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Cultivating Positive Relationships Customer Service Kudos

One extraordinary customer experience cements loyalty

Through all of the advice and philosophizing out there, sometimes great customer service boils down to what Jack Palance told Billy Crystal in the movie City Slickers. Excerpted, Palance asks, “Do you know what the secret of life is?…One thing. Just one thing…[Crystal asks] But, what is the ‘one thing?’…[Palance replies] That’s what you have […]

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Building Bridges Cultivating Positive Relationships Customer Service Opinion

Costco continues capturing hearts and dollars, bucking trends along the way

Gotta hand it to Costco once again. Their growth continues healthily through the pandemic, largely because of their unwavering dedication to customer service (and their strong employee support doesn’t hurt either). And, this is despite ranking lower than some competitors in the convenience category, cited by a recent ZDNet.com report as a chief consumer buying […]

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Cultivating Positive Relationships Customer Service Empowerment Techniques Opinion

Customers demand convenience, understanding and support for all stakeholders

“Nuts and bolts” of a company’s strengths and credibility once focused on length of time in business, track record and proven abilities—in other words, historical measures. Now, companies increasingly are judged based on their customer service-related performance in the present and moving forward. Historical reputation, while still a factor in buyer decision-making, is taking a […]

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Customer Service General Marketing Opinion

Conscious capitalism: Where’s the beef?

Lately, I’ve been seeing TV commercials for Omaha Steaks. Then, this past weekend, I saw Kansas City Steaks advertised. I immediately wondered who has the better rep for product, customer service and affordability—and pondered which company would score higher on a “conscious capitalism” index. A search of several sites produced mixed results. One gave the […]

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Business Development Customer Service Empowerment Techniques Opinion

Community, planet are stakeholders deserving ‘customer service’

Increasingly, conscious capitalism includes discussion of how companies can positively impact their communities and the planet. Being “socially responsible” in essence provides customer service to these entities deserving and needing our support. In an Inc.com article, contributor Mandy Gilbert describes five tips to creating a socially conscious business. She notes: “…creating a company that’s closely […]

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Business Development Customer Service Empowerment Techniques Opinion

Pope promotes tenets of conscious capitalism, fueled by Buffett’s current belief that share prices don’t reveal total company story

Pope Francis and Warren Buffett are reading from the same page about conscious capitalism. Buffett, the billionaire CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, recently repudiated his shareholder be-all-end-all beliefs voiced in a 2006 letter. An October 2020 article published in businessinsider.com notes: “The Berkshire boss bemoaned in his 2006 letter to shareholders that criticizing efficient market theory, […]

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Cultivating Positive Relationships Customer Service Empowerment Techniques

‘Conscious Capitalism’ propels customer service

Conscious Capitalism provides a sustainable roadmap for the capitalist system and a clear, consistent path to customer service excellence with all stakeholders—from customers and employees to partners and investors. Its importance and influence are summed up on the website ccsandiego.org: “Conscious Capitalism is a global movement co-founded by John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Market […]

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38 and Counting Business Development Customer Service Empowerment Techniques

Now is the time to be historical, not hysterical

Stress levels are off the charts. Analysis of potential business consequences based on different health, political and economic scenarios is rampant. As stock market ups and downs have proven so clearly, decisions are based on emotions—chiefly fear—and a desire to cover one’s butt financially. Now is the time to look back to see what lies […]

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38 and Counting Business Development Cultivating Positive Relationships Empowerment Techniques

The Little Engine That Could: ‘I think I can, I think I can…’

Many businesses ultimately have succeeded or failed as a result of this tale, which tells of a train stranded on a mountain by an engine failure. Larger engines refuse for numerous reasons to help; a small engine agrees to try and succeeds in accomplishing this tough task while repeating the words, “I think I can, […]