A recent visit to a leading department store made me think about how easy it is to provide customers with good service. It also can be a huge challenge if the team either is not aware when it fails to provide good service, or simply doesn't care. My family was waiting patiently at the customer service desk to ask a simple question. Several employees were behind the desk. One was with another customer so it wouldn't be fair to expect anything from that associate. After about five to ten minutes or so of waiting, and not being acknowledged by anyone, we decided it was time to leave. Not all experiences are like this nor do they have to be that way. A handful of memorable positive moments and customer-centric service strategies come to mind:
What these examples have in common is the relentless focus on the customer, and perhaps more so, respect for the customer. It is less about the customer always being right, and more about understanding that the customer is the reason those companies remain in business. If these companies always keep in mind solutions that allow them to meet their business objectives, while keeping customers top of mind, more often than not this will result in a win-win situation.
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7/16/2014 0 Comments Excellence From Gehrig to JeterAt the All-Star break, the New York Yankees are having about as mediocre of a season as possible - 47 wins, 47 losses. Over the decades, however, they have won far more World Series than any other team. Those of us who live within driving distance of Yankee Stadium have perhaps been a bit spoiled by this seemingly never-ending excellence. Sometimes a great trade or free-agent acquisition worked wonderfully in the Yankees favor - Babe Ruth, Roger Maris, Reggie Jackson, and Alex Rodriguez come to mind. In one of the media capitals of the world, performing at a high level of excellence over a decade or two can be a daunting task, with constant media scrutiny, tabloid headlines, and finicky fans. Nonetheless, there also has been a steady stream of talent over the years that has been homegrown and loyal. Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra (played a few games for the Mets at the end of his career), Mickey Mantle, Mariano Rivera, and Derek Jeter all played their entire careers in pinstripes with the Yankees. I remember seeing another career Yankee, Bernie Williams, hit a home run in a minor league game years ago when visiting my brother at SUNY-Albany. Why have the Yankees done so well over the years? You could ask 100 different people and get 100 different theories. Here's mine - the Yankees have had big stars such as Ruth, Maris, Jackson, and A-Rod, but it is perhaps the quiet leaders who roll up their sleeves day in and day out who have earned the greatest respect from their teammates. Gehrig's resilience until disease took its toll enabled him to set a record for consecutive games played, earning him the nickname "The Iron Horse". When I was growing up, Mantle's career was winding down, but I remember taking a piece of black tape and putting it on a T-shirt so that I could have a uniform like my favorite Yankee. Living in northern New Jersey, I have had the pleasure of visiting Yogi's wonderful museum on the campus of Montclair State University, as well as seeing a few games in The Bronx. I think that one of the intangible factors that comes into play with the Yankees is an unrelenting focus on teamwork, perhaps best shown by the lack of player names on their uniforms. It is teamwork first and individual acclaim second, even if many of these players are in the Hall of Fame or on their way to Cooperstown. 6/30/2014 0 Comments Thoughts About the Fourth of JulyThe Fourth of July is at the end of this week. Many towns have festivities and spectacular fireworks displays at night. Some big cities, too. In New York, the Macy's spectacular is moving from the Hudson River side back to the East River. The Boston Pops' concert will be streamed online for the first time. PBS will continue its tradition of broadcasting from the US Capitol in Washington, DC. This year also is the 200th anniversary of the Star-Spangled Banner, penned by Francis Scott Key at Fort McHenry in Baltimore. Philadelphia is having its own share of festivities as well. All in all, it should be a fun time anywhere along Amtrak's Northeast Corridor, and a time to reflect on the privilege and responsibility of living in a free society, guided by a Constitution, where the free flow of ideas allows us to debate the merits and drawbacks of an infinite stream of ideas. Sometimes these ideas and ideals are challenged, as on September 11th, but then these challenges have a way of bringing us closer together. Last summer, throughout the month of July, it was an amazing sight to see the new World Trade Center lit up in red, white, and blue. In the hills of West Orange, New Jersey, perhaps 10 to 15 miles away from lower Manhattan, stands a beautiful tribute to the events of September 11th, overlooking an incredibly panoramic view of the New York skyline. Engraved on a wall are the names of those who lost their lives on that horrific day. What strikes me is the diversity of names, whether they are from the USA or abroad. Our differences are what make us strong. Growing up in Brooklyn in July 1969, I remember the days when our family gathered around the single black-and-white television to watch the landing on the moon. In this case, it was probably downstairs with my grandparents, because my parents were on their way to The City (aka, Manhattan) for the birth of my youngest brother. That was a pretty exciting year for my family and for the Big Apple. One of my older brother's Bar Mitzvah was on the weekend the Jets won their one and only Super Bowl, against the Baltimore Colts, led by Joe Namath. The Mets would follow in October with their first World Series win, versus the Baltimore Orioles, with a pitching staff that included Tom Seaver and Nolan Ryan. Flash forward to 2014. You can get a ton of information about the moon landing and future space exploration on the internet. The web also is a treasure chest for sports statistics enthusiasts. Google works wonders for researching both. Most households now have two or more color televisions, and in many cases smartphones and tablets allow viewers to access programming on their mobile devices as well. This all leads to the question about how older seniors are adapting to the new technological choices. According to the Pew Research Center, seniors have tended to embrace the technology up until around age 75, then usage tails off due to health and other factors. Interestingly, tablets and e-readers are the devices of choice among seniors — perhaps because the screens are more reader-friendly and larger than on smartphones. Here are some noteworthy items from the Pew study:
