customer experience

There's this notion that in a fight, the bigger dog (with the longer, gleaming canine teeth) is the one you should put money on. There's some logic to that. After all, weight can be a precursor to strength and the longer the tooth (so to speak), the larger the cutting surface. Plus, the snarling German Shepherd, with his deep, throaty growl  just kind of looks more intimidating than the four pound, yipping doorstopper dog. But there's a saying to keep in mind even as the big dog stereotype makes...

Are you one of the cool kids with a custom short URL? I've used a particular free short URL service for awhile. It serves all my needs, from enabling multiple links for a single web page (to track reach in different sources) to respectable analytics. I recently applied for their pro-level service and was tickled to receive acceptance last week. I wanted to experience the custom short URL feature set for myself so that I might be able to advise clients about it.Set-up instructions were short, and to me that...

In the Dec/Jan issue of Fast Company is a fascinating article titled Mayhem on Madison Avenue by journalist Danielle Sachs.  The article is both an evaluation of entrenched old-school ad agency thinking and processes, and a frank look at the adaptable nature of professionals desperate to channel their learnings and pedigree into new opportunities in search of a measure of security and chance at redemption.  Digital marketing is in, what are you going to do about it? Many [traditional advertising...

When you think about customer experience, brand position, and what it means to be a customer-centric organization, think about Lands End.  The company has built a legacy of  doing right by the customer, backed up with their 100% no-questions-asked guarantee.  While their roots are firmly planted in the values of yesterday, their branches are keeping pace to match customer's busy lifestyles. I'm a long-time Lands End customer. I think I made my first purchase 15 years ago when my family relocated...

Ridiculous as it may sound, a few months ago I attended a business conference (a 2-day event, mind you) at a popular Des Moines hotel that catered heavily to business travelers. That is to say, there was a large business center, at least 6 large meeting rooms in a central hub, and a lot of well-suited people scurrying about. No kids. No strollers. No pool. Oh, and did I mention that without $10 a day - even for conference attendees (it's fair to presume the sponsoring organization was paying hefty...