Consumer Reports recently published a report rating the tech support offered by various laptop and desktop manufacturers. Consumer reports looked both at overall results—that is, was the problem solved—as well as phone waits, phone staff, and online support. The verdict? Apple won top honors, and it wasn’t even close. For laptops, Apple received a score of 86, with 100 being perfection. The second place finisher’s score? 63. The disparity is even greater for desktops, where Apple received an 87, while the next vendor received a 55.

The TechCrunch blog points to the fact that, as opposed to the PC world, Apple controls the hardware and operating system, which does undoubtedly simplify things. That said, it is still all about the customer experience, and companies with far less complex products than Apple’s have failed to deliver on that front. I’d submit that there are additional factors contributing to Apple’s service success: enlightened management, customer commitment, and an understanding of the importance of knowledge management to name a few.

With a customer list that includes such tech companies as Apple, Serena Software, Juniper Networks, Blue Coat, Advent, and many others, InQuira’s solutions have been proven to shine at servicing the complex, and helping get customers to the answers they need—whether they’re talking to an agent or looking online.

Congratulations to the support organization at Apple on this accomplishment. If there was a better illustration of the importance and value of strong customer service, I can’t think of one: These kinds of ratings will clearly shape consumers’ buying habits for some time to come.

The cost justifications of cloud computing have been well documented: zero up-front infrastructure investments, outsourced administration, and predictable monthly pricing to name but three. Similarly, the ROI of knowledge management platforms has already been well demonstrated, making them a must-have for any organization in a competitive market—where keeping customers happy is key to staying viable. Combining the cloud with knowledge management represents a true ROI multiplier, which is why we’re so bullish about our latest offering, InQuira on Demand.

InQuira On Demand enables customers to use the InQuira for Contact Centers and InQuira for Web Self Service solutions as a subscription-based service. InQuira manages all infrastructure implementation and administration, giving customers the opportunity to leverage the customer service benefits of these solutions, with minimal upfront investment.

In his recent ITBusinessEdge article, Michael Vizard covered the InQuira On Demand announcement, outlining the market potential as follows:

“Self-service applications in recent years have been all the rage because they offer real potential to lower customer support costs, which typically adversely affect profits in most organizations. However, building these applications has been difficult for some, so getting a head start on development by leveraging ready-made infrastructure in the cloud may be just what customers with limited internal IT resources need.”

To learn more, see the InQuira On Demand Web page and press release.

T-Mobile UK’s top challenges will probably sound very familiar to a lot of support teams. Deliver superior service to stay strong in an ultra competitive market? Check. Under significant pressure to contain costs in the midst of a slumping economy? Check.

How they were able to overcome these challenges is what’s unique. Leveraging customer forums and sophisticated Web self services, T-Mobile has succeeded in both cutting costs and boosting customer satisfaction and retention. Listen in to a webcast and find out how.

This on-demand webcast shows how a well-managed customer forum can reduce service calls into the contact center, improve first channel resolution, and increase e-mail deflection. Listen in and hear first hand from T-Mobile UK’s Head of eService, Chris Willis. Chris headed up the online initiative, and he offers some practical lessons he learned along the way.

Click on the title below to learn more:

• Using Social Networks and Knowledge to Deliver a Better Customer Experience: A Case Study from T-Mobile

There are lots of great reasons to show your customers how much you care throughout the year, but Valentine’s Day cupids zinging through the air inspired a closer look at exactly how companies can make this happen. While some might offer brief stints of free shipping, discounts, or additional services, companies interested in solid, long-term relationships should keep these three tips in mind:

• Show respect—When dealing with a customer keep all the aspects of their experience in mind. Be respectful of their time by getting their issues resolved as quickly as possible, and respectful of their issue by supplying all of the information that they need to fully resolve the problem.
• Be thoughtful—Thinking about what your customer wants is a great way to understand what they need. If an agent can put themselves in the customer’s shoes, and understand their intent, they will be able to more efficiently answer customer questions and provide rich information and context with the solution.
• Share the love—Caring about your customers also means caring about your customer service agents. Aside from wooing them with Valentine’s Day flowers and fetes, one sure-fire way to share the love with your agents is to make it easy day in and day out for them to do their jobs. Equipping them with tools that reduce their need to search for information, allow them to share tips and best practices, and help them deflect further customer inquiries are a way to show you care all year round.

The post-holiday season can mark a time of unwanted stress on customer service. Unsatisfied customers can yield a fury of headaches for companies ill-prepared for the onslaught of returns. Worse, those unsatisfied customers are less likely to return to the store or brand. That’s why understanding customer intent is so important: Organizations that do can improve the overall customer experience, mitigate the potential for problems, and avoid these types of situations entirely.

A recent poll by Consumer Reports found that one in five people planned to return gifts after the holidays. Of the 46% of adults who shop between Christmas and New Years, 81% were drawn into the stores by post-holiday sales. This increase in post-holiday shopping can force businesses to scramble to cover typical customer service issues while also accommodating a rush of exchange requests.

By better understanding customer intent, organizations can provide faster and more effective answers. To do so, companies need to have an array of tools and metrics in place that function within their current customer relationship management (CRM) systems. By infusing knowledge into the process with an integrated knowledge management solution, support organizations can help their agents identify customer trouble spots, quantify areas for review, and take corrective action. By closely monitoring and acting on the information that comes in during the post-holiday season, companies can gain insight into why a customer was dissatisfied with a return policy or how customer service did not meet expectations, easing the pain of the busy period and providing valuable lessons for upcoming high-traffic times.

The launch of Google’s Nexus One has put the spotlight on the customer service challenges of introducing a new tech product. Smart phones based on the Google Android platform have been successfully offered through service providers and mobile phone manufacturers for a while and they have been tremendously popular. However, until this year, Google has only offered Web-based services—the introduction of Nexus One marks the first time Google itself has sold a physical product direct to consumers. So, as it begins to venture into the sale of hardware, consumer devices, and perhaps, one day energy, its approach to customer service will have to evolve, too.

In this regard, Google could stand to take a page from another highly successful company, Apple. The buzz around Apple’s tablet announcement is phenomenal, and it is being heralded as the most important thing Steve Jobs has ever done and the savior of the print industry. Demand for the tablet is high and so are expectations, and, if the launch of the iPhone and iPod provide any indication, customers will be willing to stand in line for days to be the first to get the coveted new tablet devices.

From its in-person, Genius Bar support to its award-winning online help, Apple consistently is able to understand the problems that its users are facing, anticipate their needs, and provide full, rich answers to the problem. It is also able to adjust service and support quickly in response to the rapid and dynamic nature of the tech industry. By understanding the wants and needs of the consumers using its devices, and by having an effective way to get that information into the hands of the people who need it—the customers and the agents helping customers—Apple is well positioned to understand what people are trying to do, why, and what they will want to do next, delivering a personalized customer experience.

With its love of data, Google will find significant value looking at the patterns that emerge from the customer support requests to see if it, like Apple, can start to anticipate the needs and wants of its future users.

We’re very pleased to be starting our first customer summit of 2010 today in Chicago, bringing together experts and executives to talk about improving customer experience. The InQuiring Minds summits offer a venue for InQuira customers to discuss the some of the tangible benefits that they have seen, from being able to more quickly answer customer queries to providing more detailed answers to user questions. In addition to case studies, research, and demos will be presented, talking about some of the hot trends in CRM and KM and what can be expected from InQuira in 2010.

In addition to our Chicago conference, we’re also holding a West Coast summit in Palo Alto on February 3^rd – 5^th, and will be tweeting key facts and neat stats.