Monday, August 2, 2010
T-Mobile returns to top for customer care
What has attributed to T-Mobile's success at the top for customer satisfaction? As customer service professionals know, it goes beyond just a friendly voice at the other end of the call. So what's T-Mobile's secret? We'd like to hear your thoughts.
Friday, July 30, 2010
YouTube offers companies 15 minutes of customer service success
Customer Support. A picture is worth a thousand words, and a video is comprised of thousands of pictures streamed together. Rather than explaining processes like installation, configuration, or troubleshooting in a manual, or with text and images on a Web page, create customer service video clips for common tasks and post them on YouTube. Video clips will be appreciated by customers, and take some of the burden off of the help desk.
Training. Businesses can use YouTube to deliver effective training. Simply giving a training manual to an employee has mixed results--they may not really read it and they may not really understand it if they do. Paying a trainer, or delegating another employee to conduct training costs money, and results may vary depending on the trainer. A video clip allows you to record the training exactly as it should be delivered, and re-use it over and over without incurring any additional costs.
How else do you envision YouTube's new service helping you and your business?
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
NACCM 2010 Speaker Spotlight: Joey Fitts

Joey Fitts, Co-Author,
Drive Business Performance: Enabling a Culture of Intelligent Execution
Joey Fitts has spent his personal and professional helping people and organizations achieve their goals. Fitts’ focus is on bridging the gap between people, information and performance. His passionate insights and unwavering drive have guided the information and performance development efforts of many of the world’s leading organizations.
Fitts is recognized as an authority on business intelligence, performance management, and strategy execution. A frequent international speaker, Fitts has presented in over 20 countries and been featured in newspaper, radio and magazine media across North America, Europe and Asia.
Fitts has consulted over 25 of the Fortune 500, guest lectured Harvard Executive Education programs and the Stanford Executive Briefings, been featured in the SuccessFactors Research Thought Leader Network, raised over $16M in venture capital, and served on the Board of Advisors for InterVivos and the Computer Technology Industry Association (CompTIA).
Joey's bio courtesy of JoeyFitts.com
Join Joey for his presentation, "Drive Business Performance: How Leaders Enable a Culture of Intelligent Execution" at 11:20am on Day 2 of NACCM 2010! Learn more about the program and register today!
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Using social media to re-connect with consumers on and off-line
Learn more in "From Brick to Click: Designing to Peak Emotions: Using Social Media to Re-connect with Consumers On and Off-Line" keynote presentation by Marc Gobe, President of Emotional Branding and Author of Emotional Branding on Wednesday, September 29th at The Category Leadership Conference in Chicago. Register today and save $200 off the standard rate.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Should the US Government regulate airline customer service?
As Howell points out in his article, the question of government influence with customer service can be tricky, especially with a government regulated industry like air travel.
Let us know your thoughts via Twitter!
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Free Webinar - Linking VOC to the Bottom Line: Strategies for Uncovering Researchers' Holy Grail
Date/Time: Thu, Aug 5, 2010 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM EDT
Register: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/158148440
Mention priority code MWS0034BLOG
In Maritz Research's 2010 Voice of the Customer Challenges and Practices Study, client-side researchers indicated their biggest challenges were linking survey measures to financial/business results and linking VOC information to internal business processes and metrics. Our own clients have told us that the ability to link survey research information to other business information is the "Holy Grail" within their companies.
As a leader in Customer Experience Measurement, Maritz Research is proud to present Keith Chrzan, Vice President, Marketing Sciences, who will discuss our unique perspective regarding the formal, statistical process that enables us to connect various types of data sources to others. Keith will discuss the varying levels of linkage sophistication, the obstacles that face marketers wishing to perform linkage, and the experience we've gained with a large number of linkage engagements. Researchers, operations leaders and those charged with performance improvement in their company's channels will find this discussion an essential primer before attempting to connect the Voice of their Customers to other business data.
Keith is the DVP of Marketing Sciences at Maritz Research. He has over twenty-five years of experience on the client and supplier sides of the marketing research industry. His experience includes positions as Director of Marketing Research at Boehringer Mannheim Diagnostics and Managing Director of Marketing Sciences at IntelliQuest, Inc, an Austin, Texas-based marketing research consultancy serving the technology industry. Keith is well - respected in the marketing sciences industry and has the ability to make complex statistics not only understandable but fun.
We look forward to your attendance. Don't miss it!
Register: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/158148440
Thursday, July 8, 2010
NACCM 2010 Speaker Spotlight: Stew Leonard, Jr

Stew Leonard Jr. is currently the president and chief executive officer of Stew Leonard's, one of the most unique food retailers in the world.
Stew Leonard's is family-owned and operated, with four food stores and five wine shops in Norwalk, Danbury and Newington, Connecticut, as well as in Yonkers and East Farmingdale, New York.
After receiving his MBA from UCLA, Stew learned the food business by working every job in the store, including filling in for the store's mascot, Wow the Cow.
Stew Leonard's has grown to employ 2,400 Team Members, has annual sales of nearly $400 million, and has been named as one of FORTUNE magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work For" for the past seven consecutive years.
