by Christopher S Penn | Jan 31, 2012 | Customer Service
The simplest and most powerful customer service secret of all: tell your customers what’s going on. Or better yet, give them the ability to tell themselves. Refer back to my joyful travelogue recently. The #1 thing the airline could have done to make...
by Christopher S Penn | Nov 12, 2010 | Awakening, Customer Service, Strategy
The path to becoming exceptional is relatively simple to get started on. In a world that has generally accepted mediocrity, if not outright failure, finding a few parts of your business to improve that will push you past your competitors is simple. It starts with...
by Christopher S Penn | Jul 1, 2010 | Awakening, Customer Service, Marketing, Rant
While in the airport yesterday perusing a variety of marketing materials (aka billboards as I walked to my gate), I saw a bunch of different advertisements by companies about how much they care, from facility maintenance to oil to the airlines themselves. This...
by Christopher S Penn | Feb 3, 2009 | Advertising, Customer Service, Marketing
Starbucks. Apple. Maglite. Dom Perignon. All of these are premium brands, yes? They conjure up certain images, certain feelings, certain associations, all of which their respective marketing departments have worked hard to establish over the years. Premium denotes...
by Christopher S Penn | Jul 15, 2008 | Customer Service
At the recent NASFAA conference, I was wandering around Epcot after sessions one day, and noticed this in the International Gateway: This is on the side of a bridge at the France pavilion facing the boat dock. Maybe 1 in 100 visitors to Epcot will actually see the...
by Christopher S Penn | Apr 22, 2008 | Customer Service
I got this email just today from Marriott about my stay in Washington, DC. To the Marriott folks: Look, no offense, but I’m not going to take your survey. You’ve already got my money, and now you want my time in return for nothing at all. Come on, offer me...