Articles
Customer Service, Client Journey, Brand Experience, OH MY!
“I know what customer service is.”
“I think I know what customer experience is.”
“What is brand experience?”
That is usually how a conversation about customers relating to a business goes. Companies are familiar with customer service and usually customer experience, although they sometimes conflate the two. Brand experience, on the other hand often draws a blank, or worse, it is lumped in with customer service. Do you see a pattern developing here? There has been a lot of conversation around …
Customer Service Then and Customer Experience Now
Do you remember the days of customer service before social media? For many companies, it seemed like they had a goal of breaking down the customer, hoping to frustrate them out of wanting to be helped at all. Their attitude was, “Wow, you sure seem mad. But what are you going to do about it?” And they were right, there wasn’t much a customer could do…then!Along came social media, and suddenly customers could actually could do something about it. Customers could demand proper service and help. Th…
The CEO Challenge: To Be or Not To Be Social
The two sides seem to argue the same points over and over, as if making their points again will make a difference this time. Perhaps it will, or perhaps it will just continue to fall on deaf ears.
Those in favor say:
- It shows transparency and accountability.
- Millennials will demand it.
- It will put a human face to…
Ultimate Brand Experience--Blue Man Group
I saw the Blue Man Group perform live for the first time earlier this year. I’ve been following them for years and have admired their work ever since I learned about them. The humor, creativity, and inventiveness of the organization is unsurpassed and if you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend it!What the Blue Man Group does really well is they are masters of experience. Going to see a theatrical show or even going to the movies it’s about you sitting in the audience watching and enjoying. Yes t…
Are You Unintentionally Putting Yourself At Risk to Personalize Your Marketing
A common complaint that I hear is “with everything being digital, nothing is personal.” In many ways that is true. Technology has given us the ability to make everything look perfect—even in its imperfection, it still looks perfect. It’s easy to copy, share, and distribute in many different formats all with a few clicks of the mouse. I am noticing that the trend is returning to incorporate personal signatures into marketing materials. Nothing is more personalized than your own signature—it’s you…
Will Membership-Based Brands be Successful in the Future?
Before we teleport into the future, let’s take a trip into the past. Organizations like Rotary, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, United Way, and the Lions Club to name a few, really became popular in the early 1900s. It was a primary resource for socializing, giving back to their community, and even personal or professional development and support. Clearly, these were the days before the internet and we could be “social” with the movement of a mouse or the swipe of a screen. People were expected to work…
Branding Your Event on Social Media with #Hashtags
Event planners and organizers are beginning to brand their events online using hashtags.
What is a hashtag?
Using the “#” sign and a word or phrase is a way for you to tell people and the social media searches what the theme of your content is. It’s a way for users to indicate that they are responding to or participating with, or even creating a new conversation or trend. They cover every topic from humor, to TV, business, politics, emotions, or even fans….you name it, and they exist! Watch this v…
What Does "Professional" Mean?
Buzz words here, there, and everywhere! Some think they make us sound smart. Others think they are overused and really mean nothing. Regardless of where you are on that spectrum, buzzwords are a reality that are here to stay though the meaning of them may change over time.
Having worked with businesses from all sectors and nonprofits in developing their brand, re-branding, or expanding their brand, I hear the word "professional" an awful lot! But what does it mean?
It could mean "showing the marke…
Customer Expectations at a Restaurant
I’ve been gluten-free for about a year now. In that time, I have learned to pre-screen restaurants to ensure that they either have a gluten free menu, they have gluten free options, or that they would be willing to accommodate. Living in Seattle also means that I am very spoiled—even if the restaurant doesn’t mention anything about gluten free options, the staff usually has enough training that we can make it work.A restaurant’s menu is perhaps their most valuable tool. Not only does it tell the…
The Pez Dispenser of Customer Service
To this day, I can’t figure out why pez dispensers are so popular. It’s a super cheap toy with some random head on the top of it. When you lift the head it gives you a less than average piece of candy. Is the excitement in moving the head or in receiving the candy?Clearly, I am not a part of their target market.
But that is ok. I don’t need to be. This simplistic view of what some consider to be a collector’s item is similar to that of a customer dealing with a company’s customer or tech support.…