How to avoid “Dark Patterns”
Rather than have a fax machine take up desk space at my former business, I just paid for a fax number and delivery via email. Since then, the need for…
Use What You Know About Your Customers
Our wireless carrier Verizon recently emailed with an offer to upgrade to an iPhone 6s. Sure, whatever. Companies send upgrade offers and discounts all the time, right? Consider though the…
Training to think before training to act
Boulder is home to a thriving and bustling tech startup scene, and I’m thrilled to contribute (“Give before you get” is a mantra) as a mentor at Boomtown Accelerator. At…
The four ways you know your customers are loyal
Used to be, customers were often regulars because either perceived switching costs were high or they had no option awareness. That’s not so true anymore, so they’re been abandoning mediocre brands in droves,…
Am I a valued customer? Your actions are revealing
My wife recently discovered the pump of her sunscreen, the second in a two-pack, was broken. To initiate a return with Amazon, she started an online chat. An excerpt: I’m…
How much marketing do you need?
A customer’s greatest commodity is their attention. They may grant us a bit of it because they care about our story and how their involvement with us makes them feel (the story they tell…
Don’t Make Me Think
It’s been over a decade since Steve Krug’s seminal work, Don’t Make Me Think, was published (most recently in the 3rd edition last year), and it remains just as pertinent…
Meeting your customers where they are, Part 2: The Chat
This handy Deskero infographic with data from research firm Software Advice shows the relative usage of chat vs. phone in customer support situations. Clearly there’s a significant part of your customer base interested in…
A people-centric approach to investing
How does customer experience correlate to stock price? Let’s find out. Over the past few months, talking with friends and colleagues here in Colorado, where Frontier Airlines has a prominent presence,…
Get more customers by being the copycat?
What are you known for? If I were to ask one of your customers to explain, in a sentence, what you do and what you’re about, what would they say?…