Three ways to improve local customer experiences during the post-holiday rush

For many retailers, the post-holiday rush can be just as challenging as the holiday shopping season.

5 ways to a customer-centric contact center

Your contact center is often the first introduction - or the last straw - a customer has with your company.

Retailers commit to 'Customer Bill of Rights'

December 10, 2013

On Monday, a number of large retailers met with the Rev. Al Sharpton, and agreed to publish and abide by a Customer Bill of Rights. The meeting, and the…

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…

BBC report: Working at Amazon could cause 'physical and mental illness'

November 25, 2013

BBC reporter Adam Littler recently went undercover as a warehouse "picker" at online retailer Amazon. He brought with him a hidden camera, and set about…

Why customer loyalty isn't a 10-step process

Many have tried, but you can't develop a simple 10-step list for building loyalty. 

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…

OSHA reminds retailers about crowd safety issues during holidays

November 18, 2013

In advance of the holiday season, the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration is encouraging retail employers to take…

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…

President Obama reportedly supports $10.10 minimum wage

November 11, 2013

Reports surfaced last week that President Obama supports an increase in the federal minimum wage to $10.10 an hour, from the current $7.25 an hour. This…

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.

Report: Available holiday retail jobs reach new heights

November 7, 2013

During September and October of 2013, retailers in the United States had more than 379,000 available sales jobs, according to WANTED Analytics, a source of…

Online retailer could benefit from some 'inside-the-box' thinking

One shopper presents a virtual case study on how not to deliver good customer service.

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…

Forget technology: Retailers need to master the basics first

Tech is great, but retailers first need to master the basics of customer service and user experience.

7 strategies for building work ethic in your retail employees

Author Eric Chester delivered a keynote on reviving work ethic at this year's Fast Casual Executive Summit.