Interestingly, when Apple last week announced new upcoming features for its operating systems, the ability to answer iPhone calls on a Mac or an iPad was mentioned. It will be interesting to see if this increased user-friendliness will resonate with seniors in new ways. Many of the readers of my blogs connect to them via updates I send through LinkedIn. This blog entry is about how others use LinkedIn. A fascinating study by LinkedIn expert Wayne Breitbarth, as reported in Forbes Magazine, highlights the following:
While some things change, often rapidly, when it comes to technology and social networking, LinkedIn continues to gain traction. That being said, there are some cautionary notes to take away from this study. The "Groups" feature can be a great tool, but spam-like overuse, or perhaps information overload, can detract as well. What is popular today may be replaced down the road. It wasn't too long ago that AOL's "you've got mail" was heard everywhere and MySpace was the popular social network. For the most part, however, most users find great value in LinkedIn. They view it as the more serious social network. [This blog entry first appeared in April 2013, following the Boston Marathon attacks. An incredible 35,000+ runners are expected to participate in today's race.] Last June, I decided to attend my college reunion for the first time. It had been quite awhile since I had seen many of my friends from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Many of the scheduled events were family-oriented, so I was delighted that my wife and our daughters drove up to Cambridge with me after school on a Friday afternoon to spend the next 1 1/2 days renewing friendships, as well as seeing my brother and sister-in-law. One of the events was a brunch on the Sunday of the reunion weekend. It was held at the Stata Center, a building with an unusual design that opened about a decade ago. It was a beautiful June day and our girls had a wonderful time playing with one of the interlocking design toys. Who would have imagined that about ten months later, this same location would be the center of the world's attention? In the same area where my family walked, a young police officer who loved his job and the people he protected gave his life. From all accounts, the respect that the MIT community had for Officer Sean Collier was something special, something that will be lost forever. Perhaps his memory will be a catalyst for all of the good things that a community should be, not just in Cambridge, but around the globe. The horrific events of last week hit home on so many levels. My brother has run in the Boston and New York City marathons in the past, and I have been a spectator in both cities. One of the victims was from his hometown. The little boy was the same age as one of my daughters. The graduate student was from China, where my daughters were born. My family previously signed up for several 5k runs and walks that are coming up soon. Besides supporting the various events, we will now also be thinking of all the families and friends impacted by the events in and around Boston, including those for whom recovery will be a very long-term process. MIT always has been a leader in education and in trying to make the world a better place. I have never been more proud to be part of this community, which, regardless of where we live, feels closer today than ever. This was brought home yesterday with the memorial service for Officer Collier from the athletic fields at MIT. As an undergraduate, I participated in a variety of intramural sports at this very location. Yesterday, a tremendously emotional memorial ceremony was held for Officer Collier. The bagpipes, the color guards, the speeches of Vice President Biden and MIT President Reif, and the music of James Taylor with orchestral and choral groups from MIT all contributed to a very moving ceremony. The words of family and colleagues of Officer Collier brought it to an even more individual level of understanding the impact of senseless tragedies. The live streaming of the event by MIT enabled the global MIT community to feel closer to those in Cambridge. For Officer Collier, Krystle Campbell, Martin Richard, and Lu Lingzi, may you all rest in peace, and may your families and friends find comfort in these difficult days and in the years ahead. [Update to a post from about a year ago] Last year's Super Bowl took place in New Orleans in the Superdome, an indoor stadium in a location where the temperatures are generally pleasant this time of year. Fast forward to February 2, 2014, where the NFC and AFC champions will square off in Super Bowl XLVIII at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Is this crazy or a wonderful idea? We will find out in 2 1/2 weeks. As of today, AccuWeather is predicting a low of 24 degrees and a high of 37 degrees, with a chance of snow showers. That would be mild compared to the Winter Classic NHL game that took place in Michigan on New Year's Day, with temperatures in the teens and snow falling. As a long-time New Jersey resident and native of NYC, I think it's a little of both. If you search online, you will find numerous references to the 1958 NFL championship game as the greatest game ever played. It was held at Yankee Stadium, with the Baltimore Colts defeating the New York Giants in overtime. There were numerous future Hall of Famers playing in the game or on the sidelines. The Giants' coaching staff included Offensive Coordinator Vince Lombardi and Defensive Coordinator Tom Landry. Winters in the metropolitan New York City area are predictably unpredictable. In late October 2011, we had a major snowstorm, but that was followed by a relatively dry Winter with moderate temperatures. Exactly a year later in 2012, Hurricane Sandy destroyed many coastal communities in New Jersey and New