The Happy Curmudgeon
Typically, “over-promising and under-delivering” and “under-promising and over-delivering” go hand-in-hand. But, “over-promising AND over-delivering” are not seen together, until now. By instituting ever-faster delivery, now into same-day or even hours, Amazon has upped its game—and consequently is putting more pressure on their workforce to deliver. Amazon PRIME members get a delivery guarantee, that when unmet, […]
A little extra bit of encouragement or support (or lack thereof) can make all the difference between a positive and negative experience—and a corresponding thumbs-up or thumbs-down review. When it comes to customer service, those little details can make or break a company. “It’s the little details that are vital. Little things make big things […]
As a major critic of insurance in general, I make special note of industry specialists who do the job right—especially when it comes to details. Despite lackluster experiences with most insurance companies themselves, I’ve had great success working with agents who understand my consummate demand for competency, trustworthiness and responsiveness. Dan Mahoney and his company, […]
When it comes to hospitality, I’m really picky. If I were a customer experience specialist for a hotel or Bed-and-Breakfast, I would look for all the “little things” that show attention to detail and caring—or lack thereof. Unfortunately, in today’s institutionalized, bean-counter-obsessed world, talk is cheap. Everyone promotes their great customer service, but most fail […]
What happens when a company wants to change its dubious customer service experience? Smaller companies can effect sweeping changes relatively quickly, given scale of the operation and general ability to be nimble. Large companies face much more complex and costly challenges because, generally speaking, they are unable to change on a dime. Let’s look at […]
What happens when a company wants to change its dubious customer service experience? Smaller companies can effect sweeping changes relatively quickly, given scale of the operation and general ability to be nimble. Large companies face much more complex and costly challenges because, generally speaking, they are unable to change on a dime. Let’s look at […]
That’s the headline on chron.com summing up the “customer service” contribution nurses make to comfort and care for their patients. In a profession where “healthscaring” has supplanted healthcaring as the order of the day, nurses have become a default source of much-needed bedside manner. An article in toughnickel.com sums it up: “Nurses play an important […]
Which is more important—customers or employees? That’s a chicken-and-egg question, because both are integral to a successful business. However, too many companies view employees as chattel—disregarding the important contribution they make and the ways to motivate them to perform better. Happy, fulfilled employees directly link to stellar customer service. They should be viewed and treated […]
Customer service affirms faith in caring companies Prior to attending the LendIt conference in San Francisco last week, I enjoyed four days of R&R in the city. My stay at the Hyatt Centric Fisherman’s Wharf proved delightful, and let me know that there are still companies out there that know how to do it right. […]
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 […]
