Second To None

Give Your Customers an Out

By Kerry Colligan

By now, you've probably heard about Jim Sikes's 90 MPH run in his Toyota Prius. (Part of Sike's 911 call is below.) Sikes's accelerator stuck, speeding him along California's Highway 8 for about 20 miles. Eventually, Sikes was able to stop the car by engaging the parking brake and shutting off the engine. He said of the experience, "I love Toyotas. But I'll never get in a Prius again."

Based on the title of the post, you can guess where this is going. For 20 minutes, Sikes was trapped in... Continue Reading

What’s Your Product DNA?

By Kerry Colligan

Ford Motor company logged a $2.7 billion profit in 2009. It nearly doubled cash reserves. It gained market share for the first time since the mid-nineties. It paid out profit sharing checks.

Chances are you didn't.

There are a host of reasons for Ford's success in 2009, but chief among them is a commitment to listening to customers. Their self-titled "Product DNA" criteria describe features and benefits that improve customer experiences and grow the bottom line.

Product DNA is a fantastic... Continue Reading

When Customers Stop Talking—What To Do To Break the Silence

By Kerry Colligan

This week, Peter Bregman wrote in his HBR blog that silence is the worst kind of feedback because it is ambiguous and generic. His frame of reference is organizational behavior and interpersonal communication but it seems the same silence applies to customer feedback too. Ambiguities and generalities abound in customer feedback. It's just plain hard for most customers to express their views in sufficient detail to be useful at a managerial level. As I've suggested previously, it is easier... Continue Reading

Your favorite 3 posts of 2009

By Kerry Colligan

Back in March, we started this customer experience blog to ask questions and to observe and comment on interesting program strategies and outcomes. We've covered a lot of ground: from restaurants to the auto industry, social media to organizational design. This week, we review three of your favorite posts from 2009.

1. Customer Experience Execs: Are Your Mystery Shops ‘Constructively Negative’?

Innovative managers continue to push traditional mystery shopping programs into new spaces by... Continue Reading

Going “Craig’s List” on Your Customers

By Kerry Colligan

Some estimates put annual revenue north of $100M at Craig's List. There are no display ads or affiliates. No user groups, or social networking strategies. And if you haven't been to Craig's List lately, don't worry... it hasn't changed.

The default online classified ads, CL maintains the desired customer experience by diligently doing very little. The experience on Craig's List is a sea of blue links, but according to web ranking company Alexa, CL is #11 in overall popularity among US web... Continue Reading

Customers Getting Great Things from Kohl’s

By Kerry Colligan

Kohl's is one of the only retailers to show sustained growth this year. Q3 earnings rose 21% on increased sales volume and better margins resulting from inventory management changes and a marketing focus on exclusives like the Vera Wang line.

Managing the brand on both the operational and marketing fronts—as Kohl's is doing—is the core tactic behind delivering authentic brand experiences. As you might expect, Kohl's stock price is up 50% this year. What's more, a soon to be released... Continue Reading

Expect Social Nooks

By Kerry Colligan

Barnes & Noble doesn't have a fanatical customer base. No camping outside stores (Harry Potter excluded) or online shenanigans designed to show off B&N pride.

The availability of the Nook on November 30 could change that. Hysteria may be an overstatement, but B&N could steal the show this holiday season.

The Nook will go social/viral/crazy.

Unlike the Amazon Kindle/2, the Nook e-reader allows people to share books for up to 14 days. Sure, sharing promotes sales of the books and the... Continue Reading

Why do other airlines hate your bags?

By Kerry Colligan

With it's "Grab Your Bag, It's On" campaign, Southwest—the jetway's arbiter of fun—is artfully repositioning not only itself, but customer expectations of the airline industry. While other airlines are adding new fees, Southwest is hammering home its price-driven value proposition. Bags fly free.

Personification of your bags and carnival music aside, Southwest stands on a laundry list of "Best-in-Class" awards for operational efficiency including the #1 ranking for "Most Reliable Airline"... Continue Reading

A Confused Kind of Car Company

By Kerry Colligan

Whether you believe the demise of GM's Saturn brand to be none-too-soon or unfortunate collateral damage, its departure marks the end of a unique car-buying experience. (Roger Penske pulled his bid to purchase Saturn earlier this week, citing future production concerns.) As GM prepares to move forward with fewer nameplates, I wonder which lessons learned at Saturn will re-surface at Chevy or any of its cohorts.

GM's foray into "A Different Kind of Car Company" included new labor union... Continue Reading

CSM Rocks / CSM Stinks

By Kerry Colligan

Is it me, or are there as many complaints about customer satisfaction management (CSM) as there are programs? C-sat is a reasonable tool with a host of well-documented shortcomings, not the least of which is that it's not results-oriented. A recent Quirk's article states the problem eloquently: "Does a rising [customer satisfaction] score alone imply rising performance?"

Nope.

Since 2004, Walmart has been at the bottom of ACSI-ranked companies for customer satisfaction in the supermarket... Continue Reading