Companies looking for ways to let the world know about their committed customer service are going back to the future to do it. Snail mail, once the junk repository for most, is now new and shiny again. Email has become the primary junk repository for most. And, while online advertising is now a powerful, influential […]
Six must-read posts on customer service. Customer service weak links can doom otherwise exceptional efforts to serve customers and other stakeholders. Identifying and remediating the weakest customer service links in your company can pay substantial dividends now and down the road. Companies unwilling or unable to examine potential weak links likely will discover the hard […]
Once again, here we are talking about Costco. No, I don’t have their stock (although I should). And, no, I don’t get compensated for endorsing them. It’s simply that Costco does it right. And by “it” I mean their entire approach to customer service, employee treatment and overall empowerment within the organization.
Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle stated, “All things in moderation.” Believe it or not, this applies to customer service. Given my ongoing advocacy for good customer service, I find it difficult—but necessary—to also advocate for all things in moderation when it comes to delivering top-notch customer care. Increasingly, in an apparent effort to provide superior service, […]
Customer service weak links can doom otherwise exceptional efforts to serve customers and other stakeholders. Identifying and remediating the weakest customer service links in your company can pay substantial dividends now and down the road. Companies unwilling or unable to examine potential weak links likely will discover the hard way that competitors have identified them—and […]
Too much marketing prospecting—both to upsell present customers and acquire new ones—can be a huge turnoff. Marketers incessantly and blatantly promoting themselves on social media—versus offering helpful insights and information—can get annoying and become a “customer disservice.” Recipients of excessive email marketing may delete before ever viewing and/or unsubscribe once they see the sender. A […]
Wh-a-a-a-t? Isn’t the aim of marketing to be seen, heard and felt—giving your message the best chance of being acted upon? Not always. Ability to reach far, wide and often has opened up new vistas and opportunities for marketing. Eager to take advantage of this growing exposure and influence, some marketers go way overboard and […]
Fit to print vs. print to fit. What’s the difference? Credibility vs. con job. A credible story is fit to print. Puffery fills space. An article telling your story in a compelling way is a powerful credibility builder for your company and can be distributed in a variety of ways. In contrast, a “puff piece” […]
Fundamentally, customer service always has been vital to company success. A salesforce.com article captures the enduring essence of good customer service: “…the core of providing customer service hasn’t changed even considering it’s been close to two centuries. Even with the speed of technology, many of the same approaches that Marshall Field made famous back in 1852 are […]
Mea culpas can be helpful or off-putting Depending on the circumstances and perceived sincerity, apologies can help solve a reputation problem or exacerbate it. Reputation management specialists hold a variety of views about if, when and how to apologize. Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg is the latest bigwig to apologize for his company’s actions. Whether or not […]
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