We're a regular contributor to Hakki Ozmorali's series "Direct Selling Wisdom in 100 Words".In his latest post, he explores the role of celebrity endorsement for the direct selling industry, and we're happy to add our thoughts to the expert panel.
Read MoreReview websites have been around almost as long as the internet itself, with TripAdvisor.com being one of the oldest and best-established. Now, with question-marks over the objectiveness of its and many other website reviews, we explore how users can get the best from consumer reviews.
Read More‘Signature moments’ are particular features, built to typify a brand – to shine out as something distinctive, memorable, iconic even. Yet this article will argue that these much-vaunted signatures can too often substitute a higher goal – that of serving a customer’s individual needs with appropriately branded behaviour.
Read MoreCEX has been steadily gaining acceptance as an indicator of commercial profitability. But does a customer actually include a company's ethical behaviour in their assessment of personal experience? In this article, we explore the theory and reality, and come up with a bottom line of our own.
Read MoreRail travel in Switzerland (known as SBB) is widely recognised as being one of, if not the best networks in the world. But what do Swiss people themselves think about it? Curiously, not very much.And there lies the clue........
Read MoreIn our crowded world, businesses need to respond by planning ways to increase capacity. But this can take years to deliver via infrastructure. So, in the meantime, here's how firms can explore quickly where and why crowds form, along with a practical approach to reducing the problem.
Read MoreWhat happens when a problem occurs with your customer service?Rather than react to problems ad-hoc, we advocate designing apology management directly into the experience. Here are three audit themes we’ve used to help design the 'delivery of apology'.....
Read MoreFollowing our article on promotion un-bundling last year, this blog adds further research demonstrating our belief that consumers can be attracted to individual purchases just as much, if not more so, than discounted bundles. Curious? Read on........
Read MoreRick addressed members of The Sales Club in London in September 2012. His session focused on the Impact of Customer Experience on Sales – demonstrating how customer experience differs from customer service and why it takes you further in impacting sales performance and brand loyalty.
Read MoreEvidence from both the UK and US shows that large retailers are struggling to achieve their growth forecasts using price promotion as their lone marketing tactic. So what should they do, and who can they learn from?
Read MoreWith so many people using smartphones and the apps that make them so appealing, is the creation of a customer service app the next big thing in customer experience? Our view is a provisional 'yes' - but it all depends on how the app is downloaded initially. For the lowdown, read on.....
Read MoreIn a world where pharmaceutical companies traditionally focus on patient compliance with their medication regimes, how would a patient-centric model pay for itself? And how would we recognise its existence in a drug company’s behaviour?
Read MoreWhat do you do when your tried-and-tested marketing techniques aren't as effective in today's economy? Start by staying positive - here's how some of those negative trends can have silver linings if your mindset allows you to see them..
Read MoreRegular visitors to this site will know that we have a particular interest in Gen Y or the Millennial Generation, so we’ve been out in the run-up to Christmas, watching them shop, both in High Streets and malls, as well as on-line. What have we learned? Here are 5 clues to attracting Gen Y shoppers……..
Read MoreSmartphone apps continue to expand on a whole variety of platforms.But what makes an app really stick? By this we mean an app that earns its keep long-term and becomes a part of your life. We offer 3 tips for anyone building an app.....
Read MoreIn a busy deadline-driven world of operational efficiency, how do industry leaders find the time and motivation to build truly world-class organisations? Perhaps the answer lies not at the end of a rainbow but in the tail-end of a bell curve......
Read MoreThis article shows how a doctor adapted the risk management techniques of aircraft-maker Boeing to improve the patient outcomes in his operating theatre. Read on to learn how checklists can improve the consistency and quality of any product or service.
Read MoreThis week, figures showed as many as 25% of Britain's bookshops have closed in the last six years.Coupled with a similar decline in new store openings, this represents an alarming decline. So who's to blame, and what's to be done to restore the appeal of the UK bookshop?
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