The Blog - Where Business Collides with Human Nature

Is Online Shopping Really Better than a Brick-and-Mortar Experience?

The rise of the internet makes it easier than ever for people to get the things they want or need simply by going to a website and placing an order — often receiving their merchandise the next day or even in a matter of hours. However, despite the convenience of the on-demand economy, I was curious about whether buying things online is genuinely better than shopping for stuff in a store.

I am an avid shopper and split my time between buying things in stores and online. Not long ago, I needed to buy some specific items and thought the circumstances presented perfect opportunities to figure out the best way to shop.

I decided to pay attention to my experiences with both options and use the outcomes to determine which one I preferred. The news coverage of how many brick-and-mortar stores are shutting down was another factor that sparked my curiosity. Do online stores spell doom for physical stores in all or most cases? Let's find out based on my shopping spree.

Topics: Marketing Ideas Customer Service Business Trends

6 Great Ways to Lose Customers

You just might be making a mistake or two that’s costing you customers! Just a 5% increase in customer retention can increase profits up to 95%, so it makes sense to find your problem and implement a solution before your business takes a hit.

Topics: Customer Service Business Success Tips

What is Your Churn Rate?

Do you have a churn policy? Is it "Good riddance"? Or as Mr. Wonderful on Shark Tank would say "You are dead to me"?  

It's easy to give up on people who have given up on you. Without an understanding of why they rejected you, it is difficult to improve. "Complaints" are the most valuable type of feedback but when they "walk away" or "unsubscribe", guessing is all you have.

Topics: Marketing Statistics Customer Service Conversion Ecommerce

Everything Jeff Bezos Knows About Business Success [video]

Started in his home, Jeff Bezos started a business and began to reach for his dream. In the video below he will tell his story about how it all began, what it takes to be successful and why Amazon bought Zappos.  This is as much a message to the new Zappos team as it is for you.  

Topics: Customer Service Business Success Tips

6 Tips to Be More Responsive to Customers

In an era of instant communication, information overload and search engines, word of mouth recommendations and customer satisfaction are more important than ever before.  Your online reviews ARE your reputation and how you handle Yelp, Zagat (Google+), Facebook and Twitter make the difference between success and failure.  It’s vital that your business responds quickly and efficiently to customer requests, complaints and questions.  Communicating with your customers across a variety of different channels, along with timely responses to inquiries and support issues, will help keep them happy, satisfied and ensure they remain customers.

Topics: Customer Service SocialMedia