The paradigm for customer service has changed little over the past half century. A disappointed customer picks up the phone and calls for support when needed. The biggest changes in customer service technology have been the use of email and online chat - which benefits consumers - and IVR menus - which annoy most consumers. [...]

If you need further evidence that social media is here to stay in the corporate world, look no further than Telstra, the Australian telecom giant. Telstra in Australia makes social media training mandatory for its 40,000 employees. It has formalized a policy of “3Rs” – responsibility, respect and representation, see the video below: You can [...]

Social media has given consumers a whole new voice so companies better not give consumers anything bad to talk about. What happens when your brand gets its 15 minutes of fame on YouTube, but for the wrong reason? This is exactly what Taco Bell went through. A video of rats running around a Taco Bell’s [...]

The “Mom and Pop” businesses in our neighborhoods have always followed sound and pragmatic business practices, rooted in developing, maintaining and strengthening relationships with customers. The customers and the businesses valued those relationships because “Mom and Pop” offered convenience. They listened to their customers and used their suggestions to improve the business. They provided great [...]