Smaller banks provide better customer service

According to the Buffalo News, a recent survey by J.D. Power & Associates found that small Pennsylvania banks offer the best customer service. Northwest Savings Bank of Warren, PA came in #1 on the survey. They article credits smaller banks for receiving the best customer service due to their in-service attention to customers and ability to attract new customers due to this.

Read the full article here.

Delivering superior customer service

In an article at the Miami Herald today, they look at the disconnect many companies have between customers service expectations they have for themselves and the expectations their consumers have.

A. Parasuraman points out these three simple requirements:
Delivering superior customer service requires
(a) understanding customers and their expectations, especially when things go wrong;
(b) ensuring that companies' communications and service strategies are aligned with those expectations
(c) excelling on service basics before investing resources on enhancements.

Do you disagree with any of the things above about how to deliver superior customer service?

Spirit Airlines looking at profits over customers

I came across a recent article that looked at how Spirit Airlines has begun charging for carry on luggage in addition to checked luggage. While they charge for checked bags, this new rule allows for individuals to carry anything on that will fit under the seat, but charge for anything that must go in an overhead bin.

While customers were clearly not in mind when this decision was made, who much will it affect those already flying Spirit Airlines? This is a budget airline, so fliers do fly it in order to save their money. So will they be willing to spend a few extra dollars to bring a bag on board? Or will this new fee result in customers looking to other airlines? They may be able to spend the same amount of money on another airline and carry their luggage on.

What do you think a decision like this does for the customer?

Read the full reaction article from Brent Batten here.

Customer service can make a trip

Mary Bergin recently wrote about her experiences in customer service while on a recent trip to Chicago in the Wisconsin Rapids Tribune. While on her trip, she received horrible customer service from the Public Transit of Chicago. However, she was pleasantly surprised when she received superb customer service from a local restaurant. Have you had any experiences like this? While Bergin alludes to the poor customer service from the public transit service, she identifies possible causes such as the reduction in personnel or the salary freezes.

Official Call for Presenters Now Open: CUSTOMER WORLD 2010

CUSTOMER WORLD
the co-location of 3 unique customer-centric events:
8th Annual NACCM Customer's 1st Conference
2nd Annual Customer UNinterrupted Conference
14th Annual Linkage Strategies Conference

From: Kelly Potanka, Conference Director, IIR
Re: CUSTOMER WORLD Call for Presenters
Event Date: October 25-27, 2010
Location: Orlando, FL

We are looking for both customer-centric case studies, as well as interactive/experiential activities. Creativity in format involving audience participation/inspiration will receive preferred attention. Please send all submissions to Kelly Potanka (kpotanka@iirusa.com).

About the Events:
CUSTOMER WORLD is where the VOICE OF YOUR INDUSTRY comes together to champion and celebrate CUSTOMERS 1st. Never before has there been such a comprehensive offering of customer-centric events focused on your customer service/experience, measurement/metrics and self-service/technology needs.

NACCM CUSTOMER'S 1st CONFERENCE
NACCM consistently helps customer service executives reignite the passionate leader within to confidently lead their teams and customers. Balancing actionable, practical content with unique and memorable experiences- Customers 1st delivers the motivation you need to keep the customer at the center of every business decision. We are currently seeking cross-industry corporate practitioners to share unique strategies and best practices for creating WOW experiences by driving customer-centric initiatives at their organization.

CUSTOMER UNINTERRUPTED CONFERENCE
Customer service is an investment, not an expense. Understanding how the customer wants to be approached and through which contact channel can redefine your next-generation of profitable customer connections. Customer, UNinterrupted is designed for customer operations career professionals to develop and execute a strategy for delivering a consistent, seamless service experience across multiple channels. We are currently seeking expert case studies that focus on Self-Service Technologies and Call Center Excellence.

LINKAGE STRATEGIES CONFERENCE
In times like these, waste is not an option. Ensure every dollar spent on your customers delivers optimal profitability. Linkage Strategies is the only conference that measures the impact of your customer strategy investments on the business' bottom line. If you have a case study on how to take the crucial step forward and show attendees how to manage, measure, link and act on customer data, submit your proposal now.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
If you are a corporate practitioner ONLY, we invite you to submit a speaking proposal directly to Kelly Potanka on or before Friday, April 16, 2010 to kpotanka@iirusa.com. Please note: Abstracts are reviewed and selected on a rolling basis, so please submit early. ONLY corporate practitioner submissions will be reviewed. If you are a consultant/vendor/solution provider, please see below. For consideration, please include:
• Proposed speaker name(s), job title(s), and company name(s)
• Contact information including address, telephone and fax numbers and e-mail
• Talk title
• Summary of the presentation (3-5 sentences)
• What the audience will gain from your presentation (please list 3-5 key “take-aways”)

Added Bonus: Each speaker receives free admission to the conference (a $2000+ value) including admission to all conference sessions, workshops, networking breaks, lunches, exhibit halls, etc.

Special Notice to Vendors, Consultants and Solution Providers:
Whether you are looking to build awareness, generate new business or strengthen existing relationships- a presence at Customer World can help you achieve your goals. A limited number of sessions are reserved on the program for this group to participate and sponsors are given priority. If you are interested in sponsorship or exhibit opportunities, please contact Jon Saxe, Business Development Manager at jsaxe@iirusa.com or 646-895-7467.

Thank you for your interest in CUSTOMER WORLD. We look forward to receiving your proposal!

Free Web Seminar - How SimplexGrinnell Increased Customer Advocacy by over 200%: Moving Beyond NPS Metrics

Often companies are focused entirely on satisfaction scores which are only the first step in truly understanding customer satisfaction. In order to respond to customer feedback, and increase satisfaction you must understand the meaning behind the score to be able to anticipate customer needs.

Join us to hear how SimplexGrinnell developed a process not only to measure the quality of customer relationships, but also to take action to exceed customer expectations.

Speakers:
Karl Sharicz, Manager of Customer Intelligence, SimplexGrinnell
Bill Herald PhD, Research Consultant, MarketTools

Register here
Mention priority code MWS0033BLOG

New customer experience measurement system for USPS

According to Research.com, the USPS will be bringing in a new tool that will allow the system to see how the consumers service is at four key touchpoints: receiving mail, sending mail, visiting the post office and contacting the Postal Service.

Delores Kettle, USPS vice president and consumer advocate, stated this about the new data collection: “Through added insights and actionable data, customer experience measurement will help the Postal Service more precisely identify customer needs across all channels and find new ways to provide greater customer service. We will now be measuring and reporting on areas that really matter to our customers, and this information will help Postal Service managers take actions to improve service.”

Read the full article here.