Start a Customer Service War

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

I'm sure you saw that Walmart just launched a new ad campaign that promises "Low Prices. Every Day. On Everything." No doubt the big box stores are going to be…

How Wet Seal created customer engagement

by Laurel Tielis — Author and Professional Speaker, Laurel Tielis & Associates

Want to engage your customers? One way to do it is with a contest. But how do you create a successful contest, one that pulls customers?

How big do you have to be, to not care how your customers are being treated?

by Harry Friedman

I've been wondering lately how big you actually have to be to stop caring about how you treat your customers.

Danger: Strong Economy Ahead

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

Is the recovering economy a blessing, or a potential minefield for retailers?Most business owners are breathing a sigh of relief; they're emerging alive and…

In Canada, loyalty a good aim for Target’s bullseye

by Lisa Biank Fasig — Director, JZMcBride and Associates

It looks like Canada is not only going to bring home the bacon for Target Corp., but chances are it will deliver some loyalty, as well.

Could Amazon's Cloud Drive be an iTunes killer?

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

I've been an avid customer of Amazon's MP3 download service ever since it launched a few short years ago, but there's always been one major shortcoming that…

Is it Time to Drop the 'e' from e-Commerce?

by Jason Goldberg — VP Marketing, MTI

Most e-commerce executives are focused on online sales, even though their actual contribution to the organization is far broader. In order to maximize the…

Experiment on customers to get more from your self-service pilot

In our house, spring means two things: Chicago Cubs baseball and the school Science Fair. As I was helping my son sort out whether or not a cheese sandwich…

What great looks like

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

Over the last few weeks I've had the opportunity to work with some great retailers. Of course I'm biased, but I also see the very things that make them great.

Check out this Checkout: RFID-enabled kiosks deliver more than just a cool factor

Now more than ever, retailers are focusing on the customer experience at the point-of-sale in order to provide the best service possible to increasingly…

Apple praised for its role in helping the people of Japan

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

Kevin Rose, the founder of Digg and a technology angel investor, published on his blog an email he received from an Apple employee in Japan. It tells a story…

Marketing and 'the wrong hero'

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

Marketing messages must be great stories ... about the true hero.I wish I could remember the source of this elegant language for the person certainly deserves…

Honor What Customers Care About

by Jeanne Bliss — Founder, CustomerBliss

CustomInk is a $70 million T-shirt shop that prints custom T-shirts for family reunions and group and business events. Because actual people at CustomInk…

Have you outgrown your market?

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

When you've become the best of the best, what do you do next?I've recently begun working with a gentleman who has reached the pinnacle of his profession and…

Simplicity as a competitive advantage

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

Simplicity is a competitive advantage. Most people overcomplicate things, and when they do they lose their effectiveness. Here are some examples I've seen and…

Harvard Book Store simulates window-shopping online – and does it well

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

Two years ago, Amazon tried something called Windowshop, an interactive Web app that aimed to make the online book-browsing experience more like the in-store…

What you can't teach buyers

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

There are some things you just can't teach buyers. Nor should you try.As sellers, we can educate buyers on:

Walmart's pricing strategy: Further evidence revisited

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

Conflicting stories spawned further research. Did it change my message? A December 2010 Bloomberg Businessweek article cited in my "Further Evidence" article…

The Enduring Allure of the Secret Handshake

by Doug Stephens — President, Retail Prophet Consulting

The world is an increasingly inclusive place and as a society, we've grown to expect equal and open access to just about everything. Facebook has become the…

A missed opportunity to add loyalty value?

by Sharon Goldman — Senior Director, COLLOQUY

At COLLOQUY, we regularly discuss the benefits of using loyalty program data to improve customer relationships and targeted customer communication. But can a…