Looking to lose a few good customers? The quickest way to send them on their way to the nearest competitor is to not provide your employees with the training and information they need to handle customer inquiries. Let's look at two recent examples:
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Last week I was rushing to a restaurant for a dinner that I was already late for when I realized that I'd forgotten my phone at home. Without any considering for how long it would take me, I turned back and went to pick it up.
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1to1 Media's Tom Hoffman speaks with Deepak Advani, Vice President of Predictive Analytics at IBM, about different ways that companies can apply predictive analytics to customer insights shared in social channels.
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As organizations continue to become increasingly overwhelmed with data files, the elephant in the room is unstructured data. And the problem seems to be getting out of hand.
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The word envy comes from the Latin invidere, literally to "cast an evil eye." The same root gives us the word invidious. In evolutionary terms, being envious of someone else could be explained as nature's way of encouraging us to study the traits and habits of other, more successful people, which could contribute to our own success, as well.
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It's the day after Christmas -- Boxing Day in some countries. That gift card or dollar bill from Aunt Edna is burning a hole in your pocket. The sweater you got from Cousin Larry isn't going to fit. And the thought of hanging with relatives eating more food for another day is too much to handle. So let's hit the mall!
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Forget baubles and gadgets. Here's what I really want for the holidays:
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Companies that have grown in this economic downturn did so because their customers became an army of advocates who grew their business for them. They earned the right to their customers' raves, and the growth that ensued, because they deliberately made decisions that moved their operations in the direction of their customers and employees.
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The holidays bring with them a feeling of generosity. Many of us search high and low for the perfect gift for our loved ones, sometimes spending weeks pondering what to get for that difficult-to-shop-for relative that everyone seems to have.
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You can't avoid the noise generated by holiday shopping this year; whether it's because of a slow news day or because people are tired of hearing about a somber economy and dizzying coverage of the presidential campaign, there has been definite momentum for a deep dive into consumer's shopping habits this year. This past Black Friday I was invited to speak on Fox News Channel to offer tips to consumers who might be worrying that they missed the best deals
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Don Peppers, founding partner, Peppers & Rogers Group, asserted in Fast Company's blog last Friday that companies must leverage social media to harness the diverse opinions of their customers in order to evolve and innovate.
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I've been a loyal Nissan customer for the past 20 years. Not because I've been "wowed" by their vehicles or had exceptional experiences but primarily because I've come to trust the quality and value of the product. However, if my recent customer service experiences with Nissan are any indication of what's to come, they may have landed me as a customer for life.
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There are only six days left until Christmas, which is just about the time most men begin their holiday shopping. Stereotypes aside, those who waited until the last minute will be pleased to find that many retailers are prepared with special offers, free shipping, and other relevant and timely incentives for procrastinating purchasers.
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"Customers are taking real service issues to social media and expect a response," Conversocial President Joshua March told me during a recent discussion about social trends. "When companies don't respond, it upsets customers. In a public setting like social, this situation can become a massive PR disaster." Poor customer experiences used to be "private," March said. Now they're public. "Consumers can read reviews and comments and discussions and see exactly what kinds of customer experiences other people are having," he
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Business moves quickly, leaving no time to waste. Technology has hastened our pace, providing easy access to a plethora of information wherever we go. But for all the data we receive, we give back to marketers ten-fold. Every click, every scroll, every check-in point is another morsel of data that tells marketers who we are, where we go, and what we want. Whether B2B or B2C, all interactions mark a plot point on the roadmap to future relationships.
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Using social media is the hot trend in marketing. However, while effective use of social media is important for companies, they should not forget about the power of email, which remains a very important tool for reaching out to customers and prospects.
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American consumers may be turning to their smart phones more and more to make purchases and for seeking customer service. A new study, however, shows that the contact center still remains people's "go-to" source for service.
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This is a story about the last mile in customer service and why it's so important for companies to ensure that they are delivering great end-to-end customer service.
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Like many of you, I'm doing a lot of my holiday shopping online this season. Last week I found a great item on eBay for someone on my list (who shall remain nameless in case they read this blog). I made the purchase, which was an eBay store located in the U.K. The seller had a 100% positive feedback rating, which was encouraging for what could otherwise be a risky purchase.
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Victoria's Secret recently invited me to its "invitation only" holiday event. Why the quotation marks around invitation only? The holiday event turned about to be as exclusive as a free concert in Central Park. I received my invitation via email and called to RSVP for myself and a guest (my daughter, Claudia). I printed the invitation as instructed: "Must present invitation for entry." And on Sunday, December 4, off we went to the Victoria's Secret store in Herald Square in
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Business leaders don't have to look very far to see consumer outrage at companies like Netflix and Bank of America for inadvisably boosting prices and adding new fees. Before increasing prices, companies would be well served by taking the time and care needed to understand which customers value which products and services, their price sensitivity especially given the current economic conditions, and the competitive landscape.
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This year, on Black Friday, I had to go to the Department of Motor Vehicles. Since the one in Manhattan is situated right across the street from Macy's, I couldn't help but pop in. But the crowds of people quickly made me do a 180-degree turn out of the store and I made my purchases on my phone while in a cab. I wasn't the only one using my mobile to clinch some Black Friday deals. According to an IBM
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With a little more than two shopping weeks left until Christmas, retailers are pulling out all the stops in the hope of getting customers through the door.
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1to1 Media's Tom Hoffman speaks with Jim Davis, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at SAS Institute, about steps that marketing leaders can take to connect with the empowered customer.
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One aspect of customer experience that's often overlooked is intention. If, for example, a company advertises its support of a charitable organization, is its intention to truly help that organization by getting customers involved, or is it simply looking for an "easy" sales boost from socially conscious customers? If the company doesn't make clear that it's the former--a customer experience plus--their flawed intention will potentially damage customer relationships instead of improve them.
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Social customer service is no longer a nice-to-have. It's a must. Successful social marketing has opened up the social customer service route, and there's no turning back. Consumers have responded to calls to interact with the companies they purchase from and are using social channels comprehensively. In fact, consumers and companies alike have embrace Facebook and Twitter as mainstream communication channels; anything your customers have to say to you, they'll do so in public.
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The benefits of patronizing local retailers were first shown to me as a young girl when I went to the grocery store to shop for my mother. The shopping list included a pound of sliced ham, but when I asked the shopkeeper for the cold cuts, he simply pointed to a display of different hams and asked me: "Which one?" I didn't know the answer and was already preparing to go back later when the shopkeeper came to my rescue.
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