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November 30, 2009: Shopping via Mobile Web?

With Cyber Monday 2009 in the books, all that’s left is to wait for the sales results. Web tracking firm comScore reported 2008 Cyber Monday sales of $846 Million. Are we poised to hit $900 million or more this year? After seeing an 11 percent increase in online sales to $595 million on Black Friday, it’s certainly possible. ComScore is expected to post 2009 sales results on Wednesday.

October 29, 2009: Sears, A Quiet Giant in Social Media

Many companies have chosen to abandon or limit efforts on their own community sites in favor of using Twitter and Facebook; this is not the case with Sears Holding Companies. Not only is Sears using popular sites like Facebook and Twitter to support their marketing and customer feedback efforts, they are dedicated to growing their own community sites.

October 01, 2009: Pick Up The Phone Already!

We’ve all been there…trapped in a phone cue listening to extension options trying to navigate our way to what we hope will be a live person on the other end or, at a minimum, perhaps a digital message containing the information we’re looking for.

July 31, 2009: When a Simple Survey Isn’t Enough

You’ve completed your project and now it’s time to conduct your post project review (PPR). While sending a simple survey to project participants, internal and/or external, is useful in providing quantifiable data, the feedback received often lacks the detail necessary to identify strengths and weaknesses that can effectively be distilled into actionable items. When conducted properly, a formal PPR results in an open dialog where all participants can discuss what went well and maybe not so well and briefly brainstorm things they would like to try in the future. 

May 31, 2009: Customer Experience Superstars

Michael Jordan, Mohammad Ali, Brett Favre, Dale Earnhardt, and Hank Aaron, an impressive list of sports superstars who excelled in their areas of expertise and have created lasting memories not soon to be forgotten. I would also add Mike Keen and David Holmes to this list.

May 01, 2009: Think “Soft” and Differentiate Yourself

As we evaluate a company, we can easily separate their value proposition into two parts. Their tangible or “hard” side which includes product diversity, quality, price, warranty, ease of access, and services provided. The other part is the “soft” side which is less tangible and has to do more with how companies conduct their business and treat their customers. Do they have a customer mindset; placing a high value on meeting or exceeding customer expectations? Do they respond appropriately and in a timely manner to customer requests, and what kind of customer experience are they creating?

April 06, 2009: The Recovery

It’s going to happen. Regardless of how hard you work to provide your customer’s with a great experience, mistakes and disagreements will occur and you will disappoint a customer. As strange as it may sound, this is your opportunity to build loyalty. Often, loyalty is earned not by what you do day to day but how you respond to these challenges; how you turn an issue into a WOW moment.

March 01, 2009: A Tale of Two Airlines

Hit with higher operating costs and fewer passengers, airlines continue to look for ways to trim costs.  But how far is too far?

January 30, 2009: Making The Cut

As the economy worsens and companies struggle to make adjustments needed to stay afloat, many of them may be tempted to concentrate on their short-term need to cut costs, and disregard the long-term impact to their brand or the health of their customer relationships. Short sightedness in making cost cutting decisions may allow them to meet their immediate needs but ultimately it could negatively impact their ability to stay in business or rebound when the economy turns around. 

December 23, 2008: So How Did We Do?

With the closing of another year just around the corner, many companies are turning their attention to analyzing their performance in 2008. For most companies this goes well beyond financial analysis to measuring customer satisfaction. I’m a strong believer that customer satisfaction needs to be measured on an ongoing basis to be useful, but some companies still rely on conducting just one annual survey to capture their customers’ feedback. The most common means for gathering customer feedback is still surveys. Whether you conduct an annual survey or solicit customer feedback throughout the course of the year, there are some important things to consider before conducting your survey. I’ve listed a few of them here: 

November 26, 2008: Moving the Masses

Historically, Thanksgiving is one of the busiest times of the year for air travel in the United States. Even with a 10 percent decrease from last year in passengers flying over the 12 day holiday season, The Air Transport Association is projecting 4.5 million passengers will fly between Wednesday and Sunday; 1.5 million on Wednesday, 1 million on Thursday and 2 million on Sunday as people return from the Thanksgiving holiday.

October 31, 2008: Made to Order

As individuals, we all have our own idea about what features make a product “the perfect fit.” To support this, companies have increased product diversity and customization, while new industries are born for the sole purpose of providing additional accessories to cater to our desire for personalization. Not only do we want things now; we want them customized to match our specific need on a whim. The bar is constantly being raised as companies scramble to learn more about how customers use their products and what changes or improvements will keep them happy and coming back.