Every business will gain and lose customers over the course of the business’s lifetime. Of course the hope is that there will be more gains than losses; however, sometimes businesses find themselves in the opposite situation and struggle to understand why their customers are leaving. While creative companies could come up with a myriad of creative and complex metrics and measurement techniques to try to gain some insights, one of the best ways to determine why customers are lost is to ask them! (more…)
Archive for the ‘Customer Service’ Category
Do You Know When—And Why—Your Customers Have Left You?
Thursday, May 18th, 2017You’re Fired! It Works for Customers Too.
Thursday, January 12th, 2017
Sometimes clichés can become so pervasive that we fail to think critically about their meaning or the full implications of the statement. A classic example in business, generally, and customer service, specifically, is “the customer is always right.” To state the obvious, the rationale is that no matter how difficult, rude and unreasonable a customer may be, that customer is paying the bills — and you should do whatever it takes to make that customer happy. (more…)
Are You Creating, or Removing, Barriers for People to Buy Your Product/Service?
Tuesday, May 10th, 2016Sometimes I think the most simple thing that we can do as businesspeople and marketers is to “put ourselves in the shoes” – literally – of our prospects and customers. Are we making it easy to buy? Or are we setting up unintentional barriers, however “slight,” that may interfere with – or obliterate – the purchasing process? (more…)
It’s All About the Brand, ‘Bout the Brand, No Bull$#!!
Tuesday, June 2nd, 2015I responded to a reporter’s query recently wondering about whether companies in industries with historically “poor” reputations (e.g. airlines, cable companies, telephone providers, etc.) are hindered because they serve as a “middleman” for consumers to access their services and that they may purposefully decide to just suck it up, accept the fact that they will never be able to satisfy their customers and, therefore, cut back on the costs of providing exceptional service. My short answer: “No.”
Here’s why, and what I think is really at play here. (more…)
How Will You Make Your Audience Want To?
Tuesday, January 13th, 2015I’m a big fan of EContent, a media outlet that focuses on content related to digital publishing, media and marketing. They have a number of very influential contributors* who write about trending topics, and useful strategies and tactics to help readers succeed in the online world.
It’s one of the many media outlets that I try to read as often as I can. Recently, when browsing through the topics on their homepage, I came across a piece by Theresa Cramer, the editor of EContent: Lessons From Serial: The Myth of the Shrinking Attention Span. I found it to be a very thought-provoking piece, and I was especially struck by one particular line in the piece: (more…)
The Critically Important Audience You May Be Overlooking
Monday, November 24th, 2014It’s probably no surprise that poor customer service can have an enormous amount of negative impact on your business. But what about poor service to employees? Does the internal satisfaction of your employees weigh on that metric? A recent article by Christine Porath in Harvard Business Review would suggest that it does. (more…)
A Wake-Up Call to the Newspaper Industry
Tuesday, November 11th, 2014I had an experience recently that made me think: “Hmmm. Maybe this is one of the reasons the newspaper industry is struggling.”
After landing a new account recently, I began setting up my files and processes for gathering information about the client and sources of information that would help me stay on top of issues impacting them externally. This generally includes some combination of online sources, industry trade publications, etc. In this case, because of the type of business the client does, I decided to subscribe to the local paper because I wanted to add it to my morning reading ritual.
So, I went online to their website to subscribe. And that’s when the fun began. (more…)
Are You Giving Your All To Your Current Customers?
Tuesday, July 15th, 2014A number of years ago I was on a weekend outing with my husband and a group of his friends, including one guy who had recently gotten engaged to a “knockout.” She was gorgeous–long, really long, blonde hair; perfect make-up; great nails, dressed exceptionally.
The rest of the women (well, maybe I’m projecting my own thoughts on the others, but…) thought: “Wow! How do we compare to that!!?!” Fortunately, she was one of the many beautiful women (and men) that I’ve met over the years who wasn’t really that “full of themselves.” Over the course of the weekend after many conversations, and a few cocktails from time to time, we got to talking. I admitted my awe about how well put together she was and my wish that I could be as well put together.
She laughed and said: “You should have seen me last week!” “What do you mean?,” I asked.
Which Comes First: Customer Service or Customers?
Tuesday, May 20th, 2014I saw an interesting comment on a blog site recently in response to an article about 6 effective marketing tips for small businesses. One poster noted that, among the small businesses she works with, her focus is on providing strong customer service and trusting that the rest will come. (Sort of a Field of Dreams approach I guess…)
There is, of course, absolutely nothing wrong with focusing on customer service–in fact I’m all in favor of it. But (more…)
What You Need to Teach Your Employees About Customer Service
Tuesday, April 8th, 2014The best product or service in the world won’t be well received by customers if it is delivered poorly. Businesses of any kind and any size — whether virtual or bricks and mortar — must deliver exceptional customer service to compete effectively in what has become an increasingly competitive business environment. With businesses able to sell their goods literally around the world, your field of competitors has increased exponentially.
That means that you need to ensure that your employees are prepared to
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