Sears goes above and beyond for police widow

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

Old-fashioned customer service values are on display in Pennsylvania, where the retailer is coming to the aid of the wife of a fallen officer.

NRF: L.L.Bean ranks No. 1 in customer service for third year

January 12, 2010

L.L. Bean has once again landed at the number one position as the retailer with the best customer service. According to the fifth annual NRF…

NRF: Tesco CEO Sir Terry Leahy's 10 lessons for success

A legend of retail shares a wealth of advice with a packed house Tuesday morning.

Retailers tackling 'mountains of data'

January 3, 2010

A new report in the New York Times discusses the "mountains of data and whiz-bang technology" that today's retailers are wrestling with, in their ongoing…

Shipping Service Helps Kayak Retailer Reach Global Customers

Size and weight restrictions severely limited Colorado Kayak's ability to sell overseas. Bongo International stepped in, helping to expand Colorado Kayak's…

7 keys to customer experience in 2010

True dedication to the voice of the customer will be pivotal for retailers looking to improve their customer experience in the coming year.

The 5 biggest retail customer experience stories of 2009

Faced with a tough economy and shaky consumer confidence, retailers innovated when it came to customer experience this year.

How consumers killed customer service

Demand for low prices has driven down the value of customer service. Here's how retailers can drive it back up.

Survey: Retail employees not giving good customer service, despite tough job market

December 7, 2009

Despite working in a sector that has suffered job losses averaging roughly 50,000 per month since the start of the recession, retail employees are not…

The changing face of Black Friday

The weekend after Thanksgiving remains the biggest shopping event of the year, but the reasons customers pack the stores are changing.

Shifting retailers respond to new 'season of discontent'

Smart retailers are combating the tough times with an organizational shift to a customer-centric focus.

Training for unit-level success for holiday 2009

Products may be set, but people can improve. Here are four practical ways retailers can leverage front-line employees this holiday season.

First look: Inside the Microsoft retail store

A visit to the first Microsoft store reveals that comparisons to Apple are like apples and oranges.

NRF announces top ten retailers for customer service

November 15, 2009

The NRF Foundation, the research and education arm of the National Retail Federation, has announced the top 10 finalists selected by shoppers in the annual…

Five things any retailer can learn from Apple

While most retailers can't lean on Steve Jobs for help with reinvention, there are lessons that all can learn from the Apple/Disney partnership.

ResponseTek CEM upgrade adds SMS surveys, new reports

November 5, 2009

ResponseTek, a provider of on-demand customer experience management (CEM) software, has announced the Fall 2009 release of its ResponseTek:CEM solution.

Customers are buying down, and opportunities are rising, part 3

by Mike Wittenstein — Customer Experience and Service Designer, Storyminers

Customer-centric experience design is explored in this final installment of "Where's the Opportunity?"

Borders announces in-stock guarantee for the holidays

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

November 2, 2009

Borders today announced its new "In-Stock Guarantee," which promises that if a customer's desired item cannot be found in-store, the company will ship it from…

Survey: Returns fraud will cost retailers $9.6 billion in 2009

October 28, 2009

Though return fraud continues to plague the retail industry, changes in policies have helped companies see improvements in some areas. According to NRF's…

Best Buy CEO: Low prices are 'table stakes' for retailers

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

October 25, 2009

Customers care about low prices, but they want a lot more from their retailers than just the best deal.