The one sentence you should never, ever speak in customer service

by Micah Solomon — president, four aces inc

When a customer contacts you to complain about your service or product, or needs your help in addressing a service-related breakdown — what I refer to as…

Is ShopThis another nail in the coffin of traditional retailers?

by Chris Petersen — Owner, IMS

Before the proliferation of digital media, a primary way of learning about new products was through magazine articles and ads. To remember the cool stuff or…

How to handle a retail customer complaint in 6 steps

by Bob Phibbs — CEO, The Retail Doctor

Have you ever tried to make a customer complaint but been unable to?

Are self-service kiosks our answer to convenience?

by Kisha Wilson — Marketing Manager, SlabbKiosks

Convenience has become an important factor in our daily lives increasing consumer demand for self?service options.

Five ways you are losing retail customers

by Gary Edwards — Chief Customer Officer, Emathica

Customer loyalty is the backbone of every successful retail business. Although it is important to attract new customers, the real gauge of the brand's health…

The end of the beginning of e-commerce

by Doug Stephens — President, Retail Prophet Consulting

Global e-commerce is set to top 1.2 trillion dollars this year. And if that doesn’t seem astonishing, then consider that the figure represents a 19 percent…

When does personalization become an invasion of privacy?

by Chris Petersen — Owner, IMS

Without realizing it, you are creating a digital trail of your behaviors with every click and tap that you make. E-commerce has been using our cookies to track…

Transparency as a service requires role of the consumer

by Bryan Pearson — President, LoyaltyOne

If "transparency as a service" is the new buzz term in marketing, we should remember there is such a thing as bad service.

Micro moments of truth

by Jeannie Walters — Chief Customer Experience Investigator, 360Connext

Customers are shopping the way they want to shop — via mobile, online or in-store — and it’s up to retailers to keep it fresh, keep it current and keep it…

Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain

by Jeff Weidauer — Vice President, Marketing & Strategy, Vestcom International, Inc.

The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) has a new website called The Facts About GMOs. I’ve spent time reading through the various articles and op-eds…

How to replicate Disney's first-class customer experience

by Gary Edwards — Chief Customer Officer, Emathica

The Walt Disney Company has been pleasing audiences with its multi-faceted approach to entertainment since 1923. The envy of marketing executives around the…

Transforming the customer experience with retail kiosks

by Lucy Bateman — Business Development Manager, Cammax Limited

The customer is at the forefront of any retail business. A satisfied customer leads to loyalty, which results in maximized sales. Meeting the consumer's…

The unspoken truths about touch display content

by Jessica Webster — Marketing Specialst, Horizon Display

First, let's start with some stats I painstakingly researched on the Internet for five minutes:

Best Buy: Why in-store analytics are critical for survival

by Chris Petersen — Owner, IMS

Best Buy is a case study unfolding before our eyes. It is quite literally a test of how today's omnichannel consumers will behaviorally respond to radical…

Turning a frown upside-down: How negative WOM can help your brand

by Bryan Pearson — President, LoyaltyOne

Why Jerry Seinfeld is a customer service consultant

by Micah Solomon — president, four aces inc

"We're craving the nondigital even more these days, the authentically human interaction," says Jerry Seinfeld, explaining (I would argue) not just live standup…

A brainstorming tool to use with your staff

by Doug Fleener — President and Managing Partner, Dynamic Experiences Group, LLC

Your employees are a tremendous source of information and insight. They can share how to deliver a better customer experience, or how to sell more. They might…

What if a 'foodie' ran your store?

by Chris Petersen — Owner, IMS

After returning from India, I had to an opportunity to meet with over 70 technology retailers from Latin America last week. For all retailers owning brick and…

Walmart rebranding?

by Dale Furtwengler — President, Furtwengler & Associates, P.C.

Are Walmart's steak ads early signs of a rebranding? I've been a long-time critic of Walmart's low-price strategy so it's only fair that I recognize them for…

'Idea brands’ will win big with Millennials: Here's how to attract them

by Jeff Fromm — Executive Vice President, Barkley

Millennials want to change the world. Who doesn't? However, this generation born from 1977 to 2000 is often accused of passive insensitivity caused by their…