An overview of Customer Services – supplying print and

electronic environments

Ashleigh ThompsonJournal Sales Executive

ashleigh.thompson@tandf.co.uk

Introduction

Internal Customers External Customers Role of a Customer Service Executive

Paper Online

Metapress Client Site Demo Department Structure The Subscription Cycle How to help us help you

Internal Customers (1) Publishing Dept

Supply details of any changes to journals Supply names of Editorial Boards and Contributors for free copies

Production Dept Send notification of production schedule to prompt label runs

Sales Dept Renewal information Consortia deals; identify subscriptions, raise invoices, process

payments and activate access Licence Agreement queries

Executive Directors Circulation figures and management information Company policy

Internal Customers (2) Marketing Dept

Receive sample copy requests Activate any trial access Enter any orders received from campaigns Supply lapsed lists for renewal campaigns

Accounts Dept All payments received are forwarded to Accounts who return the

cash batch for processing against subscription Liaise over missing payments and verify payment details

Warehouse Sample copies and back issue requests Conference material Urgent orders and claims

External Customers

Distribution House Receive notification when issue is ready and produce labels Confirm all inserts and components are received

Subscribers Universities, Colleges, Research Institutes, Hospitals,

Corporate Libraries/Depts, Government Depts, Societies Subscription Agents Online Service Providers

Metapress, Ingenta, OCLC, SwetsWise, Ebscohost EJS Document Delivery Suppliers

British Library, Infotrieve, PLS and CCC, Metapress & Ingenta

The Role of a Customer Service Executive - Paper

Maintain title database Frequency changes, merged titles, ceased journals, new titles

Maintain customer files Change of name or the delivery or invoice address

Load subscriber lists for new journals Raise invoices and send renewals Aim to process orders and cash batches within 24 hours of

receipt Aim to process claims within 48 hours of receipt Fulfill sample copy and back issue requests Answer post, email, phone and fax queries

Prices, do you publish Journal X?, publication schedule

The Role of a Customer Service Executive - Online

Receive queries by phone, email and post Typical requests:

Account set up and maintenance Activation of free trials Online access verification and activation Authentication; IP range or username and password Content queries TOC alerts queries Available archive Licence questions Usage statistics Linking assistance

Department Structure (1)

5 Customer Service Teams in Basingstoke Office:

Main Agents; Swets, Ebsco, Harrassowitz Direct subscriptions and smaller Agents Societies & Editorial Boards Administration Team; new orders and

enquiries, quotes and invoices; post in and out Finance Team; credit card payments, direct

debits, ad-hoc invoicing (advertising, permissions, document delivery revenue)

Department Structure (2) 1 Team in Milton Park:

Online Subscriptions; answer online queries, activate access, Consortia orders and payments

All Teams process orders and payments and claims and handle queries to improve efficiency

1 Team in Philadelphia:

Direct US subscriptions only

All handling approx 260,000 subscriptions (paid) and 85,000 subscriptions (unpaid) and maintaining 112,000 customers

Nov 2nd renewal

reminder

The Subscription CycleJuly

agents’ test file

Sept payments received

Juneprices set

and loaded

August main

renewals

Jan grace starts, 3rd reminder Dec

main orders received

Feb subs file to online host

March-June quiet, catch up!

How to help us help you

Always quote your customer number and journals affected

Be ready to provide full payment details if necessary Keep claims within the claim limit Quote previous and current address details Quote Metapress or Ingenta ID Numbers Keep us up to date with full IP range Alert us to any change of reference Tell us how we can help you!

Thank you for listening

Any questions?