December 2010
12 posts
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11 tags
How do you lead?
What do successful leaders do during a crisis? They lead!
If you need an example of this look no further than Mayor Cory Booker of Newark, New Jersey. During the blizzard of 2010 Mayor Booker has lead by example and has been on the forefront of the snow removal efforts. His updates via Twitter and communication to his constituency has won him very favorable reviews and accolades.
Compare...
21 tags
Consumers Kill Brands with a Key Stroke
Unless you have been under a rock for the last 36 hours you know about the storm that has crippled New York City as well as the entire Northeast region.
This storm has reminded us on just how much influence that consumers have. Case in point; Jason Cochran, an author and reporter has been tweeting continuously about his experiences at JFK Airport. He has also been sharing his adventures with...
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MERRY CHRISTMAS..Like it or Not
If you are over the age of 40 you probably remember the days of yesterday when you left a retail establishment and someone said to you; Merry Christmas! Slowly but surely over the last 10 years or so that simple “Merry Christmas” farewell was replaced by “Happy Holidays.”
While its easy, and proper to blame political correctness, we share in the blame. Simply put, if...
22 tags
Sprint Knows Market Research
How important do you think measuring the customer experience is to your business?
“We lost our focus,” said Bob L. Johnson, who as Sprint’s chief service officer is responsible for the carrier’s handling of its customers. “In the end, we learned the hard way that the thing to focus on was the customer experience.”
Obviously Sprint Wireless knows despite...
13 tags
Drink coffee or feed homeless?
Is life a circle? Is Karma important to you? Do you believe what goes around comes around?
Though I usually prefer my coffee from WaWa, (I’m a simple guy) desperate for a caffeine boost, I stopped in a Starbucks, which is of course also known by many as “Five Bucks” as it seems difficult to buy anything there for less than $5.00. I digress, let me backup and get back to my...
22 tags
Are you acting or denying?
If you hear me, are you listening, much less acting on what I say?
Consumers ask themselves this question everyday whether they are responding to a survey or just providing unsolicited feedback.
Sadly, while businesses “hear” the input, in a national survey that we conducted, 59% of the respondents acknowledged that they do little more than use the comments as a public relations...
10 tags
Has "Innovation" Died?
Has the poor economy killed off innovation? It certainly seems that way.
There was a time not so long ago where my inbox would be overflowing with invitations to seminars and other events tied to the entire realm of innovation. I did a search of my trash and seminar folder and can not find anything related to innovation in the last 9 months.
I also remember when it was common to see the...
23 tags
Survey Scams
Did you ever participate in an online survey and feel like you had been taken for a ride? While I would not be surprised if you said “yes”, but as a pioneer in the realm of online research, even I was surprised that I got sucked in this week.
First up, Verizon Wireless/The GfK Research Group. I received a survey invitation regarding my recent experiences with Verizon. The survey...
24 tags
1/4 mile apart, yet worlds away
Walgreens has a secret that seems to allude CVS for some strange reason.
When I walk into the local Walgreens a cashier immediately stops to greet me and says “hello, welcome to Walgreens”. If I encounter other associates in the store I am immediately asked if I need assistance.
Less than a quarter mile down the road if I walk into the CVS I experience none of this — ever.
If I...
11 tags
Wanna trade drugs with me?
Is the Medicare donut hole forcing senior citizens to trade prescription medications with each other?
We recently completed some In-Depth Interviews and were stunned to learn of the propensity and frequency of older Americans trading prescription medications. The most common scenario is when one senior had a particular medication changed by a physician, they have leftover meds and they have a...