http://www.physorg.com/ en-us Physorg.com internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. (PhysOrg.com) -- Irish computer scientists have developed a system to improve the helpfulness of online customer reviews. In recognition of the quality of their work, the group received a distinguished paper award at the British Computer Society`s annual Artificial Intelligence Conference. http://www.physorg.com/news180370101.html Technology Fri, 18 Dec 2009 15:10:03 EST news180370101 (AP) -- The Federal Communications Commission on Friday asked Verizon Wireless why it recently doubled the fees it charges customers when they break their contracts on "smart" phones. http://www.physorg.com/news179171423.html Technology Fri, 04 Dec 2009 19:30:01 EST news179171423 (AP) -- U.S. senators are pressuring European antitrust regulators to hurry their investigation of Oracle Corp.'s proposed acquisition of Sun Microsystems Inc., citing Sun's "precarious" financial condition and fears about more layoffs at the struggling computing company. http://www.physorg.com/news178314527.html Technology Tue, 24 Nov 2009 21:10:03 EST news178314527 (AP) -- Rogue employees at a major mobile phone company illegally sold millions of customer records to rival firms, Britain's information watchdog said Tuesday. http://www.physorg.com/news177686561.html Technology Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:23:43 EST news177686561 Something fresh is growing in Indiana. The number of farmers' markets in the state has increased at double the rate of other U.S. states; between 1994 and 2004 the number of farmers' markets in Indiana increased by an impressive 222%. Researchers at Purdue have published an insightful study that identifies the reasons behind this unprecedented growth. http://www.physorg.com/news176566481.html Other Sciences Thu, 05 Nov 2009 02:20:01 EST news176566481 (AP) -- Nokia Siemens Networks said Tuesday it will lay off up to 5,700 workers globally as part of a move to cut annual costs by euro500 million ($740 million). http://www.physorg.com/news176466789.html Technology Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:50:05 EST news176466789 (AP) -- An online book special offered by Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is turning into a full-fledged price war with Amazon.com. http://www.physorg.com/news174891091.html Technology Fri, 16 Oct 2009 06:10:01 EST news174891091 Buying Huggies at Target the other evening -- size N, for newborn -- I noticed that the back of the receipt was printed with a coupon for infant formula. Cash registers are so clever these days. Target, I've been told, is among a small number of big retailers that have invested millions of dollars to develop technology internally that tries to understand their customers' needs. But most big companies are still pretty clueless. http://www.physorg.com/news174764236.html Technology Wed, 14 Oct 2009 18:50:03 EST news174764236 IBM today announced two analytics-focused research projects that will help telecom service providers and e-retailers improve customer service and new-customer acquisitions. http://www.physorg.com/news174055504.html Technology Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:10:04 EST news174055504 (PhysOrg.com) -- Economists have finally proved what most of us have suspected for a long time - when it comes to apologising, talk is cheap. According to new research, firms that simply say sorry to disgruntled customers fare better than those that offer financial compensation. http://www.physorg.com/news172771680.html Other Sciences Mon, 21 Sep 2009 18:00:02 EST news172771680 (PhysOrg.com) -- From CNN to Ashton Kutcher everyone is tweeting. In ads, many companies now display the logo of an animated blue bird holding a sign that says "follow me." http://www.physorg.com/news171815151.html Technology Thu, 10 Sep 2009 16:00:03 EST news171815151 Service quality beliefs are usually positively related to customer satisfaction - the higher the perceived service quality, the higher the customer's satisfaction. However, an article published in the August issue of the Journal of Service Research finds this relationship may be more complicated in "negative service environments" (i.e., services that consumers would prefer not to have to use), such as health screening, diagnostic tests, or even auto repair. http://www.physorg.com/news168863703.html Other Sciences Fri, 07 Aug 2009 11:50:01 EST news168863703 (AP) -- Google Inc. is so well known that it has become a synonym for search, making advertising unnecessary. Getting businesses to buy Google's online suite of office applications requires a little more elbow grease and marketing muscle. http://www.physorg.com/news168497802.html Technology Mon, 03 Aug 2009 06:10:01 EST news168497802 Taiwanese authorities on Thursday fined US computer giant Dell one