York, many of which are still trying to recover. This Winter, we have had some snow and a few very frigid days. Rumor has it that the AFC team will practice in the Jets' training facility a few miles from home. The NFC team will practice in the Giants' facility at MetLife Stadium, a few more miles away, but in a different direction. For a couple of weeks, some of New Jersey's great cultural institutions and restaurants probably will see some of their busiest days. Hotels assuredly will be overpriced. If you are heading to the Garden State or across the Hudson River in the Big Apple that weekend, here is a sampling of the top prices at hotels.com: 1 star - $300 2 stars - $840 3 stars - $1,000 4 stars - $1,799 5 stars - $1,611 Within a short driving distance of MetLife Stadium are some wonderful places to visit: New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) in Newark, Thomas Edison National Historic Park in West Orange, Eagle Rock Reservation (also in West Orange, it has an incredible panoramic view of New York City and also has a beautiful 9/11 memorial), the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City (near which you can hop aboard a ferry to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island), the Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center in Little Falls, the Great Swamp in Chatham, George Washington's Headquarters at the Ford Mansion in Morristown, and so much more. Despite what you might have heard, New Jersey is not just refineries and "which exit". Our State's diverse population (not to mention restaurants) truly reflects the melting pot ideal that defines the United States. So whatever the weather may be on Groundhog's Day, it should be a very exciting time for New Jersey to welcome the world - a crazy, wonderful idea to host Super Bowl XLVIII. 1/2/2014 0 Comments I Say TomatoVoice recognition features can be a great convenience when using a mobile device or when calling a toll-free number for customer support. It can also be frustrating if your words are not understood. I've been told I have a New York accent, but I don't notice it, even if I have lived in New York and New Jersey all my life. (I refuse to say New Joisey.) For fun, I decided it was time to test out Siri on my iPhone before going to the supermarket. What song could be better to use than "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off," penned by the Gershwin brothers (undoubtedly, these Brooklyn siblings didn't have an accent)? So what were the results? I know I cannot sing like Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, or Brian Wilson, all of whom have recorded the song. Tomatoes ruled the day despite my so-called New York accent. The shopping list would look like the following:
Maybe I should just forget about it, or is that fuhgeddaboutit? Happy & Healthy New Year to all!! 12/3/2013 0 Comments Mobile Shopping Momentum ContinuesTraditionally, Black Friday is the biggest shopping day of the year, as the day after Thanksgiving unofficially kicks off the holiday gift-buying season. In recent years, Cyber Monday joined the sales push, with many retailers offering online sales on the Monday after Thanksgiving. We saw on the news this weekend, some bricks & mortar stores that opened early had crowds that were out of control. Whether these scenes scare some customers away is up for debate, but in any event, the early data suggests that online sales are becoming increasingly important, fueled in large measure by the growing presence of mobile devices. Led by smartphones and tablets, here are some trends reported by IBM for Black Friday and Cyber Monday over the 2013 Thanksgiving weekend:
Undoubtedly, the ease of use and mobility of smartphones and tablets is here to stay. People love being connected not only to friends sand family, but to information as well. Tablets are much smaller and lighter than laptops, reducing the schlep factor. The growing importance of mobile devices most likely led to the recent decision to ease restrictions on using them on airplane flights. With the ability to download apps of your own choosing, I think we can say that tablets and smartphones have truly become the personal computers of 2013 and the foreseeable future. We continue to see more and more confirmation of the phenomenon of mobile devices, most notably tablets and smartphones. These two types of gadgets have in some ways become the true personal computers (PCs), fed by thousands and thousands of apps. Every individual who owns a smartphone or tablet decides which apps will join the default ones. According to the Pew Research Center, 56% of all Americans use smartphones. Another 35% use cell phones other than smartphones, and 9% do not use cell phones at all. Of the smartphone owners, this includes 28% on Android phones and 25% on iPhones. Smartphone ownership, while substantial across all demographic groups, is highest among the 18-29 age bracket, the Black community, the college educated, city and suburban dwellers, and higher-income earners. Another Pew study reports that e-reader usage has grown steadily, from just 2% in the Spring of 2009 to a solid 24% in September 2013. Tablet usage was a mere 3% in the Spring of 2010. As of September 2013, 35% of American adults own a tablet, suggesting that while there is a substantial base for reading-focused devices, the portable access to a much wider variety of information, entertainment, and other features of tablets result in a compelling product . With the holiday season approaching, Apple just announcing updated iPads, and its competitors releasing their own tablets, one would expect the upward trend to continue. |
Blog Author - Ken FelsherWith over 25 years of writing, editing, and research experience. I enjoy sharing with my readers my love of working with content on a variety of subjects. CategoriesAll 9-11 Airline Apollo 11 Apple Baseball Black Friday Boston Cable Cambridge Ceo Cooperstown Cyber Monday Cyber-Monday Delta Derek Football Freedom Tower Hall Of Fame Harvard Hawaiian HBO Hulu Hurricane Sandy Ipad IPhone IWatch Jeter Marissa Mayer Megatrend MIT Mobile Netflix New-jersey One World Trade Center Personal Computer Qantas Schlep Factor September 11 Smartphone Social Media Tablet Twin Towers United World Trade Center Yahoo Yankees Archives
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