While the art and science of good customer service can get rather complicated and sophisticated, the essence is simple: Make customers like, trust and respect you. All the customer service-oriented bells and whistles in the world won’t do the job if people become unsure and start questioning commitments. This is a downside of current same-day/next-day […]
Good customer service requires rethinking and, in some cases, slowing down fulfillment and delivery. Yes, s-l-o-w down. Here’s why: Once people get accustomed to a standard—say two-hour grocery delivery—they will be disappointed and frustrated more readily when delays occur. Amazon’s same-day and one-day free Prime fulfillment and delivery options are a perfect case in point. […]
Merriam-Webster defines “propaganda” as: “…the spreading of ideas, information, or rumor for the purpose of helping or injuring an institution, a cause, or a person…ideas, facts, or allegations spread deliberately to further one’s cause or to damage an opposing cause…also : a public action having such an effect.” According to Wikipedia, “Propaganda, an influential book written by Edward L. Bernays […]
Thought leadership is ever-present. Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle provided enduring thought leadership when he uttered, “Moderation in all things.” While upsides to well-conceived thought leadership include brand-building, increased profits and the feeling of satisfaction and empowerment that comes with helping build a better world through “expert advice,” there can be downsides as well. It’s kinda […]
A recent New York Times article describes a decided priority shift in the corporation thought leadership arena, proclaiming, “Shareholder Value Is No Longer Everything, Top C.E.O.s Say…Chief executives from the Business Roundtable, including the leaders of Apple and JPMorgan Chase, argued that companies must also invest in employees and deliver value to customers.” This will […]
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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
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, […]
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 […]