million Taiwan dollars (30,500 US) for customer rights infringements after it failed to honour an online price offer. http://www.physorg.com/news168181559.html Technology Thu, 30 Jul 2009 14:40:03 EST news168181559 Researchers have helped solve the mystery of why white men continue to earn 25 percent more than equally well-performing women and minorities. Managers and business owners must pay a premium for white male employees because customers prefer them, says David Hekman, assistant professor in the Sheldon B. Lubar School of Business at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM). http://www.physorg.com/news163268213.html Other Sciences Wed, 03 Jun 2009 17:17:20 EST news163268213 (AP) -- More than 6 million current and former customers of online brokerage TD Ameritrade Holding Corp. will be able to benefit from the settlement of a class-action lawsuit filed over the theft of client contact information. http://www.physorg.com/news161274590.html Technology Mon, 11 May 2009 15:36:10 EST news161274590 A product recall can significantly affect a company's bottom line and its reputation, but a swift recall and restitution to purchasers can minimize harm to the company - and even improve customer satisfaction. A study examining more than 500 toy recalls between 1988 and 2007 suggests ways that firms can minimize the business impact of a recall. http://www.physorg.com/news161256450.html Other Sciences Mon, 11 May 2009 10:27:56 EST news161256450 Online auction giant eBay announced plans to close a customer service facility in Vancouver which employs some 700 people. http://www.physorg.com/news160805592.html Technology Wed, 06 May 2009 05:13:54 EST news160805592 Fujitsu Laboratories today announced the development of two new technologies designed to prevent the unwanted disclosure of data from lost universal serial bus (USB) memory devices and prevent uploads to file-sharing networks: a USB memory device technology that after a fixed period of time automatically erases data stored on the USB memory, and a file redirect technology which ensures that the data from the USB memory device can only be stored on a specified server. This creates a secure environment that protects confidential information and allows USB memory devices to be used as a convenient way to safely carry customer data back to one's own company to manage the data. http://www.physorg.com/news159201094.html Electronics Fri, 17 Apr 2009 15:32:15 EST news159201094 Cost reductions are high on the agenda in many firms. Cost reductions often result in manning reductions and fewer employees. Customer service is a labour intensive function, and is therefore very likely to be affected by cost reductions. http://www.physorg.com/news157300871.html Other Sciences Thu, 26 Mar 2009 15:43:09 EST news157300871 (AP) -- Taking a cue from Amazon.com, Sun Microsystems Inc. plans to launch its own "public cloud" service, which will let everyone from big-time corporations to dorm-room entrepreneurs run their businesses on Sun's computers without buying hardware of their own. http://www.physorg.com/news156595456.html Technology Wed, 18 Mar 2009 11:44:44 EST news156595456 (AP) -- Phone companies fear that customers will increasingly switch off their landlines in favor of wireless phones or phone service from cable TV providers. So the last thing FairPoint Communications Inc. needed was to send subscribers fleeing with a botched technical transfer. http://www.physorg.com/news156094215.html Technology Thu, 12 Mar 2009 16:30:48 EST news156094215 In the world of search engines, clicks mean cash, and in a sluggish economy, companies can benefit by maximizing click-throughs to their Web sites from search engines. http://www.physorg.com/news155994477.html Technology Wed, 11 Mar 2009 12:48:33 EST news155994477 (PhysOrg.com) -- An advanced semantics-based software platform is helping companies in the east of Europe develop the knowledge, skills and expertise they need to innovate. http://www.physorg.com/news145201139.html Technology Thu, 06 Nov 2008 13:38:59 EST news145201139 U.S. firms that offshore customer service may save money on labor costs, but they also pay the price in terms of unhappy customers, say University of Michigan researchers. http://www.physorg.com/news134752619.html Other Sciences Tue, 08 Jul 2008 16:16:59 EST news134752619 Researchers at IBM's India Research Laboratory have developed advanced data masking technology that helps call centers protect critical data without disrupting customer service or business operations. As IBM continuously seeks new methods to ensure privacy and security, the company intends to utilize this capability in its own call center operations to further protect information for its services clients around the world. http://www.physorg.com/news134320061.html Technology Thu, 03 Jul 2008 16:07:41 EST news134320061