Blog

Steve

The Music Plays Me

The following is a guest post by my friend and colleague, Chip Bell. I first met Chip 25 years ago during a customer service training event in New York City. I took notes. I last worked alongside Chip two years ago in Philadelphia. I took more notes. Over the years,

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Steve

Interpreting the Voice of the Customer

Voice of the Customer (VoC) is how companies hear, listen to, and respond to customer feedback about their brand, products, and services. This data comes from a variety of sources, including: Surveys (internal and external/third-party) Online reviews (TripAdvisor & Yelp together host >750M consumer reviews) Support tickets Facebook comments (5

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Steve

Three simple ways to improve CX

There is a lot of talk about voice of the customer (VoC) in customer experience (CX) circles. Most of it has to do with sifting through lots of data to determine what customers say about their needs and their perception of how well companies meet those needs. Sometimes the data

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Steve

Masks cannot hide your smile

I’m reading a lot about how COVID-19 is going to irrevocably change customer service and customer experience. There’s no doubt that things will change – are changing – in the near term. And after the virus has passed, we’ll continue to see masks worn voluntarily on airplanes, public transportation, and

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Steve

Customer service in the wake of COVID-19

Last Friday, I had my teeth cleaned after my dentist’s office reopened as COVID-19 restrictions relaxed in my area. As expected, new protocols were in place, including: social distancing in the office requiring patients to call from the parking lot to ascertain whether or not there was room in the

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Steve

In times of crisis, let values be your guide

By now, most of us have been impacted in some way by Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). I worked in Boston last week where I met a fellow hotel guest in the elevator. Upon detecting an accent, I asked where he was from. He said, “I work in Hong Kong, but

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Steve

A little “extra” can leave a BIG impression

Providing pleasant surprises presents a treasure trove of possibilities for companies and their employees to attract the attention of customers, pique their interest and curiosity, and stand out in a noisy and crowded marketplace. Surprise is an emotion, the function of which is to increase alertness and narrow focus. By

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Steve

Three Truths of Exceptional Customer Service

Most people don’t choose to deliver poor customer service; they just don’t choose to deliver exceptional customer service. Most are content to simply occupy a customer service role and execute their job functions, blissfully unaware of the opportunities they forfeit daily to demonstrate exceptional customer service behaviors. Awareness is key.

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Steve

Manage customer perception

Increasingly, travelers are reading hotel reviews before deciding where to spend their travel dollars. Research suggests that the average person reads about seven reviews before making a decision (T. Lappas, Stevens Institute of Technology) and 33% of travelers reported changing their hotel booking plans after reading online reviews (Phocuswright). Hotel

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