There's an interesting discussion going on among contact center professionals on a LinkedIn group based on the following question: "Which of the following technologies do you believe will have the most impact on customer service within the next 5 years?" The choices include: • Mobile Customer Service Apps • Virtual Agents • Video • Agent Desktop Technology
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The discipline of design remains largely misunderstood in the business world. Let me dispel a couple of myths for you: Design isn't simply about picking the right shade of blue for the company logo. And it's not solely the domain of black-turtleneck-wearing creative types.
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Loyalty programs have been in the spotlight lately. In the past, companies treated their rewards programs as an afterthought, offering one-dimensional rewards, communicating with members via a single channel, and failing to collect data from these valuable pools teeming with information about customers' needs and values.
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I love candy! But I love superior customer service even better. Last month, I was preparing for a visit from my aunt and cousin who live in Michigan. They were coming in for my graduation ceremony, and this would be their very first visit since I moved to Connecticut four years ago. I cleaned up the basement and threw away half of its contents; this was where my aunt and cousin would stay. I knew they couldn't sleep on a
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In today's smartphone-driven world, organizations are constantly bombarding us with new apps that promise to make our lives easier and better. Just this morning, for example, I made a hairdresser's appointment through an iPhone app, even before I had got out of bed.
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QR codes are everywhere. They're on direct mail flyers and they're on posters at the mall. There's even a tiny one on my mouthwash. Yet, while these codes keep popping up like dandelions, there must be a point where companies draw the line.
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I've written before about my experiences as a Nissan customer, most of which have been positive. However, I recently had a less-than-stellar experience with Nissan that I'd also like to share, one that ultimately had a favorable outcome.
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Right now, companies around the world are barreling down a perilous path -- one that isn't illuminated by customer insights. These companies might think they know what their customers want, but Forrester's research shows that most companies today have an incomplete--or worse, downright wrong--understanding of who their customers are, how they perceive the current interactions, and what they want and need in the future.
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The 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver represented early days for streaming video and mobile. In fact, Steve Jobs unveiled the iPad only a couple weeks prior to the start of the 2010 Games.
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Politics aside, those of us who advocate Extreme Trust and customer centricity should give three cheers for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Finally there's a way to punish companies that treat customers with complete disregard and disrespect. This week it was announced that the CFPB levied a $210 million fine on financial services firm Capital One for deceiving customers about credit card products and fees. The company was solely interested in making a quick buck, and got called out for
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Organizations that take the time to engage in one-on-one interactions with their customers are standing out among their competitors. And yet, not all business leaders are investing in such interactions, allowing their companies to really have a two-way conversation with their customers.
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Retail stores have the opportunity to engage customers both online and in-store. Because customers no longer have to leave their homes to shop, retailers have the ability to engage customers and develop relationships across numerous channels. However, many retailers haven't yet fully embraced the resources available.
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Retail sales across the U.S. fell for the third consecutive month in June as weak employment growth and stagnant wages appear to be restricting spending among many American consumers, according to a report from the U.S. Commerce Department. The data is troubling since it suggests that consumer spending, which drives about two-thirds of the U.S. economy, is also weakening, according to Reuters. And while there's no panacea for unstable consumer spending, retailers and other companies can strengthen sales by analyzing
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Great customer experiences are the result of countless deliberate decisions made by every single person in your organization on a daily basis. To align those decisions, employees and partners need a shared vision: a customer experience strategy.
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Customers want relevant messaging that's targeted directly to them. And yet, despite being well aware of this, a number of companies fail to make the effort to communicate with their customers in a truly personalized manner.
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You can estimate a restaurant's popularity by the line of people waiting for a table during the Sunday brunch rush, and when it comes to Sylvester's Restaurant in Northampton, MA, the proof is in the potatoes. But, no matter one's reputation for superior service and fantastic food, the occasional mishap is unavoidable.
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A couple of months ago, I wrote a blog about plans by Verizon and AT&T to introduce family data sharing plans. As part of the blog, I complained that customers didn't want to have to keep track of monthly data usage by their family members.
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The Supreme Court decision upholding virtually all of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (a.k.a., "Obamacare") shifted a balance for customer experience professionals in the healthcare industry. Now they, and the executives they report to, know that it's more risky to do nothing than to respond by taking action.
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Customers today have numerous opportunities to interact with brands at a variety of touchpoints. Therefore it's critical for companies to leverage such opportunities to engage with customers and build an emotional connection. A growing number of companies are realizing that engagement goes beyond just listening to customers across multiple channels, but also empowering them to advocate for their brands--both through online and offline.
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We at 1to1 Media and Peppers & Rogers Group have always advocated that acting in the best interests of your customers is sound business strategy. Not only is it the right thing to do, it can positively impact a company's bottom line. The point was proven yet again this week with the release of a report from the CFI Group that ties customer satisfaction scores to higher-than-average stock prices.
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How many times have you sighed with exasperation when you contact a company and end up spiraling down an IVR hole? I, for one, have done so many times and often catch myself desperately pressing random numbers on my phone in the hope that I get connected with a human being. By the time that I do reach someone who's able to help me, I'm normally so irritated that the issue I had--mostly something that should be easily resolved--seems like
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"Survival of the fittest" implies that only the strong succeed. But in today's consumer-driven world, companies must develop a blend of strength and intelligence that allows them to rise above their competitors. Low prices and a wide selection of products and services may seem like worthwhile incentives, but rampant comparative shopping makes customer service the only true differentiator in a world drowning in choice.
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There's been no shortage of discussion lately about how challenging it is to be a CMO. Among the issues faced by CMOs is the ability to effectively manage marketing efforts across various channels that companies use to interact with customers. Siloed channel data makes it particularly tough for CMOs and other decision-makers to gain a complete view of customers and their behaviors across different channels as well as their transactions, preferences, and potential needs. The desire among CMOs and other
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Engaging with customers is easier today yet difficult too. There are more channels than ever before through which to reach prospects and customers, yet more mediums to communicate mean more confusion and more projects to manage.
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