customer service

Three Companies that Started down the Trust Path with Customers First

BY Valeria Maltoni | 09-27-2009 | 10:04 PM | INNOVATION

They do it by talking about and engaging with topics and content that will make their customers smarter. Or they share tidbits that are fun and engaging, and share the love. These are the secrets of successful corporate blogs - and ...READ MORE›

Five Companies that Fix their Story to Inspire Service

BY Valeria Maltoni | 09-20-2009 | 9:17 PM | INNOVATION

Branding as a strategy means little if the customer experience is not there. If your story doesn’t align with what you do, all of the clever tactics you can come up with to follow your lofty goal will not make the cut.Unless you can ...READ MORE›

Would CPG Brands Compete with their Own Channels for Customers?

BY Valeria Maltoni | 09-13-2009 | 6:52 PM | INNOVATION

AdAge writes an interesting article about going beyond online ads to eCommerce opportunities for CPG brands. Will it pay off? Services are easier to deliver online. A few product dot-bombs in the early 2000s made us keenly aware of ...READ MORE›

Customer Issues and the Bottom Line

BY Valeria Maltoni | 08-30-2009 | 9:52 PM | INNOVATION

Many marketers spend a considerable amount of time calculating the ROI of campaigns by looking at cost per lead (CPL) or Web conversion numbers. You are probably quite smart yourself to the ways of lead nurturing and its importance in ...READ MORE›

Innovation and Failure

BY Valeria Maltoni | 08-23-2009 | 9:32 PM | INNOVATION

There is a good relationship between innovation and failure. As Monica Harrington shares, Microsoft Bob gave plenty of very smart people a run for their money - and lessons to take to their next project. Those are familiar ...READ MORE›

Mad Men and Trust Agents

BY Valeria Maltoni | 08-16-2009 | 7:16 PM | INNOVATION

They’re at the opposite ends of the conversation spectrum. The show context is that of media and advertising, two areas that are undergoing rapid change - some would call it a decline. Mad Men captivated the public’s imagination ...READ MORE›

Fluency in Customer Conversation is a Key Business Driver

BY Valeria Maltoni | 08-09-2009 | 8:15 PM | INNOVATION

There is a reason why this publication is called Fast Company. The US has an even shorter attention span than many places I’ve had the fortune of spending time in. I’ve been writing about customer conversation here for more than ...READ MORE›

How to Give Your Company Service Deadlines

BY Valeria Maltoni | 08-02-2009 | 11:12 PM | INNOVATION

Usually it’s the customers who give you deadlines - and sometimes ultimatums - on service. Needing something done by, support within “x” time, service at “y” time and place. What would happen if you turned that concept on ...READ MORE›

How you can get the Most out of Customer Service

BY Valeria Maltoni | 07-05-2009 | 10:12 PM | INNOVATION

We spend so much time talking about how to improve customer service that I thought one post on how to improve customer attitude would be time well spent. If you think about it, we call a customer support line only when we have a ...READ MORE›

How to Map to the Social Media Engagement Profile of Your Customers

BY Valeria Maltoni | 05-17-2009 | 8:20 PM | INNOVATION

You probably already know that Forrester’s social technographics profile can help you analyze the social profile of your customer base. As authors Josh Bernoff and Charlene Li explain in the book Groundswell, people increasingly use ...READ MORE›

How to Answer the Social Phone

BY Valeria Maltoni | 05-10-2009 | 4:53 PM | INNOVATION

It seems that if there are many ways to listen in the social Web, there are also many reasons with the ways to answer. Tom Asacker puts it well, we define ourselves both according to what we identify with and what we reject, and given ...READ MORE›

A Power Outage, A Cable Bill, And Getting Out In Front Of Customer Expectations

BY Don Peppers | 05-09-2012 | 10:45 AM | MANAGEMENT

To paraphrase Warren Buffet, the secret to good customer relationships is the same as the secret to any good marriage: low expectations. But customer expectations today are rising more rapidly than ever, which presents a problem--as well as an opportunity--for your business. A case in point from Comcast. READ MORE›

Home Depot Innovates Customer Checkouts

BY Neil Janowitz | 03-30-2012 | 4:55 PM | MAGAZINE

The Home Depot deploys an array of creative checkout options designed to hustle customers out the door faster.READ MORE›

Thank You, Rush Limbaugh, For Finally Pushing Us Too Far

BY Dayna Steele | 03-07-2012 | 10:01 AM | CAREERS

Thank you, Rush Limbaugh, for finally pushing it far enough to make the American public--Republicans, Democrats, independents and all--say enough is enough. READ MORE›

8 Surprising Ways To Delight Customers

BY Lisa Nirell | 02-07-2012 | 7:52 AM | MANAGEMENT

Look across the universe of possible ways you could delight your clients this month. It's easier and less costly than you think. Skip the traditional "drinks and dinner" route and consider these fresh alternatives. READ MORE›

Make Room At The Meeting Table--For Your Customer

BY Don Peppers | 01-27-2012 | 7:14 AM | LEADERSHIP

Try to remember the last time you had an internal meeting to review the sales pipeline, the latest product offering, or the upcoming marketing plan. Now imagine that your customer had actually been in the room, listening in. If there are things you would've changed, it may be time to invite your customer to the table (if only metaphorically). READ MORE›

In Social Business, Pay Sales Teams Less And Customer Service More

BY Francine Hardaway | 01-23-2012 | 7:11 AM | MANAGEMENT

If we prioritize business growth, we are almost always prioritizing transactions rather than relationships. We compensate sales teams much more highly than we compensate customer service or marketing teams. This is wrong. Anyone can bring in a customer once--but what does it take to keep that customer and unlock his value?READ MORE›

In The Commoditization Of Everything, Adaptation Will Win

BY Prasad Thammineni | 01-05-2012 | 7:16 AM | INNOVATION

Lots of industries are becoming saturated with competitors, to the point where they’re becoming commoditized. And a funny thing happens when an industry that was once nascent becomes the next big thing: Everyone thinks they can do your job. But it doesn’t signal the end for startups; instead, it’s a renaissance, a period of both rebirth and adaptation.READ MORE›

In Your Company's Bid To Court Social Influencers, Don't Forget The "Regular Customers"

BY Ekaterina Walter | 12-19-2011 | 7:49 AM | LEADERSHIP

Ninety percent of all conversations Americans have about products and brands take place offline; focusing too much on social-media influencers and ignoring everyone else will be to your brand's peril. READ MORE›

How To Charge Higher Prices And Thrive

BY Neil Baron | 12-19-2011 | 7:04 AM | MANAGEMENT

Harvey’s Hardware is a legend in my town of Needham, Mass. In business since 1953, Harvey’s sells what most people consider to be commodity items--nuts, bolts, lawnmowers, and shovels. And yet, Harvey’s revenue per square foot is almost four times higher than the typical hardware store. Here's how they do it--and how your company can, too. READ MORE›