With the rising cost of cable services and options like satellite, companies are finding that top-notch cable TV customer service is essential for customer retention. And, providing that customer service with the most cost-effective and efficient options can be a challenge.

You can improve on services your company provides by either outsourcing your customer service and billing to a professional service or by providing software, training and continuing education to your staff. And cable customer care representatives can benefit from resources like the Customer Care Institute's free associate membership or The first step is to weigh the cost and quality of services of employing a staff to handle cable TV billing versus those of a professional service. The difference will likely be determined by just how big of an operation you have. cable customer service

Consider the following options for the best in customer service satisfaction:

1. Seminars for training and continuing education

2. Live chat software

3. Professional cable TV billing services

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Enhance your company's cable TV customer service with an employee development program

Fortune 500 companies rely on periodic seminars and webinars for supervisors and managers, and they are a great way to provide large-group employee training. Many seminars can simply send links so you can instantly download materials to go along with presentations. That means you don't have to wait for training materials to be shipped before educating your staff.

I recommend: Cable Fax Daily offers seminars on CD for building customer care, loyalty and returns. Call Center Webinars offers a free, 90-minute webinar -- and workbook -- that can be replayed anytime.

Make cable TV customer service complete with live chat support

Live chat setup for your cable TV customer service is easy. Plus, it allows you the option to send and receive images or links to web pages for clarification, as well as the ability to send a transcript once the chat session ends. Many also offer secure data transfer abilities for the utmost in consumer and company protection.

I recommend: Live Helper was rated number one by Top Ten Reviews for live chat software and requires a minimal investment. Number two on the list, Velaro, costs just a little more and delivers most of the same services.

Let the pros handle large-scale cable industry billing

If you're going to outsource your cable television billing management, look for a company who can provide itemized monthly statements whether the customer contact is made via the Internet, a phone call or a field visit. Look also for a cable TV billing systems who can maximize revenues for your business by staying on top of today's rapidly changing cable TV and satellite services.

I recommend: CSG Systems' cable TV billing software can handle everything from inbound calls to billing for all communications markets. Comverse offers billing services in the U.S. and abroad.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Whether you do it yourself or let the pros handle customer care and billing management in the cable industry, be sure to post troubleshooting tips on your company website. It can save you tons in payroll and allow your customers to fix simple problems on their own with just one click and no wait times.