My Take:
Just Ask
Gary Lemke, Chief Customer Advocate
(July 11, 2012)
Share
"If you don't tell me anything about you and what you are looking for, I will make assumptions based on how you present yourself to me." That seems to be how organizations like Orbitz handle the decision on what to present to the prospective customer. (See Orbitz just knows better, no shame on Orbitz, a gesture of value, and fickle applause.)
Assumptions cut both ways. However, some customers are interested in providing personal information in return for being presented with more relevant buying options.
For example, Groupon adds a little button for visitors to click if there is interest in a particular category of products. For instance, if I am interested in healthy living - exercise, yoga, nutrition, etc. - I can click a heart icon and have the preference added to my profile. In the future, I will see more offers related to my interests.
With all the talk of sophisticated analytics to sleuth customer preferences, how refreshing it is to see the simple and straightforward approach. Just ask.
More importantly, give the customer control of their profile.
Healthy Directions Discovers Key Customer Insights Allegiance, a provider of VOCi (Voice of Customer Intelligence) technology and services, announced that Healthy Directions has implemented the Allegiance Engage VOC platform to uncover insights and focus the customer experience on issues that impact customer loyalty and repurchase decisions.Healthy Directions provides expert guidance and advanced nutritional supplements from America’s doctors of integrative medicine. Prior to implementing the Allegiance VOC platform, the company tracked revenue from direct mail marketing and used periodic print and email surveys to measure customer satisfaction. . . .read more >>
KANA Acquires Contact Center Customer Service Company Ciboodle KANA Software has acquired the process-based contact center provider Ciboodle from the Sword Group. Many Fortune 500 companies and government entities rely on KANA and Ciboodle for customer engagement across multiple channels. . . .read more >>
Transform Your Business With Voice-of-Customer Many companies are now utilizing Voice-of-Customer (VoC) programs to gain valuable insight about customers and what is important to them -- a vital step in transforming any organization into a truly customer-centric operation. As a qualitative and quantitative market research tool, VoC can produce and prioritize a detailed set of customer wants and needs -- and ultimately, enhance the customer experience. VoC research is often conducted at the start of any new product, process, or service design initiative in order to better understand the customer. The research is usually more than a customer satisfaction study designed to measure how an organization’s products and services meet or surpass customer expectations -- it should enable marketers to make customer-focused decisions. . . .read more >>
3 Surefire Ways to Lift Your Customer Lifetime Value Is there a prominent strategy available for company’s profitable business other than prospecting for new customers? Of course, there is. One key question you can raise to clarify yourself is, “am I minding my existing customers?” Here’s something to consider… it’s essentially economical to sustain and take care of present client base than it is to look for new business, right? You may have come across this adorned marketing term rather formula “Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)” gets canvassed a bit. But are you attuned how is it being useful to your marketing feats? . . .read more >>
