Using customer feedback as an advantage

by Shep Hyken — CAO, Shepard Presentations

Customers have always had a voice, but today it is louder than ever. Great companies want to hear from their customers. They want their feedback, opinions and…

More than a lost sale

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

During a store visit I got a chance to talk with a young woman I consider an excellent sales person. She delivered very engaging experiences and seemed focused…

Five customer service tactics to increase sales

by Shep Hyken — CAO, Shepard Presentations

As you read this, you may think this article could fall under the heading of sales tactics. I respectfully disagree. This is all about customer service, as it…

Your staff inventory and 2014 development goals

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

Hello again and Happy New Year!

How to win with holiday shoppers, in-store and online

by Gary Edwards — Chief Customer Officer, Emathica

Fourth-quarter retail sales can make or break a brand, since anywhere from one-third to seventy percent of annual retail sales occur between Thanksgiving and…

Is there a strategy for customer loyalty?

by Mike Wittenstein — Customer Experience and Service Designer, Storyminers

We often think of customer loyalty as something that the customer does or is responsible for to the business. But, real loyalty begins when the business is…

The one word you need to know when it comes to holiday returns

by Micah Solomon — president, four aces inc

What’s the right way to handle holiday returns? Cheerfully.

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…

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…

Make sure your associates are not practicing survey coercion

by Jim Joseph — President, Lippe Taylor

Last week in my class at NYU we discussed consumer surveys as a market research technique. They are a tried and true approach to getting feedback or getting to…

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.

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?

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…

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…

Apple is going to business school

by Chris Petersen — Owner, IMS

There is always a lot of press about Apple. There are Apple stock forecasts, new product predictions and literally hundreds of stories about their stores. But…

Showing your appreciation (or not)

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

As leaders we sometimes do things that, entirely unbeknownst to us, have a negative impact on our staff. One example of that is how we come back into the store…