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37 and Counting Business Development Cultivating Positive Relationships Customer Service Empowerment Techniques General Marketing Good Content Leverage Opinion Social Media

Thought leadership content provides a valuable customer service, dynamic marketing

Two-for-one is typically a great return on investment. Well-written, well-conceived thought leadership content—articles, blogposts, whitepapers, ebooks, presentations, videos and the like—offers value to customers/clients and readers/viewers/listeners, and can help the thought leader get more business. Here’s how it can serve dual purposes: Thought leadership, both addressing personal and professional topics, can help establish the author […]

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Cultivating Positive Relationships Customer Service Empowerment Techniques Opinion

When it absolutely, positively must arrive same day

I had a quasi-epiphany about Amazon’s over-promising and over-delivering policy this week—due in large part to a challenge I faced. It’s so simple and so basic. And we need to go back to it in the world of ever-faster everything. You want it fast: pay for the privilege. Not so much that it becomes prohibitive […]

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Cultivating Positive Relationships Customer Service Empowerment Techniques Opinion

Technology isn’t just replacing employees…it’s wearing them down

A recent article in the New York Post details the harrowing routine that Amazon warehouse workers maintain. It’s a case of technology capabilities and monitoring that tracks steps, bathroom breaks, and more. In the end, some workers wear down as a result of all the scrutiny and automated competition. It’s not just happening at Amazon. […]

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Business Development Cultivating Positive Relationships Customer Service Kudon'ts Kudos Opinion

Amazon over-promises AND over-delivers

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, […]

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Cultivating Positive Relationships Customer Service Opinion

What Jeff Bezos is missing in the customer service equation

This is an open letter to @JeffBezos at Amazon. Jeff, I love your customer service. However, ongoing reports about treatment of employees ultimately are damaging my customer experience. Here’s why: While I still order regularly, my one hesitation is thinking about employees working like dogs to get those products to me as promised. Frankly, I’d […]

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Cultivating Positive Relationships Customer Service Empowerment Techniques General Marketing Kudon'ts Kudos Leverage Opinion Social Media

Recap – Little Details Matter

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 […]

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Cultivating Positive Relationships Customer Service Empowerment Techniques Leverage Opinion

‘Butterfly effect’ is alive and well in customer service

The “butterfly effect” holds that a seemingly insignificant, small occurrence like the flapping of a butterfly’s wings can ultimately impact weather halfway around the world. Americanscientist.org states it this way: “The concept referred to as the butterfly effect has been embraced by popular culture, where the term is often used to emphasize the outsize significance of minute […]

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Business Development Cultivating Positive Relationships Customer Service Kudos Opinion

Insurance Group of Denver showcases customer service

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, […]

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Cultivating Positive Relationships Customer Service Kudos Opinion

Thinking through customer experience details

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 […]

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Business Development Cultivating Positive Relationships Customer Service Empowerment Techniques General Marketing Leverage Opinion

Little touches take customer service to another level

Legendary basketball player and coach John Wooden said, “It’s the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen.” When it comes to customer service, those little details can make or break a company. That little extra bit of encouragement or support (or lack thereof) can make all the difference between a positive […]