Going “above and beyond,” but missing the much bigger opportunity of delivering on the basics.

06/28/10 03:47 PM

My post in response to an article on Harvard Business Review on "Stop Trying to Delight Your Customers" has generated a lot of feedback from readers and even the authors themselves. Here is a response from one of the authors. Read More...

Tags: Customer Service

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Continue to exceed customer expectations not just meet them

06/26/10 06:13 AM

According to conventional wisdom, customers are more loyal to firms that go above and beyond. But research shows that exceeding their expectations during service interactions (for example, by offering a refund, a free product, or a free service such as expedited shipping) makes customers only marginally more loyal than simply meeting their needs. Is this good research or is it telling marketers the wrong information. Read More...

Tags: Customer Service

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The day idiots and morans wait online for an iPhone

06/24/10 02:17 PM

Apple is an amazing brand. They keep shitting on people and their customers ask for more. Today I passed the Apple store here and the line of people waiting for the new iPhone was at least a 3-4 hour wait, even for the people who made reservations ! These are often people who don't have a life and want their new toys but it also says about how Americans have become more self-centered and more about "me" than previous generations. Read More...

Tags: Never underestimate stupidity

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Blindingly obvious insights

06/15/10 02:51 PM

Hey ! Let's have a marketing conference in Las Vegas so people can use it as an excuse to party in Vegas and get some down time. How else would you describe the Consumer 360 Conference that so far has produced some amazing insights like "consumers want brands to be genuine". What is scary, as someone Tweeted to me, is that these people are in charge of marketing budgets. Read More...

Tags: Captain Obvious

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Customers want knowledgeable assistance when they want it, and they place a high value on accurate information

06/10/10 01:03 PM

So how many customer service faux pas’ can your company make before a customer drives off to your competition? Think of it as a baseball game – three strikes and you’re out. According to a recent online survey, 17% will leave you after a single service mess up; 40% will leave you after two blunders and 28% will leave after the third mistake. That adds up to an overwhelming 85% of your business for poor customer service. Read More...

Tags: Customer Service

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Mass Marketing is like, so dead !

06/08/10 07:57 AM

Mass marketing is dead and decomposing yet too many zombie marketers are trying to keep it alive. Mass marketing has been replaced with marketing to the individual and the acknowledgement that marketers have to earn customers trust and business in everything they do. The reason ? Social media and a refusal of people to be grouped into traditional segments. Read More...

Tags: Segmentation, Social Media

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Consumers feel like they are walking on thin ice

06/05/10 06:55 AM

The latest jobs report is not good. Most of the 400k + jobs that were added were for people to take the Census. The private sector only added 41,000 new jobs. Most economists now fear that are going to be headed in another recession because most consumers are becoming more fearful about their own economic security. Marketers had best keep their fingers on the pulse of how consumers are feeling. Read More...

Tags: Economy

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Two examples of going beyond customer expectations

05/27/10 06:12 AM

Marketing today, more than ever, is about exceeding customer expectations to forge relationships that say "we appreciate your business and realized that we have to earn you as a customer everyday". This last week two brands, Zappos and The Palm exceeded my expectations and because of their actions I will remain a loyal customer for a long time. Read More...

Tags: Exceeding expectations

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Consumers not feeling the love from brands

05/07/10 04:43 AM

When asked “what brands care about you?,” not a single global consumer said they believed any brand cared about them, except as a source of profit. When asked what brands they love, more consumers answered Apple than any other brand. However, many consumers said they love no brand and even find loving a brand unnatural. And you thought social media was going to show consumers how much you cared. Read More...

Tags: Branding

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