AllBusiness.com - Smart Marketing with Customer Loyalty

What Are the Top 10 Social Media Industry Segments?

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 01:50:00 GMT

Social media products and websites continue to gain popularity in use and value in connecting people. Almost daily they become more powerful tools for many organizations to engage their customers better. So more and more companies are using social media because they know their customers are too. In fact that’s often the first reason companies have for diving into Twitter and other social media: to discover what people are saying about them. Recently, the May 2009 edition of the Buzz Study ...

For Better Customer Service Lose the Scripts. Hire Friendly.

Wed, 03 Jun 2009 07:00:00 GMT

The secret to improving customer service (and therefore, increasing customer loyalty) is simple: Hire friendly people and don't make them use scripts. In the past few weeks I've experienced both sides of this coin. I've had to deal with my share of customer service robots. Too many of these people ...

Why Does Jay Leno Like Subway?

Wed, 03 Jun 2009 06:50:00 GMT

Jay Leno was spotted hauling some subs out of an LA Subway recently. It’s nice to see the late night superstar and I have at least one thing in common. Like Jay Leno, I am a sub shop customer. In my town we have a mixed bag of sandwich shops, from the biggies (you know: Subway, Quiznos, Jimmy John’s) to unique locals, like the Blue Ox (one of my faves).

Things to Do While Waiting on Hold for Customer Service

Fri, 29 May 2009 12:45:00 GMT

Play two or more games of solitaire. Make a meal. Watch a complete TV show. Go to the bathr...never mind. These are a few things people claim to do while waiting on hold for customer service, according to a recent survey reported by Reuters. The survey suggests customer service is not ...

Twitter for Customer Service: 6 Reasons to Consider it in Your Business

Thu, 28 May 2009 03:50:00 GMT

Twitter keeps getting more popular, more useful and more valuable to companies. It is becoming a rock star in the world of customer engagement tools. But many people are skeptical, or at least unsure. Is it mostly hype? Will it fade away? Or is it a serious tool I should be using in my business? Here are six reasons you should consider using Twitter to serve and connect with your customers.

Do Your Favorite Companies Use Twitter for Customer Service?

Tue, 26 May 2009 01:30:00 GMT

One of the most powerful uses of Twitter is it’s ability to help businesses organizations and their customers connect. Other social media do this well. But none has shown the quick and strong impact in customer service as Twitter has. So I am ...

Has the Recession Improved Customer Service or Not?

Tue, 26 May 2009 11:40:00 GMT

We hear a lot of talk about how the recession has caused companies to improve their customer service. In fact, this assertion is almost cliche. And we know why. In a recession, there are fewer dollars chasing the good and services available. This creates much more competition for customers. So businesses need to attract them by making changes. This usually means lowering prices and or offering more value. We like to say the "smart businesses" sharpen their customer service edge during a ...

To Increase Customer Loyalty, Manage Your Points of Experience

Thu, 21 May 2009 11:45:00 GMT

Our companies are created by every action taken by employees. These actions create Points of Experience (POE). Every POE creates an experience for our customers. The sum total of all POEs is our company. It’s how people see us and what they think about us. It’s our reputation, our image and our brand. It’s the reason people do business with us the first time and every time after. Remember, POEs don’t JUST come from interactions with employees. They also ...

Are Your Customers Using Twitter?

Mon, 18 May 2009 12:00:00 GMT

With all the buzz about Twitter as a customer service tool and many well known companies diving in, you might be asking yourself, should your company use Twitter to connect with your customers. There are a number of things to consider as you answer this question but the most important (by far) is "are your customers using Twitter?" If they are not, that will affect how you use Twitter. Because you can’t connect to people who are not there.

Deliver Better Customer Service by Having Fun

Thu, 14 May 2009 01:00:00 GMT

One of the biggest reasons customers don’t return is they have no reason to. Sure they might get what they want but they often get it with no personality, no sparkle, no sizzle. Their experience is a dud. It’s about as exciting as cleaning your ears. There’s nothing memorable about it. Or worse, employees are crabby, grouchy or even angry and they show it. Yuk!