Really recommend this blog post written by Jim Barraud: Email Newsletter Makeover. He takes a real email newsletter he’s received and shows the technical issues with it that prevent most people from getting all of the content and then shows how easy it is to make it more accessible. Very good use of a real world example and some very simple tips that all retailers should be aware of, especially as the use of email newsletter blasts ramps up as we progress through the holiday season.
For full disclosure, Jim is an associate of mine at Media-Hive.
As the Gulf Coast of the United States makes preparations for the impact of Hurricane Gustav, I have to say that I am very impressed by the way Home Depot is using Twitter to communicate preparation tips and store information. The Home Depot Twitter account, which is generally filled with helpful home improvement tips, has switched gears to provide information targeted to Gulf Coast residents and those who are in the path of the storm.
Recent updates today have included general hurricane preparation tips about moving appliances, the danger of carbon monoxide from emergency generators, and reminding people to locate their main water and electric shut off switches. There has also been information about store closings and the availability of water.
This is a great use of Twitter by a retailer. They’re using the service to focus communication on information related to this very dangerous storm. I see this as a way for the retailer to assist the community that it serves. Good job by Home Depot.
My thoughts go out to everyone in the path of the storm.
Here is one thing I believe in: customer service is not one way street.
Customers, as well as businesses they deal with, have an obligation to better customer service. Customer service cannot go from bad to good if the company doesn�t know that they are providing bad customer service. On the same hand, customer service cannot continue to be good or great if the company doesn�t know that they are already providing that level of service. It is important for the customer to communicate with whoever they are able to in order to help build good customer service relationships.
I�d like to share with you five ways that you, as a customer, can improve customer service in the places that you shop. Although the scope of this post is geared towards retail, restaurants, and industries where customer interaction is one-on-one, the basic tenets that I will describe can be applied to almost all of our business relationships.
Most of these ways should seem simplistic and obvious, but that’s the point. Talking to friends and family, it doesn’t seem that a lot of people are doing these incredibly simple and easy things that they can be doing to help businesses improve customer service.
For a little back story as to why I wrote this, check out my other post: On poor customer service and me being a poor customer.
Continue reading this post »
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Just came across Red Bank TV, which is a new blog discussing the negotions between the town of Red Bank and Verizon Communications, in regards to Verizon wanting to offer it’s new FiOSTV service in the town. Verizon has recently petitioned the town council to grant them a cable television franchise and it appears that this blog is going to cover the negotiations in pretty good detail. This is a relatively new service that Verizon wants to offer and I believe it would be the first time it is offering it in New Jersey. These negotiations will have a lot of business and political ramifications, so it will be very intriguing to watch.
The blog’s first post contains a lot of information about what Verizon is looking to do and how it will effect the town. In summary:
I believe that Verizon is a forward thinking organization and we should be proud that Verizon has chosen Red Bank as a beacon for their new television service. I believe that a lot of communities around our state will be watching to see how our town negotiates our deal with Verizon. I think that our town Council is in a unique position in which we have the ability to negotiate a deal with Verizon that will be beneficial to Verizon and pioneering for our town. Our council should not accept a deal that does not address the issues I have brought up in this essay. Verizon needs Red Bank at this point a lot more than Red Bank needs Verizon. There are no laws compelling Verizon to address most of these issues but there is also no law saying that we have to allow Verizon to operate a cable TV franchise in our town. Verizon stands to gain a lot by getting the franchise but they stand to loose so much more if we decide to walk away from this deal. Not for a long time has our town wielded so much sway over a corporation as big as Verizon. I encourage Red Bank residents and Red Bank Town Council members to work for a deal with Verizon that will benefit our town for a long time to come.
As I’ve already said, this blog will be very intriguing to read.
