I’ve known and worked with Lois Deveneau since the early nineties, when my gray hair hadn’t yet bloomed and my waistline was trim and taut. Lois is the principal of Freelance Creative Support Services, whose motto is “I help people get stuff done.” She does…and then some. Lois offers customer service excellence via her creativity, […]
In December, we’re celebrating customer service joy. There are many positive stories that can get overlooked amid accounts of negative and inadequate customer service. These positive accounts are proving contagious, as increasingly companies across the country are making top-notch customer care a top priority. A closet geek, I’ve spent most of my professional life addressing […]
In a 2017 Forbes.com interview, writer Micah Solomon talked with former Cleveland Clinic Chief Experience Officer James Merlino, MD about the desire and need for healthcaring in arguably the most important customer service area of our lives. Healthcare workers are motivated to provide a positive, caring experience in a system where frustration, burnout and outside […]
Healthcare ‘customer service’ differs from the rest of the world. In a 2017 Forbes.com interview with former Cleveland Clinic Chief Experience Officer James Merlino, MD, writer Micah Solomon explores the complex world of healthcare “customer service.” Given the dynamics involved, it’s not business as usual in the healthcaring arena. In the article, Merlino points out […]
‘Customer service’ prevails over profits. Merriam-Webster defines “missionary” as “a person undertaking a mission and especially a religious mission.” Louisiana-based Todd Flowers, MD checks the box twice—having done missionary work across the globe, and now as a direct primary care physician. For an increasing number of people, direct primary care is becoming their salvation in a […]
This is the first in a series about healthcare “customer service” addressing patient caring. While there is much to lament about the decided lack of “bedside manner” afforded many under today’s ailing healthcare system, there are bright spots as well. This series focuses on exemplary health-caring innovations that hopefully will spread quickly and help cure […]
While running the government like a corporation is a Donald Trump aspiration, there are obvious differences that make the comparison somewhat ludicrous. However, given Trump’s penchant for the idea, let’s round out this month’s Costco-focused customer service series with an evaluation of how good a job he’s doing taking care of his “customers” (the US […]
To me, Costco and Amazon are about as perfect a complement as can be found anywhere in retail. They’re both highly customer-service focused, treat customers well, and make it relatively easy to get positive outcomes no matter the circumstances. (Costco, however, does seem to outshine Amazon when it comes to employee treatment.) Fierce competition between […]
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” […]
Behind all the bravado about Costco customer service is a simple approach that taps into common sense and brilliantly reads the minds of its customers. At a time when many companies woo prospects with discounts and special offers, then try to ignore them once they become customers, Costco takes a decidedly different path. Once they […]
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