Stew travels throughout the year to farms, ranches, piers, and wineries and loves to cook. His love of wine has led him to his current studies to become a sommelier. He is the author of two cookbooks, You Can Do It, with Bryan Miller, the former restaurant critic for the New York Times and Stew Leonard's Winning Recipes. He has also published two children's books with his wife, Kim, on water safety: Stewie The Duck Learns to Swim and Swimming Lessons with Stewie The Duck. His newest children's book, The Healthy Way, was published in February 2007 and focuses on helping children to learn how to incorporate healthy eating and activity in a fun, engaging way.
Stew will be presenting, "The Customer Is ALWAYS Right!" on October 26, 2010 at the 8th Annual North American Conference on Conference Management! Click here to learn more about the event.
Stew's biography courtesy of StewLeonards.com
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Call for Guest Bloggers & Newly Added Speakers From Family Dollar, Sam’s Club, Wendy’s and more
Earn a complimentary All-Access pass to the #1 recognized shopper-focused event in the world by serving as a guest-blogger. As a guest blogger, you’ll have access to the amazing visionaries, authors, academics PLUS retailers, manufacturers, industry authorities and explorers. With four track sessions, cocktails and even an All-Star baseball party – you’ll learn and have a great time and this premier event.
Responsibilities will include attending specifically assigned sessions and blogging live or same day. You must have industry experience within CPG, retail or consulting in those fields. In exchange for guest blogging, you will receive an all-access pass to the event $3,000+ value. Guest bloggers are responsible for their travel and lodging.
Apply today by sending your name, company, biography and links to your blog directly to Conference Director, Amanda Powers (apowers@iirusa.com). Deadline for submissions is Friday, July 2 at 12pm EST. Early submissions encouraged.
Shopper Insights in Action
July 11 -14, 2010
Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile
Learn more: http://bit.ly/SIA_Blog10
Brochure: http://bit.ly/SIA_Brochure10
Register: http://bit.ly/SIA_Reg10
Registration is still open for Shopper Insights in Action. The event is expected to sell-out, but we have a few spaces available. Don’t wait – register today with code SHOPLINK1 and receive 20% off the standard rate.
Two New Panels Added to the Program:
Kraft, Wendy’s and Turtle Wax Incorporate Customer Participation and Transform What it Means to Listen
Panelists:
*Daren Herbert, Director, Consumer Insights, Turtle Wax
*Jan Trent, Manager, Consumer Insights, Wendy’s
* Chris Hjorth, Scale Marketing, Kraft Foods
Moderated by Bill Alberti, Communispace
Common Ground for Shared Retailer & Manufacturer Growth
Panelists:
Cindy Casper, Sr. Director Insights & Research, Sam's Club
Katie Pollock, Divisional VP, Customer & New Growth, Family Dollar
Moderated by John Dranow, SmartRevenue
We hope to see you in Chicago!
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Health plans increase customer service
The report also discusses how insurance carriers are using store-fronts and always-open phone lines to encourage customers connect if they have issues with their plan.
What tactics can health insurance agencies take to ensure that their customers are clear about their plan?
Facing new pressure, health plans beef up customer service
Monday, June 7, 2010
If the shoe fits - Zappos takes #1 for customer service
This isn't news for Zappos, who boasts numerous awards for customer service. So what's the secret ingredient?
Friday, June 4, 2010
Complimentary Webinar: Emotional Marketing- The New Rules of Engagement - June 30 at 2:00 - 3:00PM EST
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/224085977
Priority code: M2115W1BLOG
Words are the most powerful force on earth, as the greatest moments in history and advertising have been captured by words. Words can be electric if chosen correctly, so when you use them to advertise your products, services and brands make them come to life by igniting people’s hearts in order to light up their minds. Neurologists agree that what we hear is retained for 5 seconds and what we see is retained for 1 second.. why then do we continue to focus on visual stimulus when we should be engaging a greater part of your consumers brain? If you want to be unforgettable learn to engage all your consumers’ senses. Do your customers wait on the sidelines for the next promotion or is their loyalty dictated by how you make them feel?
Marketers today face unprecedented challenges with respect to gaining the consumer's attention due to the emergence and convergence of technology. Consumers today are constantly bombarded with messages from companies trying to gain share of their hearts through effective advertising. One of the biggest questions that our presenter Inez Blackburn has is why marketers insist on answering questions in their ads that none of their customers are asking. Consumers today are struggling with the current economy and as a result are constantly looking for escape. Too often marketing messages are focused on a product feature or attribute with little relevance to the consumer.
There is a sea of change brewing in the advertising industry triggered by an explosion in digital media. These changes have resulted in tremendous upheavals in traditional advertising and marketing.
Does your message or advertisements speak to their mind or heart? Will you win by logic or emotion?
“A man convinced against his will is unconvinced still,” Pastor Phil Johnson
What you will learn:
-Learn to leverage new consumer insights to create promotions beyond price
-Learn the 5 critical success factors for effective marketing in a sea of choice
-Gain a greater share of heart with emotional marketing designed to engage the senses
-Understand new consumer models and buying behavior and the impact of somatic markers
-Sustainability and Social responsibility is only he beginning , survival will depend on your ability to remain relevant for a greater share of heart
-We understand why consumers buy now we need to understand why consumers lie – learn what really drives consumer decision making
About the Presenter:
Inez Blackburn
President of Market Techniques & Innovations, Inc.
Inez Blackburn is a globally recognized speaker, industry leader, innovator, and pioneer in launching global brands with over 25 years experience. She has worked with many Fortune 500 companies and led numerous executives through her Positioned for Profit Seminars and Marketing to the Max Workshops. She has been on the Dean’s list for excellence in teaching for 10 years and is a featured trainer at numerous executive events. Inez is President of Market Techniques & Innovations, Inc. and an adjunct professor at the University of Toronto, Wright State University, and S.P. Jain University in Singapore and Dubai, as well as a featured instructor at Pennsylvania State University.
She has worked extensively with major corporations and has played a pivotal role in implementing customer-centric strategic plans, marketing best practices, and balanced performance metrics. She also teaches companies how to leverage the power of collaboration for a sustainable competitive advantage.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
New York City Government Customer Serivce Line Reaches Milestone
Mayor Bloomberg set up the line in 2003 looking to: provide easier access to non-emergency services in a cost-effective manner. The 311 service consolidated more than 40 separate call centers and hotlines, encompassing 11 pages of government listings in the City phone book, into one easy-to-remember number.
To further accommodate the New York City citizens, there was also a 311 Online in January of this year to futher aid members of the community.
Source: Market Watch
Monday, May 10, 2010
Sprint sees increase in customer satisfaction
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Smaller banks provide better customer service
Read the full article here.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Delivering superior customer service
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?
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Spirit Airlines looking at profits over customers
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.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Customer service can make a trip
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Official Call for Presenters Now Open: CUSTOMER WORLD 2010
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!
Monday, April 5, 2010
Free Web Seminar - How SimplexGrinnell Increased Customer Advocacy by over 200%: Moving Beyond NPS Metrics
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
Thursday, April 1, 2010
New customer experience measurement system for USPS
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.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Archive Webinar - Profiting from Feedback: Achieving Real Business Results with Enterprise Feedback Management
Alan Kneale, Vice President, Technical Support Operations, CareFusion
Robert Freeden, Director, Product Support/Repair, CareFusion
Justin Schuster, Vice President, EFM Solutions, MarketTools
View the archive webinar
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Customer service that knows your call
This software can do this by:
....analyzes what a company knows about its customer, the performance history of the customer service representatives, and the previous interactions the customer has had with customer service representatives to determine where to route a call.
How will this change customer service in the future? Will customer service calls be more effectively answered?
Monday, March 15, 2010
“Customer Service is the New Marketing!”
Fast Company- What is marketing really about?
There are five principles that I try to focus on in everything that has to do with marketing:
· Customer service is the new marketing. The days of dictating your brand to the public are long gone. There is so much access to information; the customer is actually dictating your brand to you.
· Communicate with your customers, don’t market at them. Customers get bombarded with marketing messages every day (practically every second). Find ways to interact with them. Discussions drive loyalty, not one way messaging.
Fast Company- How do you breed better customer service?
I’m really inspired by positivity. This can take many forms and isn’t the same for everyone, but it really stands out for me. I think it’s contagious and people build off it. It helps in personal areas the same as business. You can’t provide great customer service with a negative attitude or culture. My goal is to be as positive as I can, and hope that has an impact on those around me. I choose to surround myself with positive people and you tend to find that the majority of “success stories” generally have a great attitude about life. It all comes down to the Golden Rule. It’s not difficult to understand and we all have it in us.
We encourage you to read the interview it its entirety.
Zappos’ Marketing Chief: “Customer Service is the New Marketing!”
Friday, March 5, 2010
Engaging Shoppers with Every Step, Real Time
Stephen Vowles, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Stop & Shop will discuss:
- How new audience targeting tactics are revolutionizing the way retailers and brands can reach specific customers
- How Stop & Shop is driving larger baskets and increased frequency with targetd media and self-service technology
- Pitfalls to avoid when selecting & implementing customer-facing technology solutions
- How brands can effectively and measurably leverage digital in-store marketing
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
The world’s largest conference company announces the launch of the Performance Marketing Expo to be held this September in Miami
The Performance Marketing Expo, will take place September 27th-29th in South Beach at the Miami Beach Convention Center. Consistent with other IIR conferences, The Performance Marketing Expo features best-in-class educational sessions, industry insider top level speakers, super-affiliates with proven earning power, the premier online merchants and retailers, affiliate networks, and hundreds of affiliates eager to network and grow their business (and their earning potential).
What makes this event stand out from all the rest? It will include facilitated business networking and quality content brought to life by the best storytellers, representing merchants, affiliates and networks.
TOP SUPER AFFILIATES JUST CONFIRMED AT The Performance Marketing Expo
Stephanie Nelson, Coupon Mom
Todd Martini, Alex's Coupons
eCoupons * MarketAmerica * TrialPay * Parent Media
The program is currently being finalized. For More Information about getting involved, please email kpotanka@iirusa.com or visit our contact page if you have specific questions.
Join The Performance Marketing LinkedIn Group