Three tips to improve local retail customer experiences during the holidays

by Gary Edwards — Chief Customer Officer, Emathica

It's that time of year again. The holiday retail shopping season is upon us and scores of consumers are headed to your brick-and-mortar stores in search of…

Focus! But on what?

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

Many of the most successful people I know attribute a great deal of their success to their ability to focus their time, effort and energy. The question is, how…

Ebay: The other e-commerce giant that is reinventing retail

by Chris Petersen — Owner, IMS

Why do today's most innovative retailers seem to start with a vowel?

How to survive your first holiday season as a retail manager

by Bob Phibbs — CEO, The Retail Doctor

When I was in college, I worked nights and weekends in a department store. I was there for the the guys shopping on Christmas Eve and for the after-holiday…

Transforming your customers' necessary errands into something they want to do

by Micah Solomon — president, four aces inc

In anticipation of a recent overseas retail banking event where I was keynote speaker, I had the pleasure of interviewing Umpqua Bank Regional VP Michele…

Selling what's in stock. Or not.

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

A salesperson recently asked me if selling only what's in stock is good service. When I asked for details, she elaborated.

Market share, pricing and profitability 'strategies'

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

A September 11, 2013 Reuters article, "iPhone 5c: Apple picks profit over market share yet again," provides an opportunity to make a distinction between market…

MyLowe's smartphone app a DIY tool for loyalty

by Bryan Pearson — President, LoyaltyOne

Call it a tool of engagement. The MyLowe’s smartphone app is making relationship-building a DIY project.

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…

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?

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…

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…

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…

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…