Guest Poster: Andrew Konoff It is my pleasure to introduce Andrew Konoff. Andrew is the Marketing and Community Manager at GoInstant, a co-browsing company. There, he runs a blog that focuses on bringing customer experience management to a broader audience. You can find him on Twitter as @andrewkonoff. Last week I decided it was finally […]

In our last post, What is Hero-Class Customer Service? Part 1, we discussed why we like the term Hero-ClassTM Customer Service and the characteristics that customer facing professionals need to become customer service heroes. The final piece of understanding Hero-ClassTM Customer Service is to discuss what it looks like in an organization as a whole. […]

Guest Poster: Ashley Verrill It is my pleasure to introduce Ashley Verrill. Ashley is a market analyst with Software Advice. She has spent the last six years reporting and writing business news and strategy features. Her work has appeared in myriad publications including Inc., Upstart Business Journal, the Austin Business Journal and the North Bay […]

I’ve searched for a long time for a phrase to describe a level of service that is both amazing in its quality and impressive in its delivery. Sure, I’ve used the typical phrases for years — world-class customer service, platinum-level customer service, 5-star customer service — and so on. But these phrases are common, and […]

Last week, we discussed JCPenney’s plan to change its entire customer experience by removing staff and moving towards an automated retail environment. One of the key questions the move brought up was the following: Can a retail company improve its customer experience with fewer people and more automation? However, a trip to Lowe’s yesterday demonstrated […]

If you’ve seen my about page, then you know I grew up in the music industry. As a result, I have formed expectations of what I expect from a retail music store. My recent experience with Guitar Center in Winter Park, Florida was a textbook example of great service, not-so-great service, and then excellent service […]

Technology is shaping how companies interact with customers. From social media to big data, from CRM systems to GPS tracking, almost every company’s relationships with its customers are shaped by technology. Despite technology’s prominence, companies are finding that the optimal intersection of technology and customer service is not always obvious. As we move to an […]

During the launch of Customers That Stick in March of 2012, we created a user-generated blog post to answer the question: What is Great Customer Service? The concept behind the post was for me to get out of the way and let CTS’ readers answer the question. We received numerous thoughtful insights from a variety […]

Imagine the following exchange… ME: Hi, I’d like to give you an award because I like you. RECIPIENT: If you want to give me an award, you first need to fill out a 10 page application. If I like what I see, then I will gladly accept your award. ME: Sorry, I think I dialed […]