Industry News
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5 of the worst customer service stories — and lessons you gain from them
There’s one good thing about acts of bad customer service: People who care about the customer experience (like you!) can learn valuable lessons on how to be better from them. “The positive customer service stories define the model of great customer service behavior. The negative customer service...Read more -
How to sweeten the customer experience – even when we social distance
So, you can’t interact with customers these days. That doesn’t mean you can’t make the customer experience feel intimate. Here’s how to sweeten the experience while social distancing. The key is making experiences more personal now, whether you see customers often, seldom or never – or whether ...Read more -
How well do you know the competition? 6 questions you should be able to answer
Tough competitive situations are a fact of business life. Success is measured by your ability to take from competitors’ existing market shares as you protect your customer base. Despite intense competition, it’s possible to take steps to prevent the competition from convincing customers to buy t...Read more -
5 ways to improve B2B customer relationships
Some companies squander the opportunities to build better B2B customer relationships. Here’s where they go wrong, plus five steps to enrich yours. B2B relationships have more potential for loyalty and growth than B2C relationships, which are more transaction focused. In B2Bs, sales and custome...Read more -
7 reasons to fire customers, and how to do it right
Of course, you don’t fire customers just because they’re challenging. Challenges can be met, and problems can be fixed. But there are times and reasons to purge. Here are seven situations when you want to consider ending customer relationships. When customers: complain constantly about trivial ...Read more -
What to do when a customer hits on you
Customers building rapport with you is one thing. But outright flirting — or worse, sexual harassment — is another. Here’s what to do when customers go too far. Most customers know the clear line that’s separates business and pleasure. But when you deal with customers day-in, day-out, every so ...Read more -
When you catch the competition lying 5 appropriate responses
What used to be a last resort for struggling salespeople is happening too often in today’s competitive marketplace: competitors blatantly misrepresenting the capabilities of their products or, worst of all, making false comments about your products or services. What to do So what do you do when ...Read more -
Powerful, low-cost marketing tactics you can try today
Getting customers to know your name and good service reputation can bolster sales and delight more customers. That’s where marketing can make the difference. Some of the most powerful marketing moves today are built through social media or grassroots efforts that cost next to nothing. Service, ...Read more -
How to make proactive social customer service work better
Social media has made proactive customer service easier than ever. Are you capitalizing on this opportunity to boost customer loyalty? Traditional proactive customer service efforts — such as FAQs, knowledge bases, automated notices and online videos — can increase customer retention rates as mu...Read more -
4 things customers say they want from your email
Naysayers have been predicting the death of email for years now. But the fact of the matter is (thanks the proliferation of mobile devices), email is seeing a resurgence in effectiveness. And a recent study has proven buyers are still willing to purchase products in droves via email. There’s jus...Read more -
5 time-worn, offline marketing tactics that still pay off
With so much emphasis on Internet, social and mobile marketing, we’ve lost sight of some tried-and-true tactics that still work amazingly well. It might be time to get our heads out of the Cloud, build brand awareness and generate solid leads through some channels that don’t get as much attentio...Read more -
Why personalization is key to great customer experiences
Solving the right problem is one thing, but doing it with a personalized attitude is a completely different story. In the overly saturated business landscape of today, the real success lies in helping your customers in the same way you would help your close friend. To survive in the cut-throat...Read more
