Blog

Steve

The Evolution of Kohl’s

I was recently invited to contribute to CX Factor, a web series hosted by Mark Fidelman, CEO of Fanatics Media, that shines a spotlight on world-class brands known for delivering smarter, superior experiences to today’s modern, connected customers. The episode in which I participated featured Sunil Bhardwaj, SVP, technology, platform, and

Read More »
Steve

What makes good customer service?

A journalist recently contacted me, posing a single question: “What makes good customer service?” This was my response: Let’s start with a definition: Customer service is a voluntary act that demonstrates a genuine desire to satisfy, if not delight, a customer. Within this definition are seven elements that are key

Read More »
Steve

Nice systems. How’s your service?

Yesterday, while vacationing in Breckenridge, CO over Labor Day Weekend, I bought two 100-chip sets of 11.5G poker chips at Peak-A-Boo Toys on Main Street. When we returned home last night and opened both sets, we discovered that one of the sets contained only 99 chips and was missing a

Read More »

Assuage the pain

In May I read the 2017 Qualtrics Hotel Pain Index Study, made some notes, and had every intention of writing a June blog post in response to the study. In my defense, that was about the time that summer break began for our four children. So, without further ado… The

Read More »

To ignore customers is to ignore principles

Last Friday, Alfred Angelo bridal retail stores filed for chapter 7 bankruptcy protection and abruptly closed its retail stores leaving throngs of brides in the lurch – most of whom had either paid in full or left a deposit. While there was internal communication to its stores (to shutter), there

Read More »

Train employees to make decisions

Earlier this month my son, Cooper, and I were at Life Time Fitness. He played basketball inside the main building while I played tennis at another building. Following his workout, he stopped by the café to enjoy a smoothie. After the smoothie had been made, the café employee requested a

Read More »

Machines can’t smile

Earlier today I stopped by my local supermarket to pick up a few things. After crossing everything off my list, I headed toward the registers. I could have gone to the self-checkout units, which were open and available, but since I was buying an AMEX gift card that required activation

Read More »

Personalization is good for business

A recent study by Springboard Retail revealed that 68 percent of survey respondents said they are likely or very likely to revisit a clothing store due to a personalized experience. The study lists a number of ways that a retail customer’s experience can be personalized ranging from offering monogramming services

Read More »

The real purpose of a business

After a recent presentation where I emphasized the importance of employees being aware of their purpose – their highest priority – at work (which, for most employees, is to create a delighted customer), I was approached by an attendee who asked, “Isn’t the real purpose of every business to make

Read More »
The Revelation Conversation

The Revelation Conversation is Here!