2012 By Alyson Stone

5 Trending Issues for Small Business

1. Good design matters. People like visually appealing things. Young companies like Well Crafted and Nest are paying attention to this and building great design into every decision they make, from software selection to Website colors. Good design is good branding. 2. The growth of... Read More

Customer Service

Jul 11, 2012 By Alyson Stone

What Aesop Teaches Us About the Power of Customer Care

As they crafted the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, I doubt that our forefathers could have guessed at the reach their words would have in the lives of their descendants. I often wonder what Jefferson, or Shakespeare, or my hero John Adams would think of how we have absorbed... Read More

Customer Service

Jun 28, 2012 By Alyson Stone

7 Important Customer Service Trends

With the advent of social media, customers have become the voice of the brand. With all communication, professionals need to think of the customer as having a seat at the boardroom table. Whether your focus is marketing, advertising, corporate communications or public relations, any business... Read More

Customer Service

Jun 20, 2012 By Alyson Stone

The Top Five Reasons for Saying Goodbye to Social Media

Trends tend to go through a "settling in" stage, and the revolution in social is no exception. Such a great movement will have its frustrations. Keep your wits about you; in time you will find what works best for you and your brand. Everybody using social media today is finding their... Read More

Customer Service

Jun 13, 2012 By Alyson Stone

Customer Service: No Heroics Necessary

Your last Employee of the Month award went to a customer service rep who spent hours looking through call logs and scribbled notes to reconstruct a case history. Then she stayed late to do Web searches and email colleagues for answers. Finally she was able to cobble together a resolution at the... Read More

Customer Service

Jun 06, 2012 By Alyson Stone

The Future of Social Media and Customer Service

The customer has changed. Their expectations shape your strategies. Their needs govern your roadmap. They speak, you listen (or eavesdrop). The quality of their experience is the most important goal of your business. It's not enough just to tune in to what customers are saying to you and... Read More

Social Media

May 22, 2012 By Alyson Stone

For Small Business Week: Practical Tips for Transforming into a Social Enterprise

This week is Small Business Week 2012, and business and academic leaders will be working together across the Internet and with in-person events to help small businesses compete more effectively, find customers, and grow their businesses. Desk.com and Do.com — two small companies that have... Read More

Social Media