The declining need for, and escalating value of, human service

by Doug Stephens — President, Retail Prophet Consulting

Technology has been steadily reducing the number of human service interactions we require in an average day. For at least the last decade, the list of what we…

A lesson in customer service

by Jim Joseph — President, Lippe Taylor

I just got a text the other day that many of us hope never happens: the guy who has cut my hair for years is leaving the salon. Oh no!

Enhanced customer service increases retail sales

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

The best thing you can say about the economy, is that it's shaky. Prices are up for everything–from groceries to gasoline. The unemployed are looking for…

Starbucks plugs up electricity for some

Some stores are covering electrical outlets, to discourage lengthy laptop visits.

Best Buy announces its plans for 2011 holiday season

September 27, 2011

Best Buy has launched its holiday season by announcing a collection of offers that delivers what people say they want most from a retailer: competitively…

CustomInk fuels revenue growth by putting uncensored customer reviews on their home page

by Jeanne Bliss — Founder, CustomerBliss

In this era of social media, companies who embrace customer feedback and "believe" the words of their customers earn the right to growth. They realize that…

Lessons learned from Apple: Great customer experiences learn continuously

by Mike Wittenstein — Customer Experience and Service Designer, Storyminers

Any brand that becomes good does so, in part, because it knows how to learn. Any brand that becomes great has developed the ability to keep on learning. Apple…

Sales skills: Training (nurture) or personality (nature)?

by Peggy Carlaw — VP, Impact Learning Systems

The age-old debate — nature versus nurture — is a common theme that pops up for managers who are seeking the right sales candidates. It's an important…

Consumer grocery store survey reveals satisfaction and brand preferences by geography

September 14, 2011

Empathica Inc., a provider of Customer Experience Management (CEM) solutions to some of the world's most respected brands, announced that its Consumer Insights…

Beyond a loyalty program: Using loyalty data to create a unified strategy

Retailers launch loyalty programs with the best of intentions, but why do so many fail to deliver on expectations?

Retail Customer Service 101: Phone etiquette

by Peggy Carlaw — VP, Impact Learning Systems

Considered common sense and unnecessary by many, telephone etiquette training is back in vogue. As many companies struggle to ride the fierce waves of…

Retail experts share their big idea in one minute

by Mike Wittenstein — Customer Experience and Service Designer, Storyminers

At the 2011 Retail Customer Experience Executive Summit held in Minneapolis on August 8-10, 2011, I worked with some of the world’s best customer experience…

Infogain service enables low-risk transition to cloud-based customer support

September 12, 2011

Infogain Corporation has announced the newest addition to its line of services, Transformational Customer Support service. The new service creates a…

Lowe's putting iPhones in the hands of 42,000 store associates

September 11, 2011

Bloomberg reports that Lowe's is reacting to Home Depot's move last year which put Motorola mobile devices in its employees' hands – by handing out iPhones to…

Why adding on may be costing you sales

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

Most specialty retailers whose staff is sales-focused emphasize add-ons. When done well, this approach can slightly increase a store's average sale, but I…

The retail generation gap is killing premium brands

by Bob Phibbs — CEO, The Retail Doctor

As the keynote speaker last month at the Retail Customer Executive Summit, I focused on the humanity needed in retail. That's because, just like at the NRF…

What retailers can learn from Hurricane Irene

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

Flashlights, first aid supplies, and batteries were must-haves for people in Hurricane Irene's path. But Pop-Tarts were high on the list of items people were…

Why The Fresh Market is more fresh than Whole Foods

by Annamaria Turano — Executive Director, MCAworks

Founded in 1982, The Fresh Market, Inc. is a specialty grocery retailer focused on providing high-quality products in a unique and inviting atmosphere with a…

Citi offers easy-peasy redemption option

by Sharon Goldman — Senior Director, COLLOQUY

As we mentioned in our most recent COLLOQUY cover story on today's "squeezed" middle class, offering flexible and simple redemption options is essential for…

The twenty-four hour WOW

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

Former American Idol judge Simon Cowell often commented that even though a contestant's performance was good, and sometimes even quite good, nobody will…