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New York Times, July 25, 2008 — Brandon Dilbeck, 20, a student at the University of Washington, was complaining recently on his blog, Brandon Notices, about Comcast’s practice of posting ads in its on-screen programming guide. He assumed he was writing for his own benefit. “It feels like nobody ever really reads my blog,” he said. “Nobody has left a comment in months.”
USA Today, July 23, 2008 — Three of the TVs are dark in Wal-Mart's electronics department, where the only two clerks in sight stock a shelf and disappear. At a nearby Target, the digital camera desk is unmanned, and there's no staff roaming electronics. In Circuit City, a clerk concedes it's his first day on the job and first week in the country.
Advertising Age, June 23, 2008 — "How can I help you, and where would you like to go?"
In this simple greeting, there's a huge question: Are the greeting and the experience that follows marketing or service or both? In the last couple of months, Apple has boosted the number of "concierges" who greet and direct shoppers as soon as they walk in the door of its retail stores. Apple has always had employees at the front, ready to help, but this time it is positioning an eager-to-please offensive line a few steps from the doorway.
Los Angeles Times, April 28, 2008 — Let's play a game: Find the customer support telephone number. There was a time when businesses actually welcomed phone calls from customers. Now, many go to extraordinary lengths to avoid calls, preferring that orders and support issues be handled online.
Advertising Age, March 21, 2008 — Conversing with consumers and finding out what they think about their brands has become a whole lot easier for marketers because of the web. And whether it's an actual customer-service call or inquiry or responding to a comment on the corporate blog, marketers need to start looking at each interaction as a marketing opportunity. That was one of the main themes that emerged during the "Listenomics: So you want to be a conversational marketer?" panel at the Ad Age Digital Conference.
MediaPost Publications, March 5, 2008 — WHEN IT COMES TO WEB recourses, consumer-centric companies are still failing to meet expectations, according to a new study of nearly 1,000 such companies and online shoppers.
Just 44% of consumers believe the information available on most company's Web sites meets their needs, found the study conducted by InQuira, a developer of automated self-service applications for Web-based sales and services, and research firm ServiceXRG.
And it's not for lack of trying, as a full 74.5% of consumers indicate that they use company sites to get information about products or services.
Forbes, February 20, 2008 — When tumbling home values and high gas prices already have consumers spending less at stores, car dealerships and airline ticket counters, how does a company minimize the pain?
One way is to offer superior customer service, the better to compete for the fewer number of dollars out there, and set yourself up with loyal customers for the inevitable economic rebound. A new report finds a lot of companies like Wal Mart (nyse: WMT - news - people ) and Home Depot (nyse: HD - news - people ) seem to have a different plan.
Fast Company, November 1, 2007 — Day one at my new job. Sporting white headphones, I am plugged into a computer watching Ridley Scott's awe-inspiring "1984" Macintosh ad, reviewing the company history, and getting pumped up about my new workplace. Like most of my coworkers, I'm already a loyal fan of the company, so starting this job will take my interest to the next level. I'm working as a Mac specialist at the Apple Store.
What happens between now and Christmas is the most important time for a very large sector of our economy: The National Retail Federation predicts almost $475 billion will pass between customers and merchants this holiday season, and whether such notable brands as Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL), Gap (NYSE:GPS), Home Depot (NYSE:HD), Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX), and many others think... continue reading
FORTUNE, October 1, 2007 — Marry me, Sue!" We've just pulled into the parking lot of Albuquerque's Jefferson Commons call center, home to 800 T-Mobile USA customer-service representatives, and outside there's mayhem. Hundreds of screaming, chanting people are standing in front of the building, bedecked in a wild array of hot-pink clothing (T-Mobile's signature color) ranging from T-shirts to cowboy hats to feather boas. They're waving signs, holding up camera phones, and generally acting like starstruck teenagers. One guy's wearing a fuchsia bathrobe; another, in a fluorescent-pink wig, is screaming, "We love you!" over and over.
All this booty shaking and flag waving might seem a bit extreme, given that technically today's event features a middle-aged woman on a routine visit... continue reading
Advertising Age, July 12, 2007 — Sprint Nextel's decision to "fire" some of its customers may be a good business decision — but could come back to haunt it in the long run.
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