Expectations of good customer service sometimes conflict with entitlement mindsets—especially as performance thresholds become ever-more robust. So, when Amazon Prime guarantees one-day delivery and doesn’t meet their commitment, are irritated customers acting entitled or are they justifiably upset? I maintain it’s the latter in most cases. The problem is that companies offering this type of […]
Oh, say it isn’t so! I’ve noticed some quality control issues lately that are totally out of sync with what I expect at Costco. And, Amazon seems to be exemplifying a corporate version of “the Peter Principle,” described in Investopedia as: “… an observation that the tendency in most organizational hierarchies, such as that of […]
In this era of fake news and fast communication, company reputation is more vulnerable than ever to one negative headline or storyline. Strong customer service ratings over a substantial period of time can limit the damage, showing a pattern of competence and caring that supersedes isolated hits to a reputation. Building and maintaining a positive […]
Customer experience futurist Blake Morgan addressed her thoughts on customer experience and digital transformation in a year-ending Forbes.com article. She emphasizes, “Digital transformation and customer experience go hand in hand. These 100 statistics show the growth and importance of digital transformation, its impact on customer experience and digital challenges and opportunities for the future.” According […]
Given my firm belief that customer service encompasses every element of company performance—including employee acknowledgment and respect—the coming decade will focus squarely on competition for the best treatment both of customers and employees. Companies dedicated to both will continue to grow. Companies ignoring either will find themselves looking up at their competitors. A November Forbes.com […]
As technology and customer expectations evolve, so will customer service practices and commitments. Every indication points to increasing emphasis on keeping customers happy to keep the business going. Companies that go all in will survive and increasingly thrive. Those that don’t, even the ones that are “too big to fail,” face major loss of revenues […]
I’ve talked about a version of this before. A purveyor gets you to connect based on reaching out for information, then won’t leave you alone. That can be bad “customer service” long before you become a customer. This past couple weeks, I’ve encountered an even more insidious form of this disease—daily emails. I simply downloaded […]
OK, I’ll admit it: Following on the heels of my constant criticism of those who only respond to one of several points in an email, I did it myself this week. It got me thinking about finding the sweet spot between providing too little information to fully address and too much information to get full […]
As with almost everything in this world, technology is not all or nothing. Glitches and gaffes are offset by really cool advanced technology that truly engages prospects and customers. A recent Forbes.com article by contributor Bernard Marr illustrates the point in detail. Titled, “The 6 Customer Experience (CX) Trends Every Company Must Get Ready For […]
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 […]
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