The Critically Important Audience You May Be Overlooking

It’s probably no surprise that poor customer service can have an enormous amount of negative impact on your business. But what about poor service to employees? Does the internal satisfaction of your employees weigh on that metric? A recent article by Christine Porath in Harvard Business Review would suggest that it does. Continue reading “The Critically Important Audience You May Be Overlooking”

Which Comes First: Customer Service or Customers?

I saw an interesting comment on a blog site recently in response to an article about 6 effective marketing tips for small businesses. One poster noted that, among the small businesses she works with, her focus is on providing strong customer service and trusting that the rest will come. (Sort of a Field of Dreams approach I guess…)

There is, of course, absolutely nothing wrong with focusing on customer service–in fact I’m all in favor of it. But Continue reading “Which Comes First: Customer Service or Customers?”

Four Little Words That Can Reveal a Lot: “Why do you ask?”

A recent experience I had, contrasted with a similar experience my husband had a few years ago, made me consider how easy it can be to not only gather key marketing research intelligence from customers but also to improve the service experience, generate positive word-of-mouth and, ultimately, increase sales. Continue reading “Four Little Words That Can Reveal a Lot: “Why do you ask?””