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Exemplary Customer Experience – Is Yours WOW! or Just OK?

'Designing Strategies' Newsletter January - February 2014                              Volume 11 - Issue 57   I have been banking at the same financial institution for years. Most of the tellers know me on sight and call me by my first name. They know I prefer to get my cash in twenty-dollar bills instead of larger denominations. I walked into my local branch one afternoon, wrote a check for Cash, got in the teller line and waited my turn. It was finally my turn, and after counting out my funds [...]

By |2017-01-08T02:02:45-05:00January 15th, 2014|Customer Experience, Newsletter|
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Customer Pain: Identify It, Then Heal It

A Fast Company magazine article  on understanding what customers will buy, brought out the most basic human factors that affect why people will spend money.  Consumers will buy a product or a service to ease pain or in search of pleasure. If you have a nasty headache, you’ll rush to buy aspirin or another pain reliever in a heart beat. Why? Because aspirin will relieve the pain and provide a more pleasant experience. If you scrape a knee, you quickly clean the wound, slather on something that numbs the pain and then apply a bandage to protect the area while it [...]

By |2016-12-27T20:03:23-05:00October 13th, 2013|Customer Experience, Customer Relationships|
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Customer Influence: How It Can Negatively Affect Your Business

'Designing Strategies' Newsletter July - August, 2013                         Volume 10 - Issue 54 It is sometimes difficult to put your arms around actual costs related to losing a customer. That said, the fact remains the impact on your bottom line can be significant. There is a good chance dissatisfied customers will not bother to say goodbye. Nor will they tell you why they are unhappy.  Neither of these situations is a good position for your firm to be in.  The extent of customer influence in your marketplace is something [...]

By |2017-01-08T01:58:02-05:00July 18th, 2013|Customer Experience, Customer Relationships, Newsletter|
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Customer Service – How Good Is Yours?

I've been involved in  'discussions'  in several different Groups on LinkedIn recently.  In every case, conversations eventually got around to the need for better customer experiences  for business success.  This is so true in the relationship environment we are doing business in today.  Expectations are higher than ever.  Customers expect more than what used to be called 'customer service' -- everyone claims to be great at it, but very few stand out.  Most are just sorely lacking.   I recently returned from a trip to Tucson, AZ.  I was scheduled to present a program on Designing for the Generations.  The local ASID chapter [...]

By |2016-12-27T21:02:11-05:00May 14th, 2013|Branding, Customer Experience, Customer Relationships|
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Transform Your Business With Minor Changes

  I just read a great article in Fast Company about the importance of making  very minor changes within your company.  Small changes can transform your business and its culture.  Minor changes and also transform your business by changing its direction and levels of success.  All it takes is one or two small changes in behavior.  Lisa Earle McLeod, the author, related a story about her family delivering their college-aged daughter to Boston University to begin her college experience.   It's Easy to Transform a Business The family was standing at one of those large public maps of the campus - [...]

By |2016-12-27T23:34:28-05:00December 17th, 2012|Customer Experience, Customer Relationships, Strategic Management|
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Customer Service Strategy: Kill Customers with Kindness

Have you considered the importance and value of your online presence in handling customer service issues?  At the very least, every company needs a web site or other online presence where customers can find them.   Yes, even your company's online presence requires a customer service strategy. Today’s customers do online research before moving forward with a purchase or business relationship.  They also use the Internet to share any bad experiences they had during a transaction. Sometimes they even share good experiences and feelings.  Really.  Reviews are important to potential customers, so be sure to have a method for your [...]

By |2016-12-27T23:55:05-05:00July 19th, 2012|Customer Experience, Customer Relationships|
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Disgruntled Customers: The Rapidly Rising Cost For Small Businesses

'Designing Strategies' Newsletter July – August 2012                                        Volume 9 – Issue 48 The Rapidly Rising Cost of Disgruntled Customers Sometimes, it is difficult put your arms around actual costs related to losing a customer.  But, the fact remains the impact on your bottom line can be significant. It is common knowledge that holding existing customers is less expensive than courting new ones. There is a good chance dissatisfied customers won’t bother to say goodbye, or tell you why they are unhappy. [...]

By |2017-01-04T03:04:48-05:00July 16th, 2012|Customer Experience, Customer Relationships, Employees, Newsletter|
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Make Yourself Memorable

Are you doing anything at all to make yourself memorable?  By 'yourself', I am referring to your small business.  To be successful, your company needs to standout from competitors to be memorable when they need your products and services. Our niece was recently married at a lovely Fall outdoor ceremony.  She and her new husband left a few days later for a romantic trip to Europe.  They spent some time in Venice.  From there, planned a train ride to Stuttgart, Germany where they would pick up a rental car and drive through the Alps. Leaving the hotel for the train trip, they hailed a taxi.  [...]

By |2016-12-29T00:53:56-05:00November 7th, 2011|Branding, Customer Experience|
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Customer Relationships Start With Baby Steps

Does your approach to getting a new customer start and end with making a sale?  I certainly hope not.  If you take that hard sell approach to anyone who can pass the mirror test -- fogging up a mirror because they are still breathing -- you are in for a lot of disappointment.   Before you push for a sale, you need to develop strong customer relationships.  That relationship needs to build on getting  the customer to know, like and trust you. Think about the last half dozen telemarketing calls you've received.  They were all trying to sell you something weren't [...]

By |2016-12-29T01:15:13-05:00August 30th, 2011|Customer Experience, Customer Relationships|
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For Positive Customer Experiences – Choose Your Words Carefully

What difference can a simple word or phrase make?  All the difference in the world.  Even if you deliver bad news or an response you know a customer won't like, choose your words carefully.  A little thought about how your words might be received can go a long way in softening the worst of news. My husband I decided to take an impromptu overnight trip.  Nothing formal, no real plan, just get away.  We drove about two and a half hours through heavy rain, thunder, lightning and highway construction.  Not exactly relaxing, that's for sure. Arriving at our destination, we found [...]

By |2016-12-29T01:33:22-05:00July 30th, 2011|Customer Experience|
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