Customer service representatives
If you ever want to spend abnormal amounts of time on the phone with customer service representatives, move to another state. Every service I’ve ever had has to be shut down in one state and started up in another. And, truth be told, I’ve encountered some very nice customer service people who were as helpful [...]
“Macy’s sending customers to Gimbels! I just don’t get it!”
One of my business partners has an interesting take on customer service, which is one of the reasons I went into business with him. His take is nothing new–he and I both got it from “Miracle on 34th Street”. The idea is this: When you enter my store, my job is to help you get [...]
Everyone’s an expert–and a critic
Last week I mentioned an encounter with a customer who offered us some unwanted business advice. While this gentleman was a more extreme example of the know-it-all customer, he was by no means the first. When it comes to small business, everyone has an opinion, from your landlord to the Fedex guy, and every customer [...]
Be a good customer
I had an interesting encounter with a customer today that got me thinking more about how I act in public. Our store’s custom is to call out a greeting to a customer as they enter to let them know we know they’re there and so that they know who to talk to with questions. We’ll [...]
Howard Schultz and Starbucks’ customer focus
I recently listened to Darryl Campbell’s podcast interview with Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks, on his new book Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life without Losing Its Soul, in which Schultz discusses how he revitalized the sagging company even amid the recession. I found Schultz’ focus on rebuilding the company around its core values [...]
Someone Commented! What Now?!
In the early stages of any social media effort it will seem like you have no friends, that no one reads your posts, and you’re basically shouting into the void. You start to view social media as a one-way conversation with…well, yourself. But then one day someone leaves a comment! Oh-my-gosh! Now what do I [...]
You no longer control the message
Whether or not you engage in social media with your business, social media may be engaging you. People are interacting with and talking about your brand online. They control the message. You only get to participate in the conversation. This can be good or bad, as shown by two example. The first is a 2009 [...]
Dealing effectively with customer feedback
eMarketer interviews Pete Blackshaw, vice president of Digital Strategic Services at Nielsen, and his colleague, Maya Swedowsky on how to deal with customer feedback through social media. Read the entire article, but a couple excellent points to consider: If that person has come to one of the company’s social media outposts, like Facebook or Twitter, [...]