Tommy Smothers of the Smothers Brothers – if you don’t remember them, look them up on YouTube – used to have a short comedy routine about golf with a title something like, “The 37 most important things to remember during your downswing.” While the routine was especially hilarious to anyone who has ever taken a […]
Customer Experience
5 Instant Tips to Create Effective and Quality Surveys
Two basic questions always arise when running a small business. Is your product/service working? How can you improve? One of the best ways to improve is to speak to your customers and those who might one day become customers. A great way to do that is by building a survey and distributing it to the […]
7 Groups of Difficult Customers Test Every Business
Have you ever noticed that some of your business owner friends get all the bad customers, and yours all seem fairly reasonable? Or is it the other way around? I’m always amazed that, in my role as a business advisor, bad customers somehow seem to gang up on certain businesses. I long ago learned that […]
CSAT vs CES: Does It Matter?
Many commercial businesses that provide after-sale services seek ways to improve customer loyalty through their customer service organizations. In addition, companies want to utilize their resources as productively as possible. Since there are many dimensions to customer service, companies want to understand how best to utilize limited resources. The basic premise that most companies rely […]
3 Instant Ways to Improve Customer Experience
Customer experience (CX) is one of the biggest factors in determining a company’s success. CX can refer to any experience a customer has with your company, be it on the phone, online, or in person. The CX you provide to clients will make or break your business moving forward. Help Scout reports that “91% of […]
Amazing Brand Experiences Start at the First Touchpoint
I’ll bet you’re familiar with this cliché: You only have one chance to make a good first impression. Yet, so many businesses and organizations fail at this. Take my recent experience at a 4-star (TripAdvisor rating) resort that definitely needs improvement. See if you’d react the same way I did… After a 5 to 6-hour […]
Personalization vs. Privacy: Your Customers’ Confusing Brand Experiences
How much business do you think you lose due to poor customer experiences? Did you know that 41% of US consumers said they ditched a company because of “poor personalization and lack of trust?” And, only 22% of global customers acknowledge that the companies they do business with tailor their experiences based on a deep understanding of their […]
The Difference Between Mediocre and Great in Customer Service
Paying attention to small details can be what makes the difference between a great service experience and a mediocre one. When you observe your customers and pick up on the subtle cues and messages—both words and body language, things said and things unsaid—you can take advantage of the moment to deliver a better customer experience. […]
The Review is In
Last week we explored how customers have taken to the web, social networks and review sites when they have something to say about a company or any customer service need—good or bad. This isn’t just a retail problem. B-to-B customers can complain about you on Twitter or Facebook and there are new review sites cropping […]
10 Tips to Improve Your Customer Experience
Today, customers are no longer looking for great customer service—they want more. Today customers demand a great customer experience and will not settle for anything less. It is no longer good enough for companies to provide good customers service—rather, companies need to create memorable interactions with customers that help establish a loyal relationship and promote […]