Just read a post on Dennis Snow’s site in which he reminds us that social media now allows unhappy customers to tell millions about their bad service as it happens.  In the past the negative word of mouth would extend to 7 or 9 or 15 people and now in a blink of a text [...]

I wanted to get my hair cut yesterday.  Something different.  Short.  Easy to care for.  I tried a salon I’d not previously visited.  By the end of the experience I was unhappy with my look.  Whether it was the stylist or my poor communication – it doesn’t matter.  The result was – I was not [...]

Last week I talked about my favorite grocery store and their new fuel program in the post Is Acme Measuring Customer Service.  Thought I’d follow up with a few new developments: 1.  I went grocery shopping again yesterday (because it seems there is always something we need to purchase) and I asked the cashier what kind [...]

I recently attended a meeting at The Woman’s City Club in Akron, Ohio.  The Woman’s City Club is a private facility housed in a historic home in downtown Akron that features a series of lovely rooms for meetings and events and a quaint dining room where a tasty lunch buffet is served.  In the past you [...]

I just made a deposit at the drive through window of my bank.  When I pulled up to the magic tube that shoots up and over into the bank I noticed a computerized screen that said “Honk if you receive excellent customer service.” Oh, I thought, they are focusing on customer service.  I wonder what [...]

COSE (Council of Smaller Enterprises) is an amazing organization – one of the largest of its kind supporting small business entrepreneurs in the country.  I am proud to be a member and have attended many of the great workshops, coffee conversations and seminars offered through COSE.  One of the reasons I joined was so that [...]

You’ve read articles on how to improve your business, lose weight, be a better lover and all have a long list of things to do to be successful. This list has one item: Fail to communicate. That’s all it takes to really tick off a customer and potentially LOSE them for life. I’m waiting on [...]

The game is afoot in the grocery store business.  For the better part of three years Giant Eagle has been building business loyalty by offering consumers a 10 cent a gallon gas discount for every $50 spent when you buy gas at one of their approved stations.  Easy.  Spend $50 get 10 cents off every [...]

Have you ever noticed that associates treat customers – not always how they’d like to be treated – but rather how their boss treats them.   Interesting.  If we are encouraging, positive and informative with our associates – they’ll respond positively and in turn, treat their customers with the same open, honest attitude.   So [...]

In our little local paper I recently read that the County Engineer has decided to use Twitter to keep the local citizens informed of road construction updates.  What a clever idea!  Spring/Summer is a classic time that cities start/complete road construction projects, fill pot holes and repave roadways.  What better way to keep the public [...]