An overview of Customer Services – supplying print and electronic environments Ashleigh Thompson Journal Sales Executive

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, , phone and fax queries  Prices, do you publish Journal X?, publication schedule

The Role of a Customer Service Executive - Online  Receive queries by phone, 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 2 nd renewal reminder The Subscription Cycle July agents’ test file Sept payments received June prices set and loaded August main renewals Jan grace starts, 3 rd